When this pandemic began the only advice and hope we were given was to wash hands, isolate and tremble in fear, but many days I wonder how much better we as a nation would have been if these five key immune boosters had been known to all from the beginning. God has gifted each of us with an amazing immune system that works best when we practice a healthy lifestyle.
No one told us the simple and practical things we could do to boost our immune systems and increase our chances of survival. Fighting disease is more than cover and duck. It’s also about making sure our God-given immune systems are working as God created.
The Covid Pandemic has been a trial for all of us that has pushed many over the edge. The Bible encourages us in James 1:2-3 to “Count it all joy when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” From every trial in our lives, there are lessons to be learned and endurance is a byproduct. We have been tested. Hopefully we’ve learned that good health and a strong immune system are strongly correlated with the discipline and healthy lifestyle habits we implement each day.
Of course, one of the best ways to prevent the spread of disease is simply by constantly washing your hands, keeping a safe distance from others when you are sick, and wearing a mask in populated spaces. Masks are not perfect and can lessen oxygen intake when worn all day, but they can play a role in lessening the spread of germs. Your doctor can advise whether a vaccine is worth the risk for the benefit depending on your age and medical status. But there’s more we can do. Here are five immune boosters key to surviving any pandemic. These were never mentioned by our authorities but are essential in the fight against any disease, flu, or virus.
Five Immune Boosters
Eat a healthy diet including lots of plants.
Many people resorted to binge foods like candy bars, potato chips, sodas as comfort food to support them during this pandemic. This left many with enlarged bellies which became known as “Covid bellies.” We should have been using healthy eating to build our immune systems to fight Covid instead. Research from the pandemic is clear—those who ate a more plant-based diet fared better. According to Harvard research, those in the study who ate the most plant-based foods were 41 percent less likely to have severe Covid symptoms. They were also nine percent less likely to come down with Covid.
https://gut.bmj.com/content/70/11/2096
Move daily.
This pandemic turned many of us into couch potatoes when our bodies needed daily movement to stay healthy. The sedentary lifestyle has become the new smoking. Even during months of quarantine, we desperately needed exercise. We could move around our home or walk around our neighborhood while socially distancing. According medical doctors such as Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy and Dr. Robert Lustig, exercise boosts the immune function while increasing T cells and the mitochondria in the cell. Exercise also enhances every system in our body including our immune system. The lymphatic system which is the trash disposal system of our immune system requires movement to work properly. My husband and I walked 2-3 miles every day of this long pandemic. Movement encourages your body to live and allows it to work as God intended. We were created to move during the day.
Engage in deep sleep each night.
Our body repairs, rebuilds, and detoxes itself when we engage in deep sleep. According to Dr. Michael Breus, The Sleep Doctor, “Sleep deprivation affects every organ system and every disease state.” Therefore, a lack of sleep makes us more vulnerable to disease. A hormone called melatonin is released during deep sleep. Research shows that melatonin boosts the immune system and also kills cancer cells. Dr. Michael Murray stated that fear played a role in this pandemic. This fear kept many from getting a good night’s sleep and prevented God’s natural healing process during sleep from occurring. There is no substitute for getting a good night’s sleep—and it’s free.
Strengthen your immune system with proven supplements.
Whether Covid, flu, colds or other viruses, some doctors and scientists recommended preventative supplements to lessen our chances of getting Covid and developing severe symptoms. According to the University of Maryland’s Integrative Medicine Department, the following supplements in moderation play a role in preventing and lessening Covid symptoms, and any flu or virus. These supplements include:
Vitamin D – one of the most immune system building nutrients. It’s also inexpensive and something everyone can afford.
https://www.ginnybrant.com/does-vitamin-d-help-with-covid-19
Vitamin C – which helps prevent viral, bacterial, and various infections by shortening the duration of colds. It also is anti-inflammatory and acts as a natural antihistamine.
Vitamin A – which especially helps with respiratory infections.
Zinc – which can lessen the replication of the viral load and reduce infections. It must be taken immediately when symptoms appear. My husband and I have taken 20 mg of zinc since this pandemic began.
Selenium – is an antioxidant which strengthens the immune system’s response against cancer cells, bacteria, and viruses.
Check with your doctor about the ones best for you.
Pray, give thanks, and focus on your blessings.
It’s no secret that prayer and meditation calm the emotional brain and allow the body to heal more effectively. The emotion most backed by research for promoting good health in the body and enhancing the immune system is gratitude. The Pilgrims and their story teach us the power of gratitude. After the most difficult year of their lives which included selling their possessions, near starvation and losing half of their loved ones from the winter of 1621, the Pilgrims prayed and thanked God for their survival and His provisions.
Dr. Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University Medical Center offered these powerful words on the healing power of gratitude:
“If thankfulness were a drug, it would be the world’s best-selling product with a health maintenance indication for every major organ system.”
According to Dr. Doraiswamy, the expression of gratitude has positive measurable effects on mood neurotransmitters, inflammatory and immune system cytokines, stress hormones, cardiac and EEG rhythms, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/science-thankfulness/story?id=15008148
The Example of the Pilgrims
The Pilgrims were a great model for us in their discipline of prayer and their continual offering of thanks and gratitude to God. Although they lost many, they flourished to 3000 in 70 years. Today, nearly 35 million people are direct descendants of these humble and courageous people. Kudos to those parents who taught their children the practice of gratitude during this pandemic. Some even made “Family Gratitude Books.” My husband and I have much to be thankful for during this pandemic. We had two grandbabies born. We couldn’t go to the hospital, but they came home healthy and safe—the greatest blessing.
Wisdom from Paul
The Apostle Paul gave us much wisdom on how to get through trials in our lives. This pandemic was clearly a long-lasting trial with many cascading issues. While Paul is living in his own trial imprisoned and dealing with multiple issues, he encourages us in Philippians 4:6-8 to:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (emphasis mine)
Paul’s advice was simple and true. We should pray about everything, give thanks in everything, and focus on “the good things.” Afterall, Paul tells us in Romans 8:28 that God will use all things for our good and His eternal purposes.
Living the sedentary lifestyle while lying on the sofa and cramming potato chips in our mouths did us no favors during this pandemic. It only benefitted potato chip sales which soared during Covid. Living in fear rather than practicing our faith did not help our predicament. Taking care of our temple and healthy lifestyle practices such as eating God’s foods (plants), moving daily, engaging in deep sleep, taking immune enhancing supplements, and practicing the disciplines of prayer and gratitude while focusing on our blessings all boost our immune systems and survival.
These five immune boosters were our best hope for surviving this pandemic and whatever comes in the future. Flus and viruses have been around since the Fall of Man and will continue to plague us on this earth. These ways of boosting our immune systems are wisdom we can glean and use on an everyday basis, especially when the next pandemic or dangerous flu or virus comes our way. If the Pilgrims practiced gratitude during their long-lasting ordeal and eventually thrived, so can we.
Related articles:
https://susanuneal.com/ten-ways-to-live-free-from-fear
https://susanuneal.com/healthy-eating-for-your-body
About the Author
Ginny Dent Brant’s book, Unleash Your God-Given Healing was released after her journey with cancer and has won five awards. Written with a foreword and commentary by an oncologist, this book has been featured in the media nationwide including CBN, CTN, TCT, Atlanta Live, etc. Ginny’s other award winning book , Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog at www.ginnybrant.com.
Supplements go a long way for those looking to boost their nutrition, especially if they’re unable to get certain nutrients naturally. Thanks for sharing!