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Coronavirus is sweeping across Australia. Here are some tips to boost your immune system — and your loved ones’ immunity — so that you will be prepared if you catch it.

Your body is your best friend. You live in your body, so it is important you take care of your body. The 12 Ways to Beat Covid-19 are more based around the concept of prevention as opposed to cure. The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” still holds true today.

Conversantly, your immune system is also your best friend. Look after your immune system and it will look after you. A healthy you is also a healthy immune system.

Having said that, we must look at health holistically. You are body, soul, mind, and spirit. Good health must be about all of who you are and not just the parts.

Warwick, are you qualified to speak about health? Good question. Firstly, I am not a health professional, but I have been studying preventative health for over two decades.

I wish I had listened to my mother more. A great man once said, “A prophet is not without honour except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

My mother was a trained health professional and a highly qualified nurse, but underappreciated by me. Looking back, she understood everything I am about to tell you far better than me. I honour her today.

Founding Dads4Kids in 2002 set me on a lifelong course of studying men’s health. Dads4Kids played the key role in getting a National Men’s Health Policy across the line in 2008 here in Australia. Men’s health is linked to humanities health so here I am, an enthusiastic amateur in preventative and holistic health.

Firstly, some good news. The Omicron variant is rapidly taking over from Delta. The Daily Mail says, “Scientists believe ultra-infectious (Omicron) strain may kill 100 TIMES fewer people than Delta (and mortality rates were ALREADY similar to influenza before the variant emerged).” Yahoo News says the Omicron variant could end the pandemic. Dr John Campbell in the above video would broadly agree.

Secondly, I am not talking about having an injection in my list because having an injection is no guarantee that you will not get Covid-19 or even die from Covid-19. Your decision to have, or not to have, a jab should be up to you. Sadly, governments have mandated jabs, but that is not something I am dealing with in this article.

Thirdly, I would agree with medical researchers like Dr John Campbell who argue that natural immunity is better and more robust than vaccine-induced immunity. Research in Israel shows natural immunity from having acquired the disease to be 13 times better.

Fourthly, my focus in the main is how to improve your health to get you Covid-ready. As a doctor friend said to me two years ago, everyone will get Covid-19 or be exposed to it sooner or later. He told me, “It is like the flu, Warwick, everyone will get it sooner or later.” I cannot but agree.

One of my close friends got Covid-19 a few days ago. He is fit and healthy, but his parents were worried about him because he has a genetic weakness in his lungs. In fact, he had 85% of his right lung removed in his younger years.

My friend was also a smoker and drug addict for ten years. Altogether, this places him in the higher risk category for Covid-19. Thankfully he has beaten Covid-19 in the past 48 hours. He told me it was similar to a bad flu, but not the worst he has endured. For others, it can be worse. There is huge variability in response.

My friend would be actively employing over 85% of these 12 strategies as ways to beat Covid-19. My friend is a good case in point, but I will leave you to make your own judgment and do your own research. Here we go!

1. NUTRITION: You are what you eat! Rubbish in equals rubbish out! In the West, we are overeating and overeating the wrong foods. We must eat more plant food and less meat. Dr John Tickell calls it the 2/3, 1/3 rule. Two-thirds plant-based, one-third not!
   Dr Thomas Campbell, author of “The China Study – The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted”, would agree with him, but argues for an even higher level of plant food. Many studies now back this wisdom up. A well-balanced diet is the foundational key to your health.

2. EXERCISE: You need to move your body. You need both cardio and strength training. In other words, at least two or three times a week, you need to be puffing. Secondly, strength training is critical to good health in many ways. This increases your standing metabolism, which together with the cardio keeps the weight off, develops good health and builds your immunity.
3. RELATIONSHIPS: Verena Menec, speaking of the importance of good social networks, said, “It lowers blood pressure, leads to better immune system function and better sleep.” The Mayo Clinic article  “Friendships: Enrich Your Life and Improve Your Life” says it all.
4. SLEEP & REST: It is obvious, but we often forget the importance of it. ResMed‘s article, “How Sleep Boosts Your Immune System,” proves the point. My mother’s words to me, “Don’t work so hard son, rest more and get a good night’s sleep,” ring in my brain.
5. LAUGHTER: I would add fun and play to laughter, but you can make up your own mind. Laughter is the best medicine as the old proverb says, and it is very good for your immune system.
6. SUNSHINE: Sunlight on our skin helps produce Vitamin D, which is the key vitamin to fight any virus.
   Having said that, sunlight has many benefits for your health. Getting some sun usually means getting outdoors, which also is beneficial for your health. Did I mention forest bathing? Combine all this with exercise and you are way ahead of the shoeshine.

7. VITAMIN D, VITAMIN C & ZINC: I was very tempted to put Vitamin D, Zinc & Vitamin C at the top of this list of ways to beat Covid. The reason I did not is because if you do the first six things on the list, you will have enough Vitamin D, C & Zinc. The truth is, it is always better to get your vitamins and minerals direct from your diet. Having said that, it does not hurt to take supplements, and these three supplements act synergistically and together must be high on the list. Many studies support this opinion. My friend who was at risk was taking these three each day. He doubled them when he got Covid. My friend is so much better today.
8. OTHER VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS: Quercetin is a Zinc Ionosphere and is recommended by many.  Dr Zelenko has combined Quercetin with the above three vitamins in his Z-Stack Protocol. Omega 3, Probiotics and Multivitamins have been shown to play a part in helping Covid patients.  There are many other possible supplements that have some effect in this area.
9. ORAL HEALTH PREVENTION: Certain nasal sprays have been shown to help reduce Covid infection. Indian scientists did a lot of work in this area. Do your own research. The logic makes sense.
10. GET HEALTHY & REDUCE COMORBIDITIES: The majority of Covid-19 deaths are older people over 70 with two or three comorbidities. The average age of death in Australia was 86.9 years. The risk of severe COVID-19 increases exponentially with increasing age. A single comorbidity increased the risk of severe COVID-19 moderately (2-fold increase). However, multimorbidity (3 or more comorbidities) led to a 5-fold higher risk of severe COVID-19.
11. STAY POSITIVE — REJECT FEAR: We are in the middle of a media-induced fear pandemic. One of the major comorbidities for Covid-19 was anxiety and fear. The chance of dying according to the latest figures in Australia are sitting at 0.4% or less than one in 200 infections. In the UK the Daily Mail says 1 in 670. Other estimates of death show far less. A study in the USA showed that in infected people under 40, death was uncommon at only about one in 10,000. Yes, if you are older, you have to be more careful.
12. PRAY: You might be sceptical, but science shows that prayer works. My friend whom I told you about has had Covid-19 but is now healed. This is testimony to the power of prayer.

Lovework

Right now, cases of COVID-19 are exploding around Australia. We need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves to best protect our families and children. Please do your own research and make your own judgements, and stay healthy.

Yours for our children,
Warwick Marsh

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