Hi Everyone, Jena here.

Some of you know that the last few weeks that I spent in Paris, I caught COVID. It was kind of a nightmare, and in all honesty, I actually wanted to get COVID, but I really didn't think it would be as tough as it was.

It hit me hard and the first night, I had such bad chest pain and that was when I knew I had COVID. My throat never felt so raw and I had the worst body aches- headache, backache, and intense leg pain that felt similar to the radiating leg pain women with endometriosis experience. (imagine that we can feel that way every month) I had a lot of symptoms going on at the same time that were all pretty intense.

I'm going to share with you what I did to get through my own personal COVID experience because I really tried so many things.

Food & Drink

First up, food & drink. To be honest, I had no appetite for 4 days, and I lost 11 pounds total. My stomach hurt so bad and I felt nauseous.

I stayed away from sugar and dairy totally during this period. Sugar really dampens the immune system, so except for fruit, I made sure I steered clear of sugar totally.

I drank green juice and teas all day long, and because my appetite was so low, I focused on drinking room temperature protein smoothies from Wild & The Moon as well as getting Reishi Cappuccinos when I could (Reishi mushroom contains chemicals that seem to have a variety of potentially beneficial effects on the immune system as well as help to fight fatigue with its adaptogenic properties )

When my appetite would allow it, I'd try to go for one meal a day - mostly sea bass or a vegan curry with rice and veggies - I didn't want to add any more inflammation or stress into the body at a time when it was already super inflamed.

I drank TONS of water throughout to stay hydrated fully. Also- I had heard about the importance of electrolytes when fighting the virus before I even got it. Some interesting studies on this - like the one linked here - have confirmed that the severity of COVID-19 increases when you have lower serum concentrations of sodium, potassium, and calcium, so electrolytes are critical.

I regretted not having access to high-quality electrolytes easily out in France but I did manage to finally get my hands on Quinton Isotonic Electrolytes and I think they helped with my recovery so much. As I said, no sugar - so don't go grabbing a Gatorade as your source of electrolytes - make sure you're going for a high-quality electrolyte.

I had heard before I got COVID that honey and citrus can really help people in battling COVID-19, but for me, I'm allergic to honey, and my Chinese acupuncturist tells me that my specific constitution doesn't do well with either, so I avoided this for me, but it might work for you!

Activity

I tried to keep moving where possible and would go on a 30-minute walk daily to try and work through the inflammation and reduce it. Some days, this was tough, though, particularly with chest pain and breathing difficulties. It is so important to move your body. Even if it’s only for ten minutes. 

Medication        

The first thing I did when I knew I had Covid was making an appointment with a doctor in Paris via Telehealth. He prescribed Albuterol and this SAVED me. They're used by people who have asthma and have been shown to help people fight off the virus and strengthen their lungs. It helped me so much with breathing and coughing. It also gave me stomach cramps and muscle pain. My body is so sensitive to medication so I only used it when I absolutely needed it. Many people are talking (in the holistic health world at least) about the importance of avoiding Ibuprofen and Tylenol when fighting COVID because it depletes your glutathione levels. Research has shown that a common denominator in COVID-19 conditions is the accumulation of oxidative stress in the body, and because glutathione basically has the function as the 'master antioxidant in the body,  you don't want to be depleting these levels any more as they are severely depleted when the bodies oxidative stress goes up!

I also didn't want to bring down my fever because I understand that this is the body working for me and trying to kill the virus off and get it out of my system, so this is another reason why I didn't go for traditional medication as evidence shows that a fever should run its course.  

I however do regret that I didn’t take aspirin to reduce my chances of blood clots the first night. In addition to preventing clotting, aspirin reduces levels of an immune signaling molecule or cytokine called Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the blood. The molecule is associated with the immune overreaction, or “cytokine storm,” that can affect people with COVID-19. Study linked here

I didn’t travel with Ivermectin as I actually gave this to my Mom in the States before I flew. Now I’m back in Miami, I have got some more so I’m taking it to help my body fully clear the virus (which is something that people talk about less than actually taking it when you’re sick).

Supplements

I took a ton of supplements that literally saved me and luckily I traveled with loads of them so I was well prepared.  

The key supplements that I took were: 

The Quantum Health Therazinc Spray was incredible and is one of my favorite products. The spray and liquid B12 helped my throat tremendously, and I supplemented with the Eidon Ionic Mineral Liquid Concentrated Zinc - I think this is the best Zinc I have ever found. It is available on iHerb.

I took 10 Mg of sublingual melatonin every night because there has been a lot of research into the value of melatonin in the early treatment of COVID-19. This study here is one of many that showed that melatonin can reduce oxidative stress damage in the body (which drives inflammation), minimizes the cytokine storm and cytokine-induced inflammation, and lymphopenia (when there are not enough white blood cells in the body)

I combined NAC with Thorne CoQ10 morning and night which helped me tremendously. NAC loosens mucus in the lungs and helps the body to produce more glutathione while reducing inflammation in the body and especially the lungs. I took the Vitamin Shoppe NAC

CoQ10 is amazing for mitochondrial health which helps energy production in the cells. It really helped with my headache. It's an essential nutrient for cellular energy, immune, brain, heart, and health function.

I took Dr. Mercola's Liposomal Vitamin C (my favorite, and I take it in capsule form because I hate those liquid pack ones). You can get this on iherb. I also took BioOptimizers Magnesium for my muscle pain. This is my favorite type of magnesium and has 7 different types of magnesium in one, and I'm so glad I had this on hand.

I took the Vitamin B12 Liquid Blend from Global Healing for my energy and brain fog during the COVID experience. I also took Vitamin D3 and K2 (the most bioactive forms), which are so important for immunity fighting off infection. My favorite one you can only buy through a practitioner and with a practitioner code, but my good friend Will Cole shared his code with me for my followers, so you can buy it in case you need it! You need to register here using referral code 'drwillcole' and practitioner's last name 'cole'

Therapies

I couldn't get out to get many therapies as I would have wanted to, and actually, it was one of the few times I really missed the alternative health treatments that are so amazing in the States.

Without access to some of the treatments I might normally have used, I did what I could and started taking three Epsom salt baths a day. When I did this, I would rub Eucalyptus Oil on my chest, and I'd inhale it on a hot towel and breathe it in too.

The reason that I did this is because it always helps me when I have the flu and after reading this study, I learned that the essential oils of Eucalyptus and Corymbia can be used as a potential inhibitor against COVID-19, as well as effective in treatment.

I also focused on keeping my oral health super tight because learned through Organic Olivia a huge amount about the connection between good oral health and reducing the onset and severity of COVID-19. The McGill study is really interesting (linked here), and it explains that gum disease has been linked to increased rates of COVID complications, hospitalization, and even death of patients with severe COVID-19. This is because of high levels of inflammation in the gums, which, if left untreated, can lead to inflammation throughout the body, and with COVID, the body is already in an inflammatory response, so gum disease and poor oral health can exacerbate this.

I would brush my teeth three times a day and gargle with mouthwash twice daily because it's thought that certain types of mouthwash can disrupt the virus and may prevent it from replicating into a human cell. A lab study linked here is early research into how Listerine and Chlorhexidine have been shown to disrupt the virus.

If you are in France and are in need of a doctor, you can go to the site below and pay 25 euros for a telehealth doctor. They will give you a prescription via email, and you can have someone pick up the prescription for the inhaler for you. 

Linked here

I am now one month post-covid and all of my energy came back to me after two weeks. I take the electrolytes when needed and have doubled up on my vitamin D from Xymogen. I am diligent with holi (mane) in case hair shedding begins...

I hope this is helpful and please remember that this was my specific treatment and you must always consult with your own doctors and practitioners first. 

With love,

Jena x

***THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR REGULATED BY THE FDA.  WE ARE NOT DOCTORS, THEREFORE ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST.