The mainstream media, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the White House coronavirus task force have a world-wide audience and a powerful megaphone to communicate the most important information to the nation and the world. The information they continue to give us day after day, after day… to ad nauseam…

• Practice social distancing; remain 6 feet apart
• Wash your hands often
• Don’t touch your face
• Wear a mask

These edicts have become common place around the world. However, the longer this goes on, the more doctors, scientists and experts are standing up to voice differing opinions, and there are a handful of debates swirling around what we are being told by the “official experts.” For every expert who says wear a mask, there are many others passionately warning against it, suggesting that the health costs are likely more severe than the health benefits. Debates are also happening regarding the use of the drug hydroxychloroquine. Many doctors, experts and scientists hail it as a very effective treatment for COVID-19, perhaps even the best.

Hydroxychloroquine was approved for medical use in the US in 1955. It’s on the WHO’s List of Essential Medicines, and is one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the United States, with more than 5 million prescriptions written so far in 2020… and yet… there are many other doctors, experts, and scientists warning against the use of the drug. It can be dizzying to know fact from fiction and what we should be doing to more fully insure our health and safety in Greeley CO.

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WHAT THE EXPERTS AREN’T SAYING BUT SHOULD BE

The great irony is… the one effective safeguard against COVID-19 that is not being discussed on the national COVID-19 stage, and which interestingly can not be debated or politicized is to… strengthen the immune system!

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THE IMMUNE SYSTEM in Greeley CO

The immune system is a complex network of cells and proteins which defend the body against illness, disease and infection. We all know that person who always gets sick. This person inevitably has a compromised or weakened immune system. And we all know that person who rarely or never gets sick. This person has a strong immune system. Virtually everyone can strengthen their immune system, and in so doing, can decrease their odds of falling ill with COVID-19 and other viruses and illnesses.

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12 TIPS TO STRENGTHEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

1. DRINK PLENTY OF CLEAN WATER
Your body is comprised 75% of water. Water is needed in almost every body reaction and function, and shockingly, 75% of the population are, at this moment, dehydrated, and thus immune compromised. An easy way to remember how much water to drink is to drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. In other words, if you weigh 100 pounds, you should be drinking 50 ounces of water every day. If you weigh 200 pounds, you should be drinking 100 ounces of water every day.

2. EAT FOR HEALTH
It’s a fact that most Americans are eating their way to the grave. They eat for taste, not for health or fuel. Food is fuel for the body. Just as bad fuel in our cars can damage or destroy our cars, so too can bad fuel (food) in our bodies damage or destroy our bodies.

Whole plant foods such as vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits are nutrient rich and full of antioxidants, which decrease free radicals in the body, and thus decrease inflammation, which has been linked to many health issues, including cancer.

Healthy fats, such as those found in coconut and olive oil, Omega-3 fatty acids (such as in salmon and chia seeds) also decrease inflammation, and have many other health benefits.

Collagen and protein are also essential for repairing tissue fighting disease because of their amino acids. Studies show that these amino acids increase the bodies ability to heal and, they reduce inflammation. Lean meats, fish, nuts, eggs and bone broth are great sources of protein.

3. EAT FERMENTED FOODS AND/OR TAKE A PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENT
For most people, the word “bacteria” has a negative connotation. Though it’s true there is “bad” bacteria, there is also “good” bacteria, such as that found in the gut. Fermented foods such as yogurt, natto, sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir, are full of these good bacteria and populate your digestive track. New research is revealing more and more how gut health is directly connected to overall health, and how important it is to regularly consume fermented foods. If you are not eating fermented foods regularly, a probiotic supplement is highly recommended.

4. GET ENOUGH SLEEP
In a study of 164 healthy adults, those who slept fewer than 6 hours each night were more likely to catch a cold (coronavirus) than those who slept 6 hours or more each night. Adults should aim to sleep 7 or more hours each night. Teens should aim for 8-10 hours and younger children and infants need up to 14 hours.

5. GET SOME SUN
Sunshine, in small doses (10-30 minutes daily), is like magic on the body. It enhances your mood, relieves stress and improves sleep. Some scientists believe that the sun can even shrink fat cells below the surface of your skin. All of these positive effects of the sun can strengthen your immune system.

6. MOVE THAT BODY
The body was designed to move. If you don’t move your body, you’re not going to be as healthy as you should be and could be. The benefits of regular moderate exercise are innumerable! Beyond the obvious, exercise and deep breathing help to promote the oxidization and regeneration of your cells, which are vital for a strong immune system. Examples of moderate exercise include, walking, brisk walking, light hiking, swimming, jogging and steady bicycling. Most people should aim for about 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.

7. REDUCE YOUR STRESS
Stress is a killer. It causes all kinds of long and short-term health issues and suppresses the immune system. To decrease your stress, try meditating, massage, prayer, exercising, journaling, yoga and other mindfulness techniques.

8. SUPPLEMENTATION
We should be getting all the vitamins and nutrients we need from our food. However, for several reasons, we just don’t. This is why supplementation is so important. Below are some excellent supplements, a partial list, which have been shown to strengthen your body’s immune response.

• Elderberry
• Echinacea
• Garlic
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Zinc

9. ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE
Negative and pessimistic people tend to get sick more often, and stay sick longer than positive and optimistic people. Use techniques like prayer, and gratitude journaling, and listening to and reading positive, instructional, inspirational and motivational books and audios. Always look for the good!

10. DON’T SMOKE
Smoking is bad for you to say the least. We know it. You know it. If you care about your health and want to live a higher quality of life, this is a must!

11. GO EASY ON THE FOLLOWING

• Alcohol Caffeine
• Sugars
• Foods that come in a box or a package

12. GET REGULAR CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS
Statistical data from the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 shows that people under chiropractic care had a 98% better chance of surviving than their counterparts not under chiropractic care. 98%! Since then, research has proven that the health of the nervous system directly influences the strength of the immune system, and, chiropractic adjustments directly influence the health of the nervous system by removing nerve interference (commonly referred to by chiropractors as subluxations).

One of the biggest misconceptions about chiropractic care, is the belief that one only goes to see a chiropractor as a result of back or neck pain or an accident of some type. Of course these are excellent reasons to make an appointment to see your chiropractor, but that’s only a small percentage of people who are under chiropractic care. Some of the healthiest people in the world stay under chiropractic care, long term, as in… for life, because they understand all the many health benefits, and they know that nerve interference does not always cause pain. In fact, it rarely does.

Virtually everyone has significant nerve interference, which is effecting the performance and health of their bodies, but many are completely unaware because they aren’t experiencing back or neck pain. Whether you are experiencing pain, or not, regular chiropractic care removes the subluxations of your spine, which will result in a healthier nervous system, a strengthened immune system and greater over all health and wellness.

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RECAP

The body is smart. It was designed to fight off illness and disease and to heal itself, but to the degree that it as able to do that, is to the degree that you do what you should do to keep your body healthy and in a peak state. There is no guarantee that a person will not get COVID-19, or any illness for that matter. There’s no surefire prevention and, and at the moment there is no “cure.” There is however much that you can do to strengthen your immune system and thus increase the odds that you remain healthy. We reviewed 11 of those actions here, and encourage you to implement them as best as you can!

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COME SEE US

If you are a current patient of ours, but have not been in to see us in a while, call us today or set an appointment online to get on our schedule. If you are not one of our current patients, and you live in the Greeley CO or Northern Colorado area, give us a call for a free consultation with one of our doctors. We would be honored to be a part of your health and wellness plan.