Soothing tips for viruses

lemons

Covid is back again and it is a worse strain that some of its predecessors. The symptoms of Covid include a dry cough, sore throat, feeling achey and tired, and lacking energy. You can’t cure it, but as with flu and colds, you can soothe symptoms.

Coughing at night

Dilute a teaspoonful of honey (preferably Manuka honey) in a glass of  warm water and have it by the bedside in case you start hacking in the night. If  it starts as soon as you lie down it’s a good idea to prop yourself up on pillows, which means you might get at least some sleep.  I always like to massage Vicks Rub into the chest area before going to sleep. It contains eucalyptus oil, but for a completely natural remedy a few drops of Eucalyptus or Olbas oil in a carrier oil (almond, calendula, etc.) has the same effect.

Steaming for blocked nose

You can’t beat steaming either – morning and night and even in between, but especially before you go to sleep.  If you put a few drops of essential oil, such as Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, or Olbas oil (a combination of essential oils) into a bowl of steaming hot water so much the better.  Cover your head with a towel and breathe in the pungent vapours. But be careful – if they are too strong it can be quite overpowering so start with a couple of drops and add more if necessary

Gargling for sore throats

When I was a child we gargled with TCP which was horrible!  Now I prefer something more natural – if you’ve got Himalayan salt crystals put a pinch in a glass of warm water. Or if you’re prepared for another strong taste a couple of drops of Tea Tree Oil in warm water works well on a sore throat/cough.

Echinacea Throat Spray is fantastic for soothing the throat and can be kept by the bed for topping up at night.

Dr Jen Tan of A. Vogel, recommends plenty of hydration with hot drinks and water, but avoiding mucus-forming milk.  He also endorses lemon and honey which can be mixed together and sipped, and plenty of Vitamin C.

Government pressured over Vitamin D for COVID

Sun skyThe government is being pressured about Vitamin D deficiency in  people with Covid, and many experts believe it should be recognised in the treatment of the virus. LBC reports that  Professor Angus Dalgleish, Professor of Oncology at St George’s, University of London, has seen data this weekend (9/10 January 2021) that Finland has one of the lowest infection rates. It is also the only country that provides Vitamin D.  Professor Dalgleish said, “Why haven’t they (the Government) addressed this one thing that if you do get infected then it is the most effective way of making you least likely to go to hospital and dying?”

An article in the Observer magazine indicated that David Davis, MP has been pushing Matt Hancock to recognise Vitamin D’s role in Covid and how many of those who have died had low levels.  He wants there to be a free supplement scheme to provide Vitamin D to British people, because deficiency can lead to catching Covid-19 more easily, and getting a serious case  and potentially dying.

Vulnerable people, particularly the elderly, are now being offered Vitamin D supplements.  Known as the sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D is made in the body when the skin is exposed to the sun.  those who live in care homes often stay inside all the time and are deficient in Vitamin D. The rest of us think we top up in the summer, but only if we expose our skin to the sun and by the autumn the levels are diminishing.  This year many people have been shielding inside from COVID-19 and have not had much exposure to the outdoors.

There have been reports and research that those low in Vitamin D are more at risk when they catch COVID, and as dark skin absorbs less of the vitamin than lighter skins, this is a particular problem for the BAME community.

Nutritionists advise that taking Vitamin D, Vitamin C and zinc can help the immune system to cope with viruses better.  In theory, you can ask your doctor about having a Vitamin D test, but at the moment this is unlikely to be done if you don’t have a related health issue.It should be said that the levels being handed out by the Government are quite low – 10 micrograms (400IU), which is the minimum amount required. You can safely buy 1,000 iU in spray or tablet/capsule form.  (See recommended properties at the end of this post).

Why we need Vitamin D

This vital vitamin is responsible for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, effective muscle function, and keeping the heart and nervous system healthy, and enabling the blood to clot properly.  Vitamin D has also been linked to preventing colds and maintaining a healthy digestive system.  If you cannot get a Vitamin D test from the doctor you could pay for one.  Yorktest do an Essential Health Test which includes Vitamin D levels.

You can take Vitamin D supplements, and this is certainly a good idea in winter, and you can get it from food – oily fish, fortified cereal, dairy products and fortified margarine. But it is natural to have sunlight on our bodies. It’s good to be cautious with the sun, but not extreme!

You can either take a daily spray of Vitamin D: Better You DLux 1000iu D3 spray (15ml),

or tablets/capsules:

Better You DLux 1000 oral vitamin D3 spray 15ml.

FSC Vitamin D 2500Iu 60 Tablets.

Health Aid Vitamin D3 10,000iu, 30 vegicaps.

Higher Nature Vitamin D 500iu, 60 capsules.

To purchase these, go to www.superfooduk.com and put in the Healthy Soul promotion code: HSoul1 to get a 5% discount.

 

See Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sun

Deep breathing could save your life

Deep breathingMany of us shallow breathe not using the full capacity of our lungs, therefore not getting enough oxygen into the body. Now we know that deep breathing could save your life it takes on a much bigger perspective.

A 59 year old man survived Covid-19 due to his deep breathing. NHS staff at the Gloucester Royal Hospital were reported as having named Rob Thomas ‘the king of breathers’ because of his deep breathing techniques. He not only contracted the virus but also initially had sepsis, and when he went into intensive care he was believed to have a 50/50 chance of survival during the first few days. Apparently his sister told him to ‘keep breathing’ and it worked, because he did not have to go on to a ventilator and eventually recovered.

Richard Kravetz, yoga teacher from Yoga For All, who provides chair yoga and mat yoga (currently online) for everyone whatever their ability or disability, explains how to practise deep therapeutic breathing into the diaphragm.

It is preferable to lie down with knees bent and feet on the floor (semi-supine position) but if this is difficult, a sitting position is OK. Try to breathe through the nose. Richard says, ‘Put one hand on your abdomen, one hand on the upper part of your chest and breathe, noticing how the chest, the ribs and the belly expand and rise as you breathe in, and relaxes on exhalation. This will enable the diaphragm to move more freely.’

Alternatively, Richard suggests you put your hands across the lower rib cage with the fingers touching, and during the in breath, the ribs expand and the abdomen rises the hands will move apart. As you breathe out the fingers will move back together.
Practise this as often as you can, and stay safe.

Richard Kravetz: http://www.yogaforall-uk.com/

Boost the immune system

cherries for JuneHealth stores are doing a roaring trade at the moment, due to  Coronavirus and that’s because people who know about vitamins and herbal medicines are stocking up. So what are they buying?

Vitamin C:  has a reputation for fighting all viruses, and so it’s a daily essential. When you are healthy you only require 10mg of Vitamin C, because that’s all the body can absorb at once (it pees the rest out). When you are unwell the body is depleted of Vitamin C so you need much more.

How to take it: Cherry Active is made from Montmorency cherries and is packed with Vitamin C – take as a juice (which you can dilute and drink hot) or tablets.  Or you can buy capsules, tablets or gel Vitamin C.  See:See Vitamin C fights all viruses.

Cherry Active liquid made from Montmorency cherries. Delicious and packed with Vitamin C, Concentrate, 473ml, £17.15;  30 capsules.

Nature C Vitamin C tablets, made by A. Vogel. Chewable, tasty and made from food.

To purchase these with a 5% discount go to www.superfooduk.com and put in the promotion code: HSoul1

Echinacea: is a herbal remedy that has the ability to boost the immune system and make you feel better. It was traditionally used by native Americans for many illnesses and infections, including snake bites.

Echinacea Hot Drink from A. Vogel  combines  fresh Echinacea root with herb extracts and Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) which is very warming and is claimed to prevent viruses entering cells of the body.

A. Vogel’s Echinaforce Echinacea Throat Spray moistens your throat and can prevent coughing.

A. Vogel Echinaforce Echinacea tincture, 50ml.

A. Vogel Echinaforce Echinacea tablets, 42.

To purchase these with a 5% discount go to www.superfooduk.com and put in the promotion code: HSoul1

Zinc – 15 mg daily . Zinc is essential for a healthy immune system and may prevent viruses from entering cells which they need to do in order to multiply.

Bee Health, Vitamin C and Propolis, 60 tablets

Garlic – garlic is antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral and antibiotic. You can heavily lace your food with garlic, which will keep everyone away, not just the devil. Or you can take Allicin capsules – allicin is the active property in garlic that boosts the immune system. antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral and antibiotic.

Allicin Max Veg Caps, 30 – 180.

To purchase these with a 5% discount go to www.superfooduk.com and put in the promotion code: HSoul1

Vitamin C fights all viruses

orangesIn China there is a trial going on with intravenous Vitamin C 24g or 24,000mg daily for 120 hospitalised coronavirus patients. We all know about Vitamin C and many take it when they are getting a cold. What is less known is that the NHS advises people to take 40mg a day, which is quite low. Supplements range in their strength but it’s quite common for people to take 500mg or 1,000 mg a day. There is not a problem with overdosing, because excess is excreted, but if someone is taking too much for their own body(as we all vary) they could have diarrhoea.

Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD, a US cardiologist, claims that Vitamin C can kill any virus if taken in the right quantities, including measles, mumps, rubella and  serious illnesses such as malaria, tetanus, dysentery, Ebola and many life-threatening viruses. To treat some of these with Vitamin C, it would need to be administered intravenously at high levels. This is hard to come by in Britain as it’s unlikely to be undertaken in the NHS and would have to be paid for.

Levy also states that Vitamin C has the power to reach embedded toxins and infections at cell level and destroy them.  Other toxins that it can kill are:

  • Snake and spider bites, etc.
  • Alcohol
  • Barbiturates
  • Toxic mushrooms
  • Heavy metals

For most of us the main concern, if we are lucky, is to minimise colds and flu and taking Vitamin C daily is a good start. If a cold starts to niggle it’s worth upping the dose because it can stop it before it takes a hold.

The market for Vitamin C is quite complex to the average consumer.  There is Vitamin C which is ascorbic acid, made synthetically and this is a good way to take it. Dr Levy advises that while ascorbic acid itself can upset stomachs in some people, sodium ascorbate does not have this effect.  He guards against taking potassium ascorbate or calcium ascorbate as too much of these minerals can be harmful to some people. Liposomal Vitamin C is also an effective way of taking it –  a gel that  you put in a small glass of water.  Try Altrient Liposomal Vitamin C, 1000 mg.

And then there’s natural Vitamin C from fruit and plants, such as Cherry Active from Montmorency cherries and Nature C from A. Vogel.  If under threat in winter from viruses, it’s best to choose the Vitamin C that can give you the highest reasonable dose (say, 1,000 mg although some people take more).  See: Colds, Coughs and Flu.

Get 5% discount from www.superfooduk.com with the code: HSoul1. 

Back to the ubiquitous Coronavirus (or COVID-19)  the China Daily reported recently that more than 85 per cent of novel Coronavirus pneumonia patients nationwide have received Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a means of treatment, according to the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They have also reported that around 87 per cent of patients taking TCM medication have recovered or been discharged from hospitals.

It’s very difficult to know who to believe in this day and age of fake news as reports of Vitamin C being effective have been hotly disputed. All people can do is make up their own minds.