Preventive measures: boosting the immune system

First of all, I'd like to thank Greg for creating this covid sub-forum.

Caveats: Although I'm no expert of any kind, I suspect that the best way to deal with the coronavirus infection lies in strengthening our own immune system. Further, the information below does not mean that we should neglect the general protocols. Mainly: avoiding going outside, and if you have to, keep away from people by at least 5 feet (1.5m), washing your hands with soap, etc.

It is also acknowledged publicly, that if/when a person is infected and subsequently heals from it, he/she becomes effectively immune to it. Therefore, rather than avoiding infection, it may be wiser to take steps to prepare our mind and body, so that even in the regrettable situation of being hit by it, we may stand a better chance to overcome the infection.

Below are three articles/resources that advocate for strengthening our immune system. If you'd like to share more techniques, please do so by sharing information below. I should point out also, that the stuff below, I have personally experimented with, and with positive results, so as to vouch for them (as opposed to simply copy-pasting stuff I find on the web).

Exhibit A. Vitamin C: simple way of boosting immune response
Courtesy of: Lynne McTaggard (author of The Power of Eight)

In a recent newsletter, Lynne shared the news about the effectiveness of Vitamin C to treat corona-afflicted patients in China. The observation was made by Dr Enqian Mao, chief of emergency medicine department at Ruijin University in Shanghai. Here's a quote from the article above:

Mao was no stranger to vitamin C. He’d used it to successfully treat serious infections, such as pancreatitis and sepsis (life-threatening blood infections), for a decade. When Covid-19 first emerged, Dr Mao immediately recommended intravenous vitamin C for the patients being treated at his facility.

In the event, Dr. Mao eventually treated about 50 patients with moderate to severe illness with intravenous vitamin C, using doses of 10-20 g a day for 7-10 days.

As he reported last week in an online meeting to an international group of prominent doctors, scientists and health-care workers, all patients who received intravenous vitamin C improved, and there was no mortality. Zero.

The patients receiving vitamin C also had shorter hospital stays (by 3-5 days) than patients receiving standard medical treatment, who stayed in the hospital an average of 30 days.

Here's an additional source that talks in more detail about Dr. Mao's research on the effectiveness of vitamin C.
Not all vitamin C act the same way (where it comes from matters), but generally, you can get it from food sources like lemon, oranges, broccoli, etc. I recently bought acerola extracts vitamin C, which are high, and take one daily in the morning.

Exhibit B. Wim Hoff breathing exercises improves immune response
Courtesy of Wim Hoff, and others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zgzLdZg31w

I doubt many are strangers to Wim Hoff in this community, but for those who aren't, Wim Hoff is a pioneer of a series of physical and mental exercises designed to enhance the body's immune response, making the body's pH more alkaline. It includes a series of deep breathing techniques, as well as cold bathing/showering. However, for the purpose of this discussion, let's leave aside the cold shower, the reason being, you don't want to put extra stress on your immune system by having it deal with the cold.

The breathing + push-up exercises, I have been doing them for a couple years, infrequently, but every time I do, it's as if your mind and body freshens up. And it only takes 4 mins. This is basically a bootleg version of yoga breathing techniques that have existed for thousands of years.

It's also been demonstrated and proved to work by modern scientific standards, as this paper shows published in the National Academy of Sciences of US, getting doctors to scratch their head trying to explain how it's possible.

Exhibit C. Proper food nutrition and simple gardening techniques at home
Courtesy of Paul Stamets (mushroom expert); Alex Mitchell, author of the book Edible Balcony

This last point has to do with getting proper nutrition. It seems like a no-brainer, but it's not as obvious as it seems. For one, I would highly advocate including mushrooms in your meals: they are high in proteins and many essential nutrients, including Vitamin D (which you can also get from Sunlight), iron, potassium, and more. Check this link published by Paul Stamets for more info.
In Japan, it is often said that a balanced meal should consist of ingredients containing the colours of a rainbow, and thus all the minerals for healthy life.

If you don't know how to cook mushrooms, they are very versatile. I'd recommend using them as meat-replacement or as companion. So for instance, if you're used to cooking chicken fried rice, you can replace chicken with sliced mushrooms (or have both). They also give out incredible complex flavours used often to make broths and soups (just soak them in water for 30 mins). Common varieties found at the supermarket include champignons or button mushrooms (brown/white), oysters, shiitake..

When possible, buy mushrooms grown nearest to you, and avoid buying those from China (which may contain high levels of metals)

Some of my favourite recipes: Mushroom sesame salad recipe, creamy mushroom bacon pasta, shiitake dashi (broth) for soups, or this simple fried mushroom with garlic recipe

I also take ganoderma "reishi" mushroom supplements to aid with increasing immune response. This variety, known as lingzhi in Chinese, Reishi in Japanese, is also called mannentake meaning 10-thousand-year-mushroom because of its powerful use as a medicine. But that's an extra-step I take for myself.

Also, fermented foods like kimchi are great for your gut biome. I made kimchi myself for the first time recently, and was amazed by how simple it is. I can share more details next time, but this is the recipe I've used (you only really need the cabbage, or add whatever you want)

My final point for today, is to start a small garden in your own home. I've come across this wonderful book called Edible Balcony (link to download) by Alex Mitchell, showing how easy it is to grow simple herbs in small containers at home, even without a balcony! It also makes for a nice living companion, and they filter the air inside your home.:)

Oh, and don't forget to drink that sweet elixir of life: Water!

Hope this helps, and take care out there folks 😉

PS: I shouldn't need to mention this, but make sure to open windows at least once a day, to filter the air in your house. Very important