Health – Care during covid

Okay, everyone is talking about the coronavirus and there is a heightened awareness of every cough, cold and sneeze. I was surprised that the sales of Corona Beer decreased recently, maybe they should have diversified into toilet paper manufacturing! Bad jokes aside, now is the time for the most critical aspect of conventional and traditional medicine … preventative care. This begins with good sanitation to reduce as much as possible the spread of infectious and contagious disease. While masks can be useful, there is controversy as to how effective they are, especially when damp. Always cough/sneeze into your elbow or tissue. Discard the tissue immediately after use into a bin. Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap. Don’t touch your face unless your hands are clean. Of course, if you have any cold/flu symptoms, then please get tested and self-isolate.

From a naturopathic viewpoint, eating good foods is essential, but just as essential is eliminating all  rubbish foods, too. Everything that goes into your body has to be processed. Eating junk food reduces your body’s capacity to function and can severely compromise your immune system. Keep hydrated with plenty of water and avoid diuretics, especially coffee and teas high in caffeine.

Your digestive system (especially the large intestine) is the store house for your healthy bacteria. This is a major contributor to your immune system. Probiotics can be very helpful, especially if the bacteria have been compromised, as can be the case after antibiotics.

Mineral and vitamin levels are essential to immune function, too. Zinc, iodine and vitamin C are especially crucial. New Zealand soils are particularly low in zinc and iodine so supplementing with these may be useful. Vitamin B6 helps the absorption of zinc and selenium is essential to allow iodine to be absorbed. Reducing stress levels and taking time out is also important for your wellbeing. Taking time to do things that are fun and restorative are important. Don’t forget to look after yourself.

Homeopathic remedies have been used for the last 200 years and in the last 100 years specifically to help with outbreaks of flu and viruses, especially during the Spanish flu. The following is an extract from Homeopathy In Influenza – A Chorus Of Fifty In Harmony by W. A. Dewey that appeared in the Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy in 1920.

Dean W. A. Pearson of Philadelphia collected 26,795 cases of influenza treated by homeopathic physicians with a mortality of 1.05 per cent. Thirty physicians in Connecticut reported 6602 cases with 55 deaths, which is less than 1 per cent. Fifteen hundred cases were reported at the Homeopathic Medical Society of the District of Columbia with but fifteen deaths. Recoveries in the National Homeopathic Hospital were 100 per cent – E.F. Sappington, MD, Philadelphia.

Don’t forget to maintain some happiness and keep laughing … important medicine!

Eugene Sims, Warkworth Natural Therapies
www.rodneysurgicalcentre.co.nz