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Post-COVID Nutrition

Whatcha gonna do..whatcha gonna do…when it comes for you! 

Nausea, headache on Wednesday night, full blow aches/pains/headache/fever on Thursday, tested on Friday (best to test 2-days after symptoms), YEP…COVID confirmed. Friday morning, I felt better (only felt fatigue)…on Saturday I was back to working out. Not sure if it was Delta, Gamma, Omicron or one of its other buddies, but this gang is out on the prowl. No matter if you’re vaccinated or not, there is a high probability you will be infected. The most important question is, and always has been, is not how to avoid COVID, it’s how best to recover from it. 

COVID, you came, you saw…but you will not conquer! 

Q: What are some research studies to review on this topic?

A: Here are some great ones I reviewed for this newsletter: https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/3/1/74, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32546195/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32286533/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32334392/. With all the information out there, it’s not easy to know who to trust, it’s best to stick to credible, reputable, and clinically driven sources. 

Q: Are these recommendations only for Post-COVID, can it also prevent infection?

A: It’s for both. Using nutrition for “medicine” and health, what you do to prevent illness is very similar, if not the same, as to what you do to treat illness. However, the intensity will be different.  With prevention you’re leveraging the power of “compounding”. Taking a “maintenance” dose each day, consistently, allows you to have greater and greater benefits with time. When treating, you need to act quickly, you’re in a high degree of deficiency so you need to accelerate the benefits by getting very intense. Which usually means you’re taking higher doses even more frequently. Bottom line is, you can do all that is recommended, all the time, you just need to vary the intensity. 

Q: What is most important, nutrition (food) or nutrients (vitamins/minerals)?

A: Neither, it’s Lifestyle. If you want a strong, more resilient Immune system to defend you against attack or one to help you recover after, you need to reduce stress. The #1 thing I did when I “knew” (had a feeling) I had COVID, was to rest. I changed my schedule, reduced my workload, went to bed early and didn’t schedule anything too early in the morning. For 1,000’s of years, REST is the most powerful medicine, even today they’ll put patients into an induced coma so they can recover faster. Whether it’s reducing your work/stress load or literally getting into bed, you must rest.  

Q: Ok, after Lifestyle…what’s next?

A: Nutrition. And the #1 nutrition is WATER. Hydration is key because it acts as a cellular energy unit (has oxygen), is a detoxifier (removes waste/toxins), strengthen cells (cellular fluid), and increases blood flow (healthy blood heals everything). Once I started to feel weak, I amped up my hydration. I’m 180lbs, I divided 180 by 2 = 90, and used that as a mark for the LEAST amount to drink each day, “90 ounces” of water. I drank between 90-120ounces each day, till I felt better, then went back to 60-90ounces. 

Q: What other nutrition and how did you eat it?

A: Lots of veggies (cooked not raw) and protein (chicken and fish), and in soups. I felt nausea, so it wasn’t easy to eat. But I knew that nutrition was the fuel for my recovery vehicle. I had to make it easy to eat, light/easy on the digestive system (less digestion effort more energy to my immune system), and soups add water (hydration). I bought some Amy’s Soups (organic, natural, healthy soups), chopped up more veggies (broccoli, onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, zucchini, yellow squash, few others), added extra protein to them (chicken – chopped as well), and had that 3-4x per day. The different soups kept it interesting and I used a veggie chopper to make the veggies small and lightly sauteed them to make them soft to eat. 

Q: What did you drink?

A: Teas and Water with Electrolytes. I can’t drink just water, it’s too boring. So I flavor it with electrolyte powders, low or no sugar ones. For my teas, I added Ginger, Turmeric, Orange, and Lemon. Any non-caffeinated (do not want to screw up my sleep) teas will do. Drink warm water help to loosen mucous and calm the nervous system. 

Q: What about nutrients? 

A: Here is where most of the research focuses on. Once Vitamin C was the “king” of immune health, but now we understand the immune system needs multiple specific micronutrients to function properly. Nutrients like Vitamin A, D, C, E, B6, B12, Folate, Zinc, Selenium has a significant amount of research to show they can help to prevent infection and promote recovery. 

Q: How much are you taking of these nutrients?

A: Before I start, these were based on my health and comfort. It’s always best to check with your health care provider if you have concerns. We’re all individuals that will tolerate nutrients and dosages differently. This is my program for the next 60 days, then I’ll reduce to maintenance doses. 

  • Vitamin A (as Retinol): 25,000-50,000 IU’s (if pregnant, have liver or other organ issues, first check with health care provider) – in 30 days, I’ll take 10,000 IU’s
  • Vitamin D: 25,000-50,000 IU’s
  • Zinc: 30-50mg 2x per day
  • B-Vitamins: The amount in a quality multi-vitamin is adequate (Garden Of Life, Thorne Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, are good brands) 
  • Liposomal Glutathione: 150mg 2 to 3x per day
  • Vitamin C: 1,000mg 3 to 4x per day
  • Quercetin: 500mg 2x per day
  • Essential Fatty Acids: 1000mg 3x per day
  • Probiotics: General Amount
  • Trace & Ultra-Trace Minerals: General Amount 
  • Turmeric: 500mg 
  • PRōZE SHIELD: 1 full dropper 2x daily (wake up and 3hrs before bed) 

Q: Where do you purchase these nutrients?

A: My go-to brands are: Thorne Laboratories, Pure Encapsulations, Youngevity International (excelled Multi-vitamin/mineral called Beyond Tangy Tangerine), Garden Of Life, and any brand that carries the USP (United States Pharmacopeia).

Q: In summary, what is the order of what to do, once you are infected?

A: Rest, Hydration, Nutrition, Move Around, Get Fresh Air, Get Sunlight, Take Nutrients.