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SURVIVING THE PANDEMIC: First, let’s keep ourselves healthy
By
Published: Mar 12, 2020
Category:
Health
The world as we know it ended at 9 PM on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
A virus killed it.
Of course it had some help: When Donald Trump spoke, he made factual errors, lied, created deadly loopholes, and promptly detonated stock futures.
He did something else: He publicly surrendered his presidency to the virus.
And in his silence about what specifically needs to happen now, and fast, he surrendered your life.
No wonder you are freaked out.
You are freaked out because, suddenly, the reality is clear:
– If you are a boomer or downright old, the chance of infection is significant.
– If you have a pre-existing lung condition and are a boomer or old, the chance of infection increases.
– Many people will be stricken.
– People will die.
– You might know someone who will die.
– And the hardest to accept: You may die.
Harsh?
REALITY: According to Marc Lipsitch, Epidemiology Professor and head of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard, the pace of U.S. coronavirus testing is “utterly inadequate” and “a debacle.”
REALITY: In the U.S. roughly a TOTAL of just 11,000 Coronavirus tests have been conducted. Compare that to South Korea, where 10,000 tests are conducted A DAY.
REALITY: According to Lipsitch, we should be worrying about “the situation four weeks from now, not the situation now.” Why? If millions get exposed and then sick, our hospitals will be flooded, and we’ll soon have the Italian nightmare: doctors deciding who can be saved and who must be allowed to die.
REALITY: In Italy, the death rate is now 6.6%. That’s massive. The global rate is also going up — it’s now 3.7% The U.S. data is too incomplete to determine rate. But for now, it is 3%.
REALITY: To slow the virus: movie theaters, houses of worship, etc. need to close.
As much as possible, we need to be… home.
One key to our survival — the one thing we can all do to save ourselves and stop the spread of the virus in our communities – is “social distancing.”
Starting next week, I’ll be pulling from the vast Butler archives to create lists: the best serious books, the best light reading, the best cookbooks, books and movies for kids, best movies to stream, and more.
I have already suggested one good thing you can do: grocery shopping at home. I’ve noticed that some of you are starting at Butler, clicking through to Amazon and Whole Foods, and buying groceries that are delivered to your door. Very smart. There will be much more of this. To encourage you: Butler makes commission on these purchases — but I won’t be banking it. I will donate every penny earned through grocery sales to relief agencies. So… to shop at Amazon and Whole Foods and do some good, start by clicking here.
Today, I want to focus on your health: your immune system, your body’s ability to resist/survive infection, your mental and emotional resilience.
First….
VACCINATION: Are yours up-to-date? If not….
WALK: Get outside. Those 5,000 steps a day? Go to the Health app on your iPhone and watch them add up.
HYDRATE: Coffee and tea don’t count. Ditto soda.
YOUR HANDS: Wash them.. often.
LIQUID SOAP AND MOISTURIZER
I vote for EO.
[To buy it from Amazon, click here.]
A diet with multi-colored vegetables is a big help.
And then there are supplements.
COLOSTRUM
Colostrum, as mothers know, is the first food that women make. It’s thus the first liquid available to the newborn baby. As it contains antibodies and is high in protein, it works in the gut to stabilize the baby’s digestive system and protect the newborn against disease — it’s sometimes described as “the seed of the immune system.” Colostrum is said to be useful for adults because more than 50% of our immune system is located in our gut, and Colostrum deals with the bacteria in our digestive tracks — bacteria that is there in all of us in large quantities. As the lining of our digestive tracts is porous, some bacteria leaks out. Yes, our immune systems send soldiers to fight them, but not before there’s inflammation — and our immune systems pay a price for these battles. In this story, Colostrum comes to the rescue. Some scoff. I’m not a scoffer.
[To buy it from Amazon, click here.]
HIGH QUALITY VITAMIN C
Most of the Vitamin C in pills or capsules never reaches the bloodstream. Estimates of its absorption rate are less than 50%. Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C has a 90% absorption rate.
[To buy it from Amazon, click here.]
VITAMIN D
Data from 16 clinical trials involving 7,400 people show that taking vitamin D supplements reduces the risk of experiencing at least one respiratory infection including influenza and pneumonia by a third with positive benefits seen within 3 weeks. isk of acute respiratory infections by 11 per cent compared with placebo. [Source: London Telegraph]
[To buy Vitamin D3 Enhanced with Coconut Oil from Amazon, click here.]
[To buy Vitamin D in Fruit Flavored Gummies from Amazon, click here.]
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR GUMMY VITAMINS
Apple cider vinegar contains potassium, which thins mucus; and the acetic acid in it prevents germ growth, which could contribute to nasal congestion.
[To buy Cider Vinegar Gummies from Amazon, click here.]
CHELATED ZINC
Zinc is important in fighting infection. Food sources include red meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds and dark chocolate. Note: Not to be taken every day; it can cause toxicity.
[To buy Chelated Zinc from Amazon, click here.]
MANUKA HONEY
Honey that costs more than $30 for 17 ounces? It better have major benefits. Start with the first thing that manuka lovers tell you: You’ll be more resistant to disease. It’s not just the nutritional value of the honey –– major doses of amino acids, enzymes and B-complex vitamins, particularly thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), and B6. Even better, this honey contains substances that stimulate production of cytokine, the proteins involved in strengthening the body’s immune system and helping it fight off pathogens and diseases.
[To buy Manuka honey from Amazon, click here.]
“In a crisis, style dissolves into character.” So said business guru Warren Bennis. Well, here’s the crisis. Let our character shine.
Suggestions? Thoughts and prayers? I’m at HeadButlerNYC@AOL.com
