Jason Steed Certified Primal Health Coach
Part 2: Ways to Prepare for COVID-19
Like me, you've probably said many times, "I'm not going to let Coronavirus get me!" Wow, these last 2 weeks have been an eye-opener as to the pervasiveness of this bug. At 10 days since my positive test I'm 2 weeks in from the earliest onset of symptoms, and I'm grateful to continue to be feeling well.
How do you know if you'll get the mild version of COVID-19 or the more aggressive version? I know that's an oversimplification of the virus's many mutations and strains. But get this, there are things we can do to get the milder versions of any of its strains. Here's some fascinating science that helped me see this virus as a predictable chain of events. Let's get cellular.
Will your cytokines fan the flame or douse it? It makes all the difference with COVID-19 symptoms.
July 12, 2020
COVID, Day 10: A Method to this Madness (2:42)
The biology and lifestyle behaviors for beating COVID-19
Heather pointed me to some great research by Dr. Ronesh Sinha. He's an internal medicine physician and expert on insulin resistance. I took interest in his research because he understands how this strand of SARS COVID infiltrates so many systems. I tend to boil things down to terms that I can understand, and I hope this helps you.
The Severity Factor
By virtue of being a human being, we're all equally susceptible to catching COVID-19. I've known for a while that there are no "biological safeguards" that block the invasion of COVID-19 into our cells, aside from having ample natural or exogenous (vaccine) antibodies.
But once the virus has pushed its way into our cells via ACE-2 receptor doors, we each possess control factors for determining what happens next. Here's where we gain some control:
A Five-Alarm Cytokine Storm
Once COVID-19 has invaded our cells our body activates immune responses. Responders called cytokynes then come to the rescue. When our bodies enlist too many cytokines then they exacerbate the problem by adding a lot of fuel to the fire. Think of this as inflammation, or a "cytokine storm." When you over-blaze the problem then the whole cell gets blown up. Not a desired effect, even for a cell infected by a nasty virus. (Source: Dr. Ronesh Sinha) This is an oversimplification, but it illustrates the importance of a just-right immune response.
Creating a Just-right Response
Prompting a just-right response to COVID-19 requires a fair share of several lifestyle choices. I fear there's no magic pill for this. I've hand-picked the things that I believe have worked for me, so I hope it's a good start.
- Outdoor cardio, in moderation, will improve immune and hormonal functions. Cardio that's too intense or too long will raise cortisol in a compromised fight/flight state. Trust me on this one.
- Meditation and mindfulness will reduce stress and anxiety, and will help improve blood pressure, producing a positive correlation with cytokine load balance.
- Eating real foods and avoiding processed foods will reduce angiotensin II, which can help rebuild and insulate vital organs. Organ health, along with lowered systemic inflammation will directly combat prolonged viral loads. Conversely, systemic inflammation promotes hypoxic (low oxygen) stress, creating cytokine storms.
- Dim evening lights and avoid screens 90 min. before bedtime. Dim Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO) plays a central role in sharpening white blood cell responses. This evening ritual also promotes deeper sleep cycles for cell rebuilding and immunity benefits.
- Long-exhale breathing and nose breathing exercises will enlist the parasympathetic (rest and relaxation) nervous system responses. You can see below how I'm monitoring this with my daily timed HRV sessions.
Today's Immune Boosters
Morning meditation, trampolining and jumproping. Supplements include: Zinc (50 mg), Vitamin D2, D3, (2,000 iu), Vitamin B-12 (tincture), MSM, Turmeric, Cat's Claw (tincture), Devil's Claw, Cold shower
Today's Symptoms
Day 9 of no senses of smell or taste. I don't really think about it until I'm eating a meal. However, it's another good energy day, and I felt a lower level of overall stress as I was able to return to house access and kitchen duties. I cooked family meals and even cleaned up after myself. Odd, but for me that's a stress-relieving outlet (usually).
What does Elite HRV think?
I haven't yet reported on my Elite HRV scores, but I take a 5-minute reading each morning with a HR chest strap. I've been recording results every morning for about 2 years. I like the fact that this app records and reports HRV power, specifically Low Frequency (LF) and High Frequency (HF) totals. I seldom achieve my desired 1:1 LF:HF ratio, but I was glad to see my LF numbers below my HF number for the first time in a couple of weeks. This ratio helps to confirm that I'm in a parasympathetic (rest and recovery) state rather than a sympathetic (alert and react) state.
