How To Absolutely Protect Your Health This Spring

Heading into this spring of 2020, there is a lot going on in the world that may cause a bit of concern as to how to protect your health.

As a mom of four boys and a nutritional therapist, health educator I've spent the past several weeks beefing up our normal health regime. I am taking personal responsibility to do everything I can to make sure my body is healthy. It's no one else's job other than my own.

Now more than ever is a great time to create a lifestyle that deeply supports your health. In this post I am going to share some of my top insights so you can be proactive instead of reactive.  No fear, just facts so you can make responsible calm decisions to support your health.

Personally, I have a long term health history of respiratory/sinus health issues, as well as am a recovered asthmatic and recovering from long term mold exposure. I still can struggle with being able to breathe at full capacity. So, in light  of the spring allergy season and the corona virus, both targeting the respiratory system and sinuses I'm on a mission to protect my health.

Here are just a few of the ways I'm protecting my health and my kids this spring that you can use as well - start now for prevention but also to prepare your body. As soon as you get the sniffles, fever, dry cough, muscle aches and fatigue you'll need to ramp up your support even more.

1. Get in the sun whenever you can.

The sun is one of your body's main ways to get it's core needs.
Often underestimated, natural sunlight is fuel to your body.
Sunlight energizes infection fighting T cells that play a key role in your immunity.

It's also the best way to up your vitamin D levels naturally.
The more skin you can expose to mid-day sun the better, without getting burned.
It’s often stated that the human body can make 10,000 to 25,000 IU of vitamin D, maybe more, in a single session of full body sun exposure.
You likely aren't getting naked in the sun so make sure you get outside every day it's sunny for as long as you can until you are just slightly pink.
This is a lifestyle habit everyone should try to create before relying on vitamin D supplements.
Vitamin D supplements act differently in the body -so natural means are best.

2. Stay hydrated (like your life depends on it).

Because it does...

Filter your water if you don't have a filter for your drinking water, get one. STAT.
Municipal and well water have plenty of toxins, heavy metals, medications that you don't want in your body if you want to stay healthy.

Even something like a simple counter top carbon filter will be useful, such as a Brita which you can order easily HERE or pick up at your local Whole Foods or Costco. It's a good option to start with until you can get a more optimal long term solution for your home.

Drink enough filtered water daily. 1/2 your body weight in ounces. Be religious. Yes you might make more trips to the bathroom, but you could avoid trips to the ER.

Add good quality sea salt (like this one ) to your water. Yes you read that right.
Start with a pinch and work up to 1/4 teaspoon per quart. You might not like this at first, so go slow do the best you can. But salt helps carry the water into your cells where you  need it most. Otherwise you'll mostly pee out your water instead of your body holding on to it where it needs it most.

Get electrolytes and use them. You need more minerals above and beyond what is in your sea salt. Without minerals on board your body won't be able to spark all it's key reactions.
HERE is a pretty good option to use, it's a lemonade flavor. We add extra lemon juice to ours for flavor and a boost of vitamin C.

I also like straight up liquid trace minerals (these are good) for those with reverse osmosis water because it strips the water of minerals which need to be in the water for you to absorb it.

Dehydration will make it so much harder for you to stay well, your lungs are very water thirsty organs and allergy symptoms can be abated with adequate hydration.

3. Magnesium

Magnesium plays a bronco-dialating effect, increasing airflow to the lungs.The lungs are the primary organs of your respiratory system 

Part of this is due to magnesium's anti-inflammatory properties as inflamed bronchioles can prevent the exchange of oxygen to the blood. Magnesium also inhibits the release of histamines, which are known to constrict the bronchi (the main passageway into the lungs) and bronchioles (the smaller branches of the bronchial airways in the respiratory tract).

If you are not already taking magnesium, the best way to start is with liquid drops (I recommend this one) or a powder that dissolves in liquid (this one). This is the fastest way to get it into the body to bypass digestion and absorb it quickly.

I can't tell you how much to take for your needs without you being a client or testing, but what I can tell you is generally speaking adults can take around 300-400 mg daily, safely (after water and salt are already in place).

My favorite powder of magnesium is( THIS ONE ) and one serving is 350 mg.

Above that, I also recommend magnesium chloride flakes in a bath. You can put it into a foot bath if you are not keen on taking a full bath. During allergy and corona virus season, I would recommend you do this DAILY. 1 cup in a foot bath for 20-30 minutes. 2 cups in a fully bath for 20-30 minutes.

*To learn more about why I recommend a topical approach to magnesium -check out this IGTV video explaining it more thoroughly. 

Once you get sick you can do this 2-3 times a day and/or double your dose of oral magnesium to help you recover more quickly.

Magnesium chloride has a unique healing power on acute viral and bacterial diseases.

4. Selenium

Selenium deficiency in the body could allow an otherwise benign virus to mutate and cause serious damage. This is because there are selenium dependent proteins in your immune system that keep viruses under control. When you don’t have enough selenium to make adequate levels of these proteins, your body doesn’t have the support it needs and viruses could be allowed to run rampant. (source).

Also, if you've already been ill this winter and have a low white blood cell count, selenium can help build up your white blood cell count.

It's best paired with Vitamin E when possible which also helps rebuild white blood cells. It also helps you recycle glutathione-dependent enzymes. Selenium also helps boost glutathione production.

The job of your white blood cells is to flow through your bloodstream to battle viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders. Think of them as your immunity cells.

Glutathione is an essential antioxidant for optimal health and wellness. In fact, it is found in every cell in the body. The job of glutathione is to neutralize free radicals, thereby preventing damage to the cells. Glutathione is a critical component to reducing inflammation and enhancing the functions of the immune system. 

Sorry friends, but brazil nuts may not cut it here, but eat them if you like.  I just picked up a bag at Costco the other day. But we will also take our selenium supplements at this time for sure.

Here is the selenium I use. You can start with 200 mcg daily. If you get sick you can bump it up to 600 mcg daily until you're better then go back to the 200 mcg dose. In the long run, you'll want to test to make sure you know exactly how much you actually need.

Here is the vitamin E I use. You can start with 1 per day. If you get sick you can bump it up to 3 per day. When you are better go back to 1 daily with the biggest meal of the day (that includes some good fat).

5. Vitamin C

This one should be obvious. It's VITAL to immune function.

For now, take 1000 mg daily of whole food vitamin C. If you are not taking any at all, start with 500 mg (2 caps twice daily) for a couple days before you bump it up.

When you get sick you'll need more. My personal plan is to use whole food c at 1000 mg and liposomal c at 1000 mg if I get sick. I don't prefer the ascorbic acid form alone in larger doses because it can have a bowel purging action. I also like whole food because you are getting more of the WHOLE FORM, vs just the outer shell of the vitamin C molecule when you use ascorbic acid solely. Ascorbic acid is great to use as a medicine though.

I like this vitamin C capsule. I use it with all my clients too.
I like this vitamin C spray for kids (in orange flavor or in tangerine cherry flavor). 8-10 sprays several times per day during allergy or flu season. Can go back to twice per as a maintenance dose.
I like camu camu powder as a budget stretcher but you have to find a way to mix it into your foods/drinks in a way you like it. I use this one. Can use 1 tsp 2-4 times a day. If you get sick you can double your dose until you are better.
I use this liposomal C and follow the label instructions -once you open it you use it up within 30 days. 1 tsp in is 1000 mg and the perfect addition to add to your 1000 mg of whole food c. The perfect boost for right now. I only use this during flu or allergy season but it's also perfect in light of corona virus.

Eat vitamin C rich foods at every meal. We don't really store much vitamin C, we use it up quickly so it's a good idea to eat small amounts spread through the day. Stock up on lemons, limes and citrus because they have a longer shelf life than other fruits.

6. Probiotics

Probiotics are your gut protection, defense and construction workers. Your gut is the cornerstone of your immune system.

The gastrointestinal system plays a central role in immune system homeostasis. It is the main route of contact with the external environment and is overloaded every day with external stimuli, sometimes dangerous as pathogens (bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses) or toxic substances, in other cases very useful as food or commensal flora.

If you are not yet taking a probiotic, now is as good a time as any.

The #1 probiotic I use in my practice and with my family, is MegaSporeBiotic because it's backed by research to heal leaky gut.

My second favorite probiotic, when I need to pull out the bigger guns in cases of clients with already weakened immune systems, low secretory IgA or even low white blood cell count is HU58 (also known as bacillus subtilis which is also in the Mega Spore -but this product it's solo and in a much higher dose). It has studies to show it helps increase secretory IgA. So, if you are someone with a compromised system or intolerant to numerous foods, or you know you have Lyme, EBV, SIBO or mold toxicity -this is your probiotic.

I have special dosing instructions for these -so email me if you decide to order them.
[email protected]

7. Vitamin A

Today's modern diet makes it challenging to get enough vitamin A on a daily basis, let alone in times of infection. Increasing your intake of vitamin A will increase lymphocyte white blood cells.

Vitamin A has been well known for its protective roles against infections. An important part of the protective roles might be through its ability to enhance antibody responses, especially IgA antibody responses in mucosal tissues. IgA is secreted into the gut lining and provides protection against harmful pathogens.

In times of illness, as soon as I feel I might be coming down with something I take 10 drops of a vitamin A emulsion (this one).

For daily use, I get it quite easily through food in my diet. I personally consume heavy cream, ghee/butter daily and through tracking via the Cronometer app,  I seem to almost always get enough (between 3000 to 5000 IU). 

8. Zinc & Copper

Minerals work together, so I'm including these two together.

Zinc is a mineral that helps keep the immune system strong and is often used to help battle the common cold. Zn deficiency depresses both innate and adaptive immune responses. Zinc is essential for normal development and function of cell-mediating innate immunity, neutrophils, and natural killer cells. Zinc is also vital for the metabolism of Vitamin A and necessary as a co-factor for vitamin D.

You can potentially get enough zinc in a good nutrient dense diet. Zinc rich foods include: beef, oysters, brazil nuts, lake trout, crab, sunflower seeds, almonds, eggs, pumpkin seeds.

It doesn't hurt to bump up your intake supplementally during times of illness to 30 mg daily, so long as you only do this for a couple weeks. If you track via the Cronometer app and are not getting at least 15 -30 mg daily of zinc in your diet - consider supplementing the difference, especially if your diet is copper rich 2 mg daily

That shared, I have to talk about copper.

Copper deficiency may also lead to an abnormal low white blood cell count (neutropenia), increasing your potential for infection. In such a case, you may take a zinc supplement to alleviate your cold, for example, thereby worsening your copper deficiency. So let’s take them both during prevention season, short term. And then for the long run it’s best to test and not guess so you know what you need currently and avoid throwing your body out of balance. 
This product is a good option to get both.

30 mg zinc (this one )
4 mg copper (this one)
2 mg of copper is recommended for every 15 mg of zinc.

Copper deficiency may also lead to an abnormal low white blood cell count (neutropenia), increasing your potential for infection. In such a case, you may take a zinc supplement to alleviate your cold, for example, thereby worsening your copper deficiency. So let’s take them both during prevention season, short term. And then for the long run it’s best to test and not guess so you know what you need currently and avoid throwing your body out of balance. I support my clients with proper mineral balancing through hair tissue mineral analysis and some other blood tests.

9. Bicarbonate (baking soda)

This is something everyone has in their cupboards but does not realize it's powerful healing potential.

I recommend it to my clients in their detox baths to help reduce toxins. You can start with 2 cups per bath and go up to as much as 1-2 pounds if you feel you are coming down with something or have been exposed to things that make your body struggle. For me, it's chemicals (like cleaning products or sitting in a car for a long time with someone who uses toxic laundry detergents and fabric softeners), or pollens or chemical sprays in public places etc.

You can also take it internally as a therapy in times of illness.

Day 1: take ½ teaspoon of baking soda diluted in a glass of cold water, six times a day, at about two-hour intervals.
Day 2: take ½ teaspoon of baking soda diluted in a glass of cold water, four times a day.
Day 3: take ½ teaspoon of baking soda diluted in a glass of cold water in the morning and in the evening.
After this initial period, take ½ teaspoon of baking soda diluted in a glass of cold water every morning until your symptoms are gone.

Read more here about; The Healing Power of Baking Soda


10. Rest, relaxation, stress relief care, sleep

This is possibly the most important one. If you are not keeping your nervous system balanced and supported, it will be very hard for your body to recover. Get to bed on time -don't stay up late watching screens. Shut down all indoor lighting and use only warm lights, so you are not exposing your eyes to excess blue light.

Come up with some stress relief practices - I've written more about this on the blog.

How to relieve chronic stress so you feel fantastic
Why you need to 'self-care' like your life depends on it
How to make meditation your super power


11. Healthy real food diet

Include whole foods and reduce sugar consumption. Add in some extra anti-inflammatory foods like ginger, garlic and turmeric. Save your veggie scraps so you can make broth. Use lots of citrus for extra vitamin C. You got this!

Read more in my post: How to 'Spark Your Energy' with food as medicine.

I could share many more tips for you to create a preventative lifestyle, but I've found that most people are not even doing half of the above tips at all or correctly. So start there. If you would like to know what your body needs specifically so you can get your spark back and create a life of vibrant health - I am currently accepting new clients. You can learn more here.

If you have any questions, drop them below for me and I'll be happy to answer them.

*Note: this post contains Amazon affiliate links as well as links to my online supplement dispensary. Any purchase you make through me allows me to earn a small commission.