DR ELI SILVER, NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR AND CLASSICAL HOMEOPATH
  • Dr Silver
    • FAQ
  • Holistic Fertility
    • Nutrition and Fertility
    • Male Factor Infertility
  • LGBTQ Fertility
  • Natural IVF Support
  • Our Office
    • Contact Dr Silver
    • Make an Appointment
    • Hours and Directions
  • Health News

Coronavirus is Coming: 6 Ways to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

2/28/2020

 

Coronavirus is Coming: 6 Ways to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

Picture
While we don’t yet know to what extent coronavirus (aka COVID-19) will affect the US, many national health organizations are predicting that the number of infected may be in the hundreds of thousands, if not more.

There are many ways that you can reduce your risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19, and ways to support your immune function if you do happen to be exposed. 

COVID-19 causes upper respiratory infections similar to the flu, with fever, dry cough, aches, and fatigue. And just like the flu, coronavirus is spread around by touching an object that a sick person has either touched or coughed on. So my first recommendation is by far the easiest (and may be one of the most effective):​​

1. Wash your hands

Picture
Coronavirus can get into the body through the mouth or nose, so wash your hands before you touch anywhere on your face. Wash before eating or drinking, and watch out for unconscious habits like nail biting that may expose you to germs from your hands repeatedly through the day. Wash after being in public places, such as grocery or department stores, and in order to keep your home a safe place, wash your hands as soon as you step in your door. 

If you are in an especially at-risk group (over 60, immune-deficient or suppressed, or if you have a respiratory condition), consider wearing latex or nitrile gloves when touching public doors, gas-pump nozzles, grocery carts, or any other surfaces in public places. Dispose of these gloves frequently.


1b. If you are sick, please cough into the crook of your elbow or a disposable tissue, not into your hands! 

2. Eat an immune-boosting diet

Picture
Your immune system depends on lots of nutrients to function well. Make sure to eat a diet full of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E. All of these nutrients can easily be supplemented in capsule or liquid form in the case of food aversions, feeding difficulties, or limited access to nutrient-dense foods.

​Drop the refined sugars, fried foods, and processed foods - all of these actually suppress your immune system and can leave you more vulnerable to germs.
​Refined sugar, for example, has been shown in multiple studies to depress the immune system for several hours after consumption. 

3. Stress reduction

Picture
Stress suppresses immune function and reduces the ability of germ-fighting cells to find and destroy invaders. Stress reduction is a major way you can boost your immunity. 

​Now is a good time to take a break from anything unnecessary in your life that’s causing you stress. Have an option to add another complicated project to your workload? Maybe it can wait till the summer. Considering having that problematic relative over for a week-long stay? Find them an AirBnB instead. This is not about self indulgence - it's about keeping yourself safe and healthy.

4. Consider immune-boosting herbs

Picture
There are many herbs that either enhance the function of the immune system, directly inhibit viruses, or both. Generally speaking, these should be used with the support of a naturopathic doctor or herbalist, as not every herb is suitable for every person, not all herbs and medications are compatible, and not all herbs are safe for kids. But one anti-viral herb that’s considered safe for the majority of people is elderberry, or sambucus nigra.

​Elderberry works by preventing viruses from attaching to the outside of cells, which reduces a virus' ability to get into cells to make you sick and prevents its ability to replicate itself to make the infection worse. Elderberry is tasty, effective for many types of viruses, and comes in a variety of forms, from syrup to gummies to capsules. It’s an easy herb for kids or people with difficulty swallowing to take and is available in most health food stores or online.

5. Sleep

Lack of sleep can both make you more likely to catch a virus and keep you sick for longer when you do. So consider shortening your nighttime routine, improving your sleep hygiene (low lights in the evening, no screens past 9pm, etc), and prioritizing those extra hours in bed.

6. Get support from your holistic provider

Picture
ND’s, homeopaths, and herbalists are trained in immune support, botanical antimicrobials, holistic nutrition, sleep improvement, and all of the other things that you need to keep your system as healthy and adaptive as possible.

Bonus advice

If you are sick, please please please stay home. If you are an employer, please encourage sick employees to stay home and be supportive of their choices to do so.

​Keep your kids home from school and daycare if they are ill, and if you are not in one of the most at-risk groups but have loved ones who are, please protect them by visiting via FaceTime and other non-infectious channels till this crisis has passed.
Picture
While we still don't know what the next few months of COVID-19 will bring, these simple changes can give you and your loved ones the best chance to springing back from or avoid this frightening illness all together.
For more information or to make an appointment with Dr Silver in person or via videochat, call (248) 629-0224 or click here to make an appointment online.

Comments are closed.
    Book Now
    Appointments by Videochat
    Online appointments are available from any location. If you are interested in setting up an appointment via  videochat, just click the Book Now button or call (248) 629-0224.  ​
    More questions?
    Click Book Now to schedule a free ​15 minute phone call or videochat. ​

    About Dr Silver

    Dr Silver is a board certified Naturopathic Doctor and classical homeopath.

    Dr Silver is currently taking new patients. Call 248-629-0224 or click Book Now to make an appointment. 

    Picture
    This blog is intended for educational purposes only. Information expressed herein does not constitute medical advice and in no way should be used as a substitute for the advice and attention of a qualified medical practitioner. 

    Categories

    All
    ADHD
    Allergies
    Anemia
    Anxiety
    Asthma
    Autism
    Babies
    Brain
    Candida
    Cold And Flu
    Coronavirus
    Croup
    Detoxification
    Diet
    Down Syndrome
    Eczema
    Exercise
    Fertility
    Food
    Gluten Free
    Herbs
    Homeopathy
    Hormones
    Immune System
    IVF
    Kids
    Leaky Gut
    LGBTQ
    Mental Health
    MTHFR
    OCD
    Paleo
    PANDAS
    PANS
    PCOS
    Pregnancy
    Probiotics
    Recipes
    Skin
    Teens
    Vaccines

    Archives

    January 2021
    July 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015

Eli Silver ND 
Oakland Family Wellness, LLC
23650 Woodward Ave Suite 104 
Pleasant Ridge, MI 48069
(248) 629-0224
PLEASE NOTE: While most states offer medical licensing to naturopathic doctors, Michigan does not currently offer licensure to ND's. Until Michigan's licensing bill is passed, naturopathic medicine in Michigan is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Because of this Dr Silver's medical licensed is issued by the state of Vermont and he works locally as a Naturopathic Health Consultant.
All written content published on this website is the property of Oakland Family Wellness, LLC and can not be
​downloaded, copied, modified, or redistributed without formal consent of the page author. 

​Images on this website created by Freepik.

​Click here to see this website's Privacy Policy
Picture
Picture
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Dr Silver
    • FAQ
  • Holistic Fertility
    • Nutrition and Fertility
    • Male Factor Infertility
  • LGBTQ Fertility
  • Natural IVF Support
  • Our Office
    • Contact Dr Silver
    • Make an Appointment
    • Hours and Directions
  • Health News