It's safe to say that the past month has fundamentally changed us as a population. We will never be the same, but let's not forget that changing and adapting are what we do as living organisms. Without change there is no growth. This includes dealing with infections, illness and sometimes loss of life. These are the facts of life albeit difficult to experience.
Illness (and the attempt at recovery) is so critical to our development that without we would not last long as a species in this environment. If you think about it for a second, you'll realize that not one of us has been successful in avoiding illness. It is truly one thing we all have in common. We ALL get sick from time to time.
As you are listening to the reports about COVID-19, keep in mind that your body, your immune system, is literally built to address this. The majority of infected people will fully recover and will subsequently have lifelong immunity to future exposures.
The question in a lot of people's minds right now seems to be whether or not their immune system is up to the challenge. This is a fair question and stems from the real concern that many of us know we are not living the healthiest versions of ourselves. We make conscious and subconscious choices that ultimately diminish our vitality and leave our immune systems depleted and impotent against a novel exposure.
This is why I say that "your immune systems need naturopathic medicine".
Naturopathic doctors offer a whole-istic view of health and help you uncover and fortify the areas of imbalance that could lead to a less than optimal response when faced with a challenge such as a novel virus.
For many people the areas of imbalance are tied directly to the immune system. They're experiencing:
Insufficient sleep
Increased mental stress
Unresolved trauma
Lack of exercise
Nutrient deficiencies and/or depletion
Disrupted digestion
Repeat exposure to immune challenges in food and environment - causing delayed (and usually unknown) immune depletions
I address all of these areas with each patient to ensure that he/she is fully empowered to make informed life/health choices.
A couple of these areas become more prominent to me when I hear about the symptoms of those suffering from COVID-19 infections. For instance, nearly 50% of the patients have acute diarrhea. We now know that a majority of the immune function comes from a happy G.I. system, so any imbalance here can cause problems for the immune system. Another key symptom that peaks my interest is the loss of taste and smell. One of the key nutrients required for properly functioning taste and smell receptors is zinc. Zinc is very well known as an immune supporting micro-nutrient, and my suspicion is that these patients were deficient before being exposed making their immune response less than adequate. I screen each patient regularly for micro-nutrient status & find zinc to be deficient in many people.
The bottom line is that this novel virus is not the first and will not be the last we will encounter in our lives. The question is, will your immune system be ready and able to handle it when it happens?