5 Ways to Naturally Prevent and Treat Viral Illness (Including Cold, Flu, and COVID-19)

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, people are asking, “What can I do to keep from getting sick?”.
Aside from the obvious precautions like wearing a mask when in close contact with others and utilizing the vaccines available, what can be done?

Here are five valuable tools to fight and prevent viral illness that you may not have known!

1. Vitamin D

It’s estimated at 42% of Americans are vitamin D deficient. This is an important statistic when you realize that vitamin D deficiency is linked to increased risk of high blood pressure, viral illness, cancers, and other diseases. While at least 10 minutes per day of direct sun exposure can increase vitamin D, even those living sunny climates are often deficient. When I started working in Tucson, Arizona I expected my patients to be high in vitamin D, but many patients were actually low in vitamin D.

Getting enough vitamin D through diet alone can be difficult as most foods do not contain enough vitamin D in its most useful form (D3).

I recommend all my adult patients take 2000 IU of vitamin D daily in the form of D3. I recommend 200 IU for patients under five years old. Research shows that this can decrease the risk of viral infection, speed recovery, and improve outcomes for those with a viral infection. Especially in the times of a global pandemic, we all should be taking daily vitamin D.

Vitamin D supplements are readily available online or in your local pharmacy; however, some brands may have inaccurate dosing on the labels or contain unhealthy fillers. To access quality vitamin D3 supplements from brands that undergo regular third-party testing and receive my patient discount sign up here and access my online supplement pharmacy.

2. Whole Foods

I’m sure you already know that eating nutritious whole foods is good for your health, but do you know why? Do you know which specific foods can help fight viral illness?

In general, highly processed foods cause inflammation and throw your immune system off balance, leaving you more susceptible to viral illness and increasing your chance of severe symptoms if you do become infected. Processed foods usually contain hard to pronounce ingredients and do not closely resemble their original form in nature. Examples of these are potato chips, cookies, candies, and white bread.

To maintain and promote a healthy immune system, I suggest eating whole foods like garlic, onions, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. These foods are rich in antioxidants and contain compounds like sulforaphane, which binds toxins and viruses in the body and gets rid of them.  Cruciferous vegetables are especially good for you as they contain high doses of folate, vitamin K, vitamin a, vitamin C, and other phytonutrients.

A good intake of foods high in omega-3 fats is also vital to a healthy immune system. Examples of foods high in omega-3 are cold water fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines. There are even omega-3 eggs laid by chickens who are fed a diet high in omega-3 fats. Of course, omega-3 supplements are also available.

3. Breathing Techniques

Breathing is something most of us take for granted, but humans have used breathing for its health benefits since time immemorial. When we bring our breathing from the automatic/subconscious to the intentional/conscious realm, we can achieve almost superhuman feats.

Certain breathing techniques have been proven to improve immune system function and decrease risk of infection. One study demonstrated that using the Sudarshan Kriya/Pranayama Breathing technique led to increased natural killer cells (like the quarterbacks of our immune system). The technique also improved anxiety and health outcomes in cancer patients.

Breathing techniques can even be used to combat infections that are already in our bodies.
A unique study performed in 2014: Wim Hoff and 12 volunteers were injected with high doses of bacterial toxin that would normally lead to severe symptoms. 12 volunteers used breathing techniques and 12 did not.  Those using the techniques experienced little or no symptoms from the toxins as compared to those not using the techniques who became severely ill.

Based on the available evidence, I recommend a once daily breathing exercise to my patients, especially when potentially exposed or already sick with viral illness like COVID 19. I have seen a drastic benefit in my patients who have followed through with this.

4. Cold Showers

The idea of taking a cold shower or plunging into cold water can be dreadful for many, but there is some evidence it may be good for our health. One study found that taking daily cold showers increased the number of disease-fighting white blood cells. In theory, as the body tries to warm itself during and after a cold shower, the metabolic rate speeds up and activates the immune system, leading to the release of more white blood cells in the blood stream.

If jumping into a cold tub of water or taking an ice cold shower sounds intimidating, try taking a hot or warm shower and ending it with 30 to 90 seconds of cold water. Even this brief exposure could provide benefits.

5. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are some of the most powerful medicines found in nature! Certain species have been used for thousands of years to improve health, and there is a mounting body of evidence proving their benefit.

What makes mushrooms unique is their adaptogenic properties. Adaptogenic means they enhance the efficiency and intelligence of our immune system. Special compounds called Beta-Glucans modulate the immune system and have been proven to treat cancers, autoimmune disease, allergies, and infections.

Species that have been identified to have the greatest benefit to our immune systems are: Reishi, Agarikon, Chaga, Turkey Tail, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Shiitake, and Maitake.

If you’re looking to boost your health with medicinal mushrooms, here are some options:

1. Daily Mushroom Coffee from Four Sigmatic.
   This coffee tastes amazing, and with the added apoptogenic mushrooms you feel energy without the jitteriness or caffeine crash of basic coffee. One cup of this per day will give a healthy dose of medicinal mushrooms. They even have superfood creamers to choose from.
   Use the code: SHROOMS23 to get an exclusive discount.

2. Daily Host Defense Mushroom Capsules from Fungi Perfecti.
   This is my preferred brand of mushroom capsules. 17 different medicinal species are used, and beneficial compounds are triple extracted, meaning these are the most potent option on the market.
   Click Here to access my online pharmacy and a 15% discount!
   A slightly more affordable, but less potent alternative is Thrive 6.

3. Daily Host Defense Medicinal Mushroom Tincture from Fungi Perfecti.
   This is basically equal to the above-mentioned capsules but comes in the form of a tincture. This brand truly is unmatched.
   Click Here to register for an account to my online pharmacy and access a 15% discount!

I hope you enjoyed learning about these 5 natural ways you can prevent or treat viral illness. Please leave a comment or question below or feel free to contact me directly as well.

Please share with your loved ones!

With Love,
Dr. DJ