Boost Your Immune System; Defeat Corona and Flu Viruses Naturally

Is your immune system weak due to diet and lifestyle? Is your child’s? If so, you are especially susceptible to pathogens like the flu or even the Corona virus. While we remain glued to Corona virus developments, cancel flights, stay inside… please believe in the truth:

1. Corona viruses (CoV) are a group of viruses made up of RNA surrounded by proteins that make it appear as if it has a “halo” or “corona” when viewed under a microscope.
2. First discovered in the 1960s, many corona virus forms circulate in humans and some animals—most are relatively harmless; like H1N1 Flue cause “the common cold”.
3. Rare forms have caused serious respiratory tract infections; SARS-CoV in 2003, MERS-CoV in 2012… there have been others.
4. P4 containment labs like the Wuhan Institute of Virology are tasked with containment so these viruses can be studied and remedies found. The Wuhan lab is the world’s most recent certified lab, becoming active in 2017.
5. There is no vaccine that protects against corona virus (technically named SARS-CoV-2 virus, or COVID-19, or other SARS…). For that matter, the Flu vaccine developed each year for H1N1 variants are marginally effective against H1N1 while triggering autoimmune reactions in susceptible individuals.
6. Were a potential vaccine or remedy created, it could take a year or more to evaluate effectiveness. To date, none have been successfully developed against previous strains—some of which had much higher severe symptom and even death rates exceeding 10 percent. For most of us (81 percent according to studies) symptoms will be mild and short.

Most of the remaining media-driven hysteria about the Coronavirus (biowarfare, conspiracy theory, and other finger pointing and fear-mongering) is, well, not based on fact. The virus itself, although highly contagious, is not inherently highly lethal—81 percent of cases are mild with a 2.3 percent fatality rate based on records of over 70,000 cases.

 More Facts on Corona Virus

February 24, 2020, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a paper analyzing data from the Chinese equivalent to the U.S. CDC of the 72,314 SARS-CoV-2 cases summarizing the true scene and comparing it with prior outbreaks:

• During the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, 300 cases and 5 deaths already had occurred by the time China reported the outbreak to the World Health Organization (WHO), whereas in the COVID-19 outbreak, only 27 cases and zero deaths had occurred when the WHO was notified on January 3, 2020.
• It took only 1 week to identify SARs-CoV-2 as a novel strain not before seen.
• Coronavirus fatalities occurred most often in elderly men with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer.
• Smokers are more susceptible than non-smokers.
• 14 percent of cases were severe (impaired blood oxygen saturation <93%, impaired pulmonary function test, >50% lung infiltrates) and an additional 5% were critical (respiratory failure, septic shock, and/or multiple organ dysfunction or failure). Despite the severity, none of the critical cases died.
• MarketWatch, a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, a property of News Corp, which also owns The Wall Street Journal and Barron's, reports that the more common flu virus kills from 25,000 to 69,000 each year So far this flu season, the U.S. CDC says that 16,000 of Americans have died from H1N1 variants.

Preventing Flu or Corona Virus Involves Maintaining a Robust Immune System

The body’s immune response hinges on enough genuine nutrient building blocks while too many stressors weaken it.

“In recent tests, mosquitoes refused to bite people who were well supplied with B vitamins.”
“Lice leave rats and other animals if they are supplied with a better vitamin intake. Fleas leave dogs treated with vitamins for pneumonia and immune dysfunction”.
“If insects, parasites, as well as bacterial and viral invasion are mainly a consequence of malnutrition because of the body’s loss of its ability to fight off these instruments of possible death it would seem we have open Pandora’s Box by interfering with our natural food supply”!
—Dr. Royal Lee

In the 1840s, Dr. Antoine Béchamp and his apprentice Louis Pasteur showed that a strong immune system could stop anthrax bacteria dead in its tracks. Anthrax is not biological warfare bacteria, it exists naturally.

The Lyme disease found in the remains of the warrior ice-man Ötzi didn’t kill him—a blow to the head did. Ötzi (found preserved in the Alps and estimated to have lived between 3400 and 3100 BC) used herbal remedies and acupuncture.

Why is that not the first thing the CDC would point out? Why are we not given the message of how to balance our immune system and live healthfully?

Summary of hygiene guidelines that work with past Corona viruses (and also H1N1 Flu):

1. Do you see clients in your line of work?  They are probably amazing... Take these steps:
   1. Wash your hands between clients: Clean hands regularly with soap and warm water.
   2. Disinfect common surfaces with 70 percent or higher isopropyl alcohol. This is preventive. Kills Corona, Flu H1N1... (chlorine or peroxide-containing disinfectants also inactivate the virus; so does 30 minutes of heat over 136^oF, or 60 minutes exposure to a UV lamp).
   3. In my practice, I disinfect with 80% isopropyl alcohol between each client.
2. Use disposable gloves if you will contact an infected person’s body fluids or feces.
3. Cover your mouth and nose with a surgical mask if you will be in the same room with an infected person.
4. Use soap and hot water to wash the utensils, towels, bedding and clothing of someone with SARS (we normally wash this way).
5. Follow all infection control measures for at least ten days even after an infected person is recovered and did not show any symptoms of the disease.

The life cycle of a virus:

1. The virus, which is basically RNA (some can be DNA) coated in protein, binds to your cell and inserts itself into that cell;
2. Once inside your cell, the virus places a piece of its genetic code into your DNA, your genetic code;
3. That foreign code can live within you forever… e.g. chicken pox codes resurface later as Herpes Symplex Virus—we become "carriers"—it is impossible to remove all snippets of this genetic code; it is only possible to help your immune system keep it dormant;
4. Inside your cells, the new genetic code tells your cells to make new viral particles;
5. When the cell is “full” of new viral particles, those particles break down the collagen in the cell membrane—this is easier for the virus if you are deficient in vitamins A, C & E;
6. The cell disintegrates releasing thousands of viral particles into you; these particles move on and infect new cells;
7. After this "lag time"—some days—your immune system responds (sniffles, mucous…) because the new viral particles are being noticed;
8. Then you have a “cytokine storm”; tiny hormones released by immune cells causing you to feel sleepy, become cranky, and forces you into “sickness behavior”. The point of this is to heal. Unfortunately, under certain circumstances, this "cytokine storm" causes the lung damage associated with COVID-19.
9. If you have a robust immune system, including good melatonin production, you move through the "cytokine storm" quickly. If your immune system is imbalanced, while it directs focus against one problem others can emerge and take over—the person who is sick all winter... flu turns to pneumonia...

Pathogens are all around us: Wake up your immune system so it is properly vigilant!

Certainly, hand washing and sanitation are good advice.

Remember, Big Pharma cannot patent or profit from diets high in natural vitamins, minerals, or when you get regular quality sleep. Cane, Corn, and Agave sugar, and other refined carbohydrates interfere with vitamin B complex, vitamin E complex and calcium metabolism, and disrupt sleep—all are vital for immune function. Anything that upsets your digestive tract disrupts your immune function.

Most likely, the Corona virus infects cells by binding to specific cell surface proteins (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2))—that converts the blood pressure elevating hormone angiotensin 2 into a different hormone that relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure). That's why some blood pressure medications are designed to increase ACE2, found on the surface of lung cells, arteries, heart, kidney, and intestines.

Therefore foods that naturally lower blood pressure could better control COVID infection and symptom severity. Does that mean we should all take angiotensin II receptor blockers? NO. Foods are a safe alternate that in most cases can be freely eaten. Natural therapeutic foods include: (and you don't need an advanced nutrition degree to read the article).

Resveratrol—Red grape skins and seeds, juice, red wine; blueberries, raspberries, mulberries, cranberries; strawberries (mainly in the seeds); nuts especially peanuts and pistachios; raw cocoa; green tea.

Fiber—especially soft fibers from eating more plants and beans.

Potassium—include lemon or lime juice in your beverages (BTW bananas are not a great source and they are very high sugar); all plants are high in potassium.

Garlic—potent antiviral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic. Eat with chopped parsley if it gives you a strong smell.

Celery—with almond butter, perhaps, for resveratrol.

Boost your immune system with whole foods:

If you are my client, you have heard me direct you to get more vegetables and eat less added sugars. Cane sugar, corn syrup / sugar, and agave create nervous system confusion as do most other added sugars. Sugars weaken your immune system. We keep giving ourselves excuses to eat sugar—maybe it’s a social thing. If you must, maple syrup may improve blood sugar control; local raw honey is another option.

About 70% of the cells that make up your immune system are found in your gut. Cereal grains (wheat, corn, rye, barley, rice, oats all contain gluten and gluten-like proteins), dairy, sugars, additives in processed foods, seed oils (soy, corn, canola...) all irritate your digestive tract and tax your immune system.

After removing inflammatory foods, please focus on these:

Vitamin D is a pro-hormone that turns genes on and off helps prevent viral and bacterial infections. One way it does this is by boosting antimicrobial substances in the lungs called antimicrobial peptides.

How to get vitamin D? We make vitamin D only when the sun is high in the sky and if we don’t use sunscreen. In Alaska, possibly, we make vitamin D around June solstice. Therefore, 3-4 times weekly eat wild-caught fatty fish like salmon, tuna, cod... consume eggs from pastured hens (preferably organic) and use a quality Vitamin D supplement. Keep in mind, most over-the-counter D supplements to not include the essential cofactors such as, vitamin K2, boron, zinc and magnesium—to name a few—needed for absorption and use.

Natural vitamin A (not synthetic) improves secretory IgA—Your mucous membranes that line lungs, nasal passages, eyes, intestines, bladder, reproductive organs... Secretory IgA protects these linings. Whole food sources include shrimp, eggs, salmon, sardines, pasture-raised chicken or turkey, beef liver (if 100 percent pastured not commercial), sweet potatoes, chard and other greens, carrots, winter squash, bok choy, cantaloupes, bell peppers. Mix it up 😊

Natural vitamin C keeps collagen intact—Ascorbic acid requires taking bolus amounts between 500-15 grams (usually the only way to effectively do this is through I.V. If you want to try capsules, increase dose gradually until your stools become too loose. Then drop back.) Personally, I recommend whole foods that have bioflavenoids and other cofactors like green peppers, broccoli, Brussel’s sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, papayas, organic strawberries, kiwi, melons... Oranges not so much. Why? They didn’t rot on long transatlantic sailing ships without refrigeration but they are not a great source of vitamin C and have been hybridized to be high sugar.

Zinc is vital for white blood cell (immune) function—we get the most bioactive form in meats like all seafood, pasture-raised beef (but not commercial or grain finished), and key seeds like sesame, pumpkin, quinoa, and legumes like lentils and chickpeas.

Selenium—Wild caught fish like tuna, red snapper, shrimp, lobster… Brazil nuts (3 per day gives the minimum you need), sunflower seeds sprinkled on salads. Mushrooms.

Mushrooms with key phytonutrients—drink a cup of chaga or turkey tail tea daily; I have a beautiful supplement with these and maitake.

Iodine—Despite the blogosphere, proceed with caution: Iodine comes up on the “blogosphere” of self remedies. Iodine stimulates the thyroid and doing so stimulates the immune system to have both antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Sounds like a good think. Is it?

Supplementing with iodine can overstimulate your thyroid. If you have Hashimoto’s or Grave’s autoimmune disease, too much iodine can exacerbate the autoantibodies while microdoses are helpful. Further, thyroid hormones boost immune system and result in a release of hormones (called cytokines) that can make you feel temporarily worse. Foods tend to be safer: Eggs from pastured hens, all greens, sesame or pumpkin seeds, navy beans… all wild-caught and cold water ocean seafood.

Melatonin—the body’s “sleep hormone”—is a powerful immune booster that can help combat viral infection and keep your gut healthy. THIS JUST IN!!! Melatonin blocks the "cytokine storm" caused by an over-reactive immune system. That's good news but over-the-counter melatonin supplements aren't well absorbed and are needed at super high doses. Talk to me.

Sleep—Get enough! Even just one night of sleep deprivation—less than the recommended 7 – 8 hours—can lower a person’s immune function, disrupt melatonin production, and increase risk of falling ill with any communicable disease. Create a household pact to follow good sleep hygiene.

Hydration—Turmeric and/or ginger slices made into a tea, spiced chai, or turmeric latte—green tea, Rooibos tea, and others are packed with anti-oxidants that support the immune system.

EMFs change microbial genetic expression to stimulate biofilm production and immune avoidance

Biofilms are a protective layer of starch pathogens secrete around themselves so our immune system cannot find them. Viral particles and bacteria can remain hidden; their presence remains stealth, just like cancer. While this concept may be well outside your reality, E. Coli, viruses, and other increase their production of biofilm when stimulated by electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

Turn off your WiFi and keep your cell phone off your body if you aren’t using it.

Should I take high doses of certain vitamins or herbs?

Maybe… if those properly balance your immune system. Some will; some won't. If you are already on a Clinical Nutrition program with me, then we are improving your immune function by helping your priority organs and systems. Keep going.

Certain remedies break up the immune mucous and viral / bacterial biofilms (in Ayurveda we call these “drainage”. I love Systemic Formulas’ GCel and Tincture ACX, Standard Process’ Antronex, raw Garlic, Spanish Black Radish, and any of the homeopathic remedies from Energetix. I test each and every product for compatibility with each client using Nutrition Response Testing; no guessing.

Timing is key. Your immune system both spikes when sleeping and will release hormones that cause you to feel tired and want to sleep. Take immune support before bed.

Viruses can go into hiding—if you get sick does it last all winter? If so, it’s unlikely it’s the same bug. While the immune system is fighting off one problem, another virus or infection is being ignored because your immune response becomes compromised.

Do “loading doses” work?

Echinacea… Vitamin C... are not evidence-based after you are infected. Most herbs and Vitamin C remedies are only preventive: They may lessen symptoms or shorten how long you are sick, but only if you take them before you are exposed. In other words: Get and keep your immune system strong. Viral infections can have a long lag time and life cycle—they can be replicating themselves 5-7 days before you feel “a cold” and your immune system may still be managing the infection long after you feel better.

e.g. 8-10 Capsules of Systemic Formula’s VIVI then 4 capsules a few hours later is a “loading dose”; what is right for you we determine using Nutrition Response Testing.

My favorite preventive products: I carry Energetix Melatonin spray, Standard Process’s Cyruta plus or Cataplex C for bioavailable vitamin C—or Systemic Formula’s Tincture ACX for A, C, all offer additional immune support. Mediherb's Astragulus is known to boost white blood cell production. Astragulus is an adaptogen, meaning it helps regulate the body’s stress responses, which closely ties in with immunity.

Congaplex, Echinacea Premium, and herbal formulas targeted at the respiratory tract such as Antronex, Albiza Complex, Andrographis Complex, Astragalus Complex, Broncafect, PulmaCo, ResCo, and/or Sinus Forte can hasten recovery. Sometimes doing so requires "loading doses" while a person is experiencing initial symptoms and to break up biofilms.

If you “load” supplements, when should you stop? When Nutrition Response Testing shows there is no more need for the higher doses.

The Bottom Line:

You must have improved your immune system before you are infected for prevention and to minimize duration. Don't forget, some viruses have long lag time.

Why? See above. After inserting their genetic information into your cells, they “hide”. You may harbor viral codes for decades. This is also true for Lyme and other opportunistic infections that have stealth immune avoidance programs.

You need a robust immune system to detect and eradicate these secret invaders.

What else helps your immune system?

“Spring or well water is the best for drinking because hard water contains minerals like calcium bicarbonate. Calcium bicarbonate is essential in the blood stream to prevent our children from becoming susceptible to colds, flu and other childhood diseases like chickenpox and even polio, which produce fevers.”

“Good water” has been filtered through the ground to reach the well or spring and has thereby accumulated a load of antigens. These antigens are otherwise known to science as “pyrogens,” since they cause fever if injected into the blood stream.

—Dr. Royal Lee

Keep your immune system healthy—keep a positive attitude.

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