Recover From COVID Faster
Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst
While you may not be planning to get COVID, chances are you'll be exposed to the coronavirus one way or another. Plus, people with certain blood types (Type A) are naturally more prone to infection from coronavirus. So, keep this information in your back pocket. Better yet, put it into practice!
Over the past 18+ months, many people I know including several clients have become infected with the novel coronavirus. Most of them have recovered, some faster than others. Even with mild cases, it can still take a while to recover. Even "normal" recovery times can be several weeks or more. Who couldn't use a little help? Short of receiving medical care, these are the four things that help people bounce back faster: lifestyle, activity, diet, and supplementation. Let's dig in!
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Lifestyle
The best way to ensure you'll recover quickly if infected is to get a vaccination. Vaccines boost the side of immune function that adapts to stimuli such as viruses by boosting T-cell production and upregulation. T-cells destroy damaged or infected tissues and help the body clear the virus faster. A recent study shows the number of T-cells is more important than the number of antibodies in response to Covid-19. This T-cell factor is why fully vaccinated people tend not to get as sick as those who are unvaccinated, and why the natural antibodies left from prior infection don’t offer much as much protection as was previously believed.
If you are already infected, there are several things you can do that help support what your medical provider is doing to treat you. Keep in mind these are “in addition to,” not “instead of.”
Get plenty of rest and be sure to sleep for at least 7 hours uninterrupted every night.
Proactively manage stress using methods listed here.
Get some sun. 10 minutes of sunlight a day on exposed skin boosts vitamin D and helps rebalance your internal clock (especially helpful since COVID throws it out of whack).
Keep recreational drug use, alcohol and nicotine to a minimum (if at all).
Activity
Workouts can be both difficult and counterproductive while the immune system is fighting a virus. However, recovery can be sped up with the right kinds (and amounts) of physical activity. Just like any medicine, it's all about dosage.
Practice breathing exercises at least once a day to improve lung. function and blood oxygenation. Here are some exercises to try.
Try low-level cardiovascular activity, like walking.
Listen to your body and don't overdo it).
Stretches can help improve circulation and ease sore muscles.
If you need more guidance, we've got plans for everyone.
Diet
COVID-19 is a disease that thrives in the presence of inflammation, which is why it is so much more dangerous for people with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. One of the best things a person can do is follow an anti-inflammatory diet high in vegetables and protein.
Avoid overeating (consuming excess calories is the most inflammatory thing a person can do).
Eat lots of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in pastured animal products, egg yolks and fatty, cold water fish like sardines, salmon or anchovy.
Eat plenty of fiber (mostly from veggies).
Eat vegetables in the brassica family: mustard greens, kale, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, broccolini, collards, etc.
Limit or eliminate added sugars.
Minimize artificial ingredients.
Choose minimally-processed foods.
Limit or eliminate caffeine.
Limit or eliminate alcohol.
Identify and eliminate commonly inflammatory foods you may be sensitive to, such as:
Wheat/gluten
Corn
Soy
Cow dairy
Peanuts
Use an IgG food sensitivity test to gain further insights
According to a June 2020 study, as much as 53% of COVID-19 patients showed decreased liver function. You can boost liver function with cruciferous brassica vegetables and fiber-rich foods. Try supplementing with fiber if it proves challenging to stay consistent.
Supplementation
N-Acetyl Cystine (NAC)
this is one of the most important supplements to take during recovery. NAC is an antioxidant that helps the body make glutathione, which helps the liver repair itself. Covid-19 infection is extremely hard on the liver, with abnormal liver function directly tied to poor Covid-19 outcomes. So many people have told me how much better they felt once they started taking NAC.
Promotes immune function
Protects the liver and kidneys from toxic stress
Supports liver and kidney detoxification
As with all supplements, be sure to go with a reputable brand. Find NAC on our dispensary and save 10%.
Resveratrol
This powerful antioxidant does a lot and can help mitigate some of the damage commonly seen in Covid-19 infection. Resveratrol is the reason red wine has those health benefits that all the wine moms talk about. Better not tell them that resveratrol can also be found in balsamic vinegar!
Protects nerves and helps with repairs
Promotes heart and vascular health
Supports healthy liver function
Find resveratrol here.
Quercetin
This is one of the best supplements you can take if infected with Covid-19. Quercetin is a powerful flavonoid and anti-inflammatory compound that helps the body modulate histamines (which show up in allergic reactions), repair gut lining, and boost the immune system. Over the last several years, research has been indicating quercetin’s usefulness in the body’s defense against viruses. In this model, quercetin demonstrated reduced changes in host cells 48 hours after infection, which makes it harder for coronavirus to move in and get cozy. In a2016 study, quercetin was shown to prevent death in mice infected with Ebola. A more recent study of quercetin and vitamin C found strongly suggested the combination for prevention and early treatment of COVID-19.
Get quercetin here.
L-Arginine
A September 2021 study done in Italy shows that patients who supplemented with arginine cut over 20 days from their time in a hospital compared to the control group. How does it work? The lining of the arteries creates nitric oxide from arginine, relaxing the blood vessels and improving blood flow to organs and tissues. Arginine also help the body resist attachment of the coronavirus spike protein, which helps the body clear the virus faster and diminish existing infection. This article goes into a little more depth about it. During digestion, some arginine gets broken down and flushed out without being used, but most of it stays. There is a workaround: Citrulline is a precursor to Arginine and does not get “lost” as easily as arginine. Taken in combination with Arginine can ensure that you have ample arginine in your system.
Curcumin
Studies have suggested that curcumin can be helpful through an anti-inflammatory and antiviral mechanism. This study found that curcumin directly inactivates the influenza A virus, blocks its absorption, and inhibited its replication in the body. regardless of whether those properties carry over to covid, we know that covid is a sickness if inflammation, and the more we can manage it and bring the inflammation down, the quicker people recover. Curcumin is poorly absorbed unless it is chemically bonded with fat, which is the method that Indena, the maker of Thorne’s curcumin supplement does. They use a patented process called phytosome technology that makes the curcumin exponentially easier for the body to absorb. Unfortunately, most makers of curcumin products aren’t selling a high-quality, bioavailable form.
High-quality multivitamin
This covers most of the bases and can help make up for any nutrient gaps in the diet. Be sure it has the forms of B12 and folate that your body can use (which ties in to liver function), look for the word "methyl" in the names of both of these nutrients. Take a look at the ingredients panel for clues. This is the one I usually recommend.
Look for methyl folic acid or just plain folate
Avoid vitamins that say "folic acid" without the word "methyl"
Look for methylcobalamin as the source for B12
Avoid cyanocobalamin (yes, the "cyano" part of that word means cyanide)
Omega-3 Fish or Algae Oil
Reducing inflammation is key here, and omega-3s are a key supplement to do it. This is a client favorite.
Look for EPA and DHA to be listed on the back
Add up the EPA and DHA numbers to determine how much comes in each serving
Target dosage is 2400 mg combined EPA and DHA daily
Take as many servings as you need to get to that dosage
Vitamin D
Since early in the pandemic, Vitamin D has been part of the treatment protocol being used by doctors. Vitamin D has immune-booting properties that help strengthen the body's natural defenses, such as increased anti-microbial compounds in mucus. Vitamin D comes in two forms, D3 and D2. Choose D3 over D2, which must be converted by sunlight before the body can use it. Vitamin D is best absorbed when taken alongside vitamin K2. This is an example.
Blood sugar regulation
Supports innate immune system function
Protects against risk of getting acute respiratory infection
Zinc
Zinc is crucial for production of the cells that help with innate immunity (the body's natural defenses). Like vitamin D, zinc has also been a big part of treatment and recovery protocols. Many multivitamins already contain zinc, but here's one if you want extra or don't take a multi. This study shows efficacy at between 10 and 30 mg.
Inhibits viral replication through the interference of the viral genome transcription
Anti-inflammatory properties
Modulates function of enzymes, olfaction, gustation, intracellular signaling, and more
Vitamin C
This one kind of goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and vitamin that helps tremendously with immune function and has been shown to improve recovery in COVID patients. Keep in mind that the body clears vitamin C relatively quickly, so it is best to take it in divided doses throughout the day. Excess vitamin C can cause diarrhea, but so can covid (something to keep in mind). 1,000 mg at a time should be enough (but not too much), especially if you are taking it throughout the day.
The path to recovery
Being diagnosed and treated by a medical professional should be the first stop. Exciting news, for long-haulers especially, is that vaccines administered after infection seem to improve recovery for up to 40% of patients, since mRNA vaccines boost T-cells, which destroy cells damaged by the virus.
Add the information in this email to your arsenal and be on the lookout for updates. Stay safe!