|
Back
to April Newsletter
by
Dr. Suzann Wang
The very public scare
of SARS in these recent months has prompted me to write this
article. SARS (Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is a deadly flu-like virus that causes
a life-threatening pneumonia.
I am writing this article as our first confirmed case of
SARS has been diagnosed in Silicon Valley.
I would like to remind my friends and
patients about taking the time to ensure that your immune system
is at its optimal level of functioning.
During situations such as this I need to recommend all of
you that prevention, through enhancing your natural immunity, is extremely
important at this time.
Here is what we know about SARS so far (According to Yahoo
News April 9, 2003):
"Close to one-quarter of Hong Kong’s
SARS cases are medical workers who became ill while treating
infected patients. Many of the workers who recover from the
disease go back into the SARS wards to continue treating patients,
leading some to compare their selfless acts of bravery to New York
City’s heroes of the World Trade Center disaster.
Medical authorities in Hong Kong are
preparing for 3,000 SARS patients in the event the outbreak gains
momentum. Thousands of people have taken to wearing surgical masks
in the hopes of preventing the disease. Meanwhile, an e-mail card,
which has been signed by more than 64,000 people, is being
circulated to boost the morale of the medical workers.
Worldwide, 104 people have died from SARS
and more than 2,600 have been infected. No hospital workers are
known to have died from the disease.
Analysts say that many people in Hong
Kong have little faith in their government’s leadership and are
instead pulling behind the doctors and nurses who have risked
their lives to treat those with the disease."
Dr. Edwards’s Thoughts:
In current medical technology there is
nothing that can fight this virus at this time.
There is no vaccine as this is a newly identified virus.
Antibiotics will not work because it is a viral induced
pneumonia. Surgical
masks will not adequately protect you from getting this virus.
Our best prevention is to enhance our own body's immune system.
According to the World Health
Organization, “anecdotal data indicate an incubation period of 2
to 10 days (average 2 to 7 days), allowing the infectious agent to
be transported, unsuspected and undetected, in a symptomless air
traveller from one city in the world to any other city having an
international airport. Person-to-person transmission through close
contact with respiratory secretions has been demonstrated. The
initial symptoms are non-specific and common. The concentration of
cases in previously healthy hospital staff and the proportion of
patients requiring intensive care are particularly alarming.”
Boosting your own
immune system to reduce your risk of acquiring this and other
communicable diseases is a the best idea at this time.
Health care workers who are stressed and not sleeping well
are often first to acquire SARS because of their close contact
with individuals who are infected. Here are some good things for you to do to maximize your own
immune system functioning:
 |
Reduce
sugar and sweet intake and eliminate all sugared sodas. Sugar
and simple carbohydrate will reduce your immune system
functioning significantly. |
|
Get
enough rest/sleep. Inadequate
sleep will decrease your immune system’s functioning |
|
Minimize
exposure to stress and stressful events.
There is no single category that will negatively impact
your
immune system more than long term stress.
Minimizing stress does not mean not feeling your
feelings, but rather to feel your feelings in the moment and
releasing them. |
|
Moderate
exercise will increase your body’s ability to get rid of
toxins through sweat and lymph movement and decrease stress. |
|
Maximize
your intake of quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and
multi-colored vegetables and fruits (careful of fruits such as
banana with too much sugar) |
|
Vitamin
C 1-3 grams per day (unless contraindicated). |
|
Take
a good quality B-complex to increase your body’s ability to
adapt to stressors and to support your immune system and
adrenals. |
|
Castor
Oil packs to your abdomen (one per day for 4 days will
increase your white blood cell count) for 40 minutes to one
hour. |
|
Detoxification-do
a toxic elements hair analysis to see if you have high
exposure to heavy metals.
If so, work with your naturopathic doctor to help
chelate the heavy metals out of your system. |
|
Liver
supportive foods: beets, carrots, onions, dandelion greens,
arugula, kale, swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens,
watercress. Or
take a liver supportive formula to enhance your elimination of
fat soluble toxins out of your system. |
|
Water-filtered
(reverse osmosis is best) or bottled (Alhambra, Aquafina are best)-1/2 ounce per one
pound of body weight. |
|
6
system detoxification-gentle, do-it-yourself at home methods
to enhance your avenues of elimination. |
|
Digestive
system: ensure that your digestive system is working
optimally. This
is your first line of defense from foreign organisms.
If your digestive system is off, make an appointment
with your naturopathic doctor so that we can rebalance and
ensure that you are healthy. |
|
Constitutional
Homeopathy: If you have yet to have a homeopathic remedy found
for your constitution, call to make a homeopathic appointment
so that one can be identified for you.
Constitutional homeopathy goes a LONG way in boosting
your vital force and helps to reduce your risk of illnesses,
from contagions or otherwise. |
|
Try
the immune support breakfast in the morning |
|
Eliminate
foods that you may be sensitive to.
Common foods are wheat, cow dairy, eggs, corn, soy,
sugar etc. If you
don’t know what you may be sensitive to and are curious,
have your naturopathic doctor run a food sensitivity test for you. |
Well, that’s it for
now. If you have
concerns about your immune system and its strength, give our
office a call for a health check-up and detoxification analysis.
Back
to April Newsletter |
.htm_cmp_ourcommunity010_vbtn.gif){kind=small}
