By Carmen Spotts of Paisley Apothecary

I’ve spent the last year-and-a-half really just observing what was happening in our world where COVID-19 was concerned. Not much of what was being shared about it by government or news felt right in my spirit. But, I am not an expert, so I kept my mouth shut and began researching viruses, how they replicate and take over our cells, how our body is designed to fight them, and how to support the body’s efforts to move toward wellness – because it always is!

I am currently 7 days into a COVID infection. It hasn’t been fun, but being sick never is. My kids and husband have all gotten it, too, and we are doing pretty well – so far.

I have read so much data, articles by medical and alternative practitioners, medical journals, and other sources. I understand that as this has evolved, the guidelines have changed, but some things remain true about viruses and that we cannot deny.

There is a reason we have what is termed “Cold & Flu Season.” Typically, as we head into Fall, we spend more time indoors, we wear more clothing when we are outside (so we aren’t getting exposure to the sun which helps us keep our vitamin D levels up), and we are breathing toxic recycled air more than we were before.

The condition our body is in before coming into contact with a pathogen is key as to whether we will get sick, how sick we will get, the duration of the illness, and our body’s ability to bounce back following the infection.

If our bodies are already depleted in vitamins and minerals, we are more likely to have more severe illness, and the need to replete these stores is more critical. This requires greater effort when ill, because our body is depleting at a more rapid rate when fighting illness.

Eat Well

This is why it is CRITICAL to feed the body well, especially during illness. We cannot expect our bodies to fight the good fight if we continue to feed it simple carbs, junk food, chemicals, caffeine, alcohol, dairy, etc. The burden oftentimes is just too great, especially as we age and it takes our bodies longer to recuperate from illness and injury.

Foods that are packed with nourishment and strengthen the body during illness and infection include: Bone broth soups, fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, fermented foods and beverages. It is critical to stay super hydrated.

Stay Active

Moving our bodies is also so important because as we feed our bodies well, those nutrients need help getting to where they are needed the most. If we are lying around, our heart is only pumping at a resting rate, our lymph lies stagnant, and we will stay ill longer. Movement gets our heart pumping, which gets the nutrients to where they are needed and the toxicity moved out.

Our lymph system does not have a pump like our circulatory system does, so it relies on us to move our bodies to get those much-needed immune cells that are part of our lymph to where they are needed the most and to help move out the cellular waste and toxicity so we can feel better sooner than later.

Stages of Viral Infections

Viral infections follow 4 typical stages:

1. Contact. When you come into contact with the pathogen, if your barriers are strong, the virus may not even have an opening to cause infection. These barriers are your skin, your mucous membranes, and your gut.
2. Replication. If the virus has found a weakness in barrier, it begins to replicate along typical pathways that the virus will hijack.
3. Immune System Mounts a Response. Once replication is well underway, the immune system gets kicked into gear and begins fighting the good fight.
4. Cellular and System Support. The immune system may get revved into too high a gear and you may experience cellular and system decline.

There are lots of things we can do to support our body’s natural propensity toward health, as well as aiding our immune system in its fight to recover from an infection.