From eNewsletter 4/27/2022
DID YOU KNOW that your bloating may be due to a beverage that is the darling of the health food industry? Kombucha is one of the more awful "healthful" beverages to come along. Every week we must dispel myths about the healthful aspects of kombucha. Finally, we're not alone. In a recent New York Times Q&A with a gastroenterologist, he mentioned kombucha as one of the triggers for not just occasional bloating, but functional bloating, which is chronic bloating that may become irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, yeast overgrowth, or even full blown candida. The GI doctor also said for those with food intolerances, celiac disease, or disorders that affect the way the gut moves contents throughout the body (like gastroparesis), kombucha is a poor choice of beverage. As we have said to clients incessantly, and in this newsletter on myriad occasions, there is no value added reason to drink kombucha. If you like the taste, you can have it once in a while if you do not have any of the aforementioned digestive issues, yeast overgrowth, mold allergy, history of UTIs, among others. Otherwise, when you're in the store, just walk past that beautifully staged display of kombuchas. You'll do your digestive system a favor.
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Virus Prevention And Treatment Vaccines minimize COVID-19 related mortality and hospitalizations, but SARS-CoV-2 is here to stay. Moreover, it is not the only virus we fight. There are influenza (flu), norovirus (stomach flu), adenovirus (common cold), and four other coronaviruses (common cold), among others. Continue your immune support year-round. For more information, refer to our Prevent and Fight Viruses 2.0 Protocol.
Post-COVID Syndrome 2.0 The official diagnosis for post-COVID syndrome (PCS) are symptoms that last for 12 weeks or more. If you, a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor is suffering from PCS, diligently following our Post-COVID Syndrome 2.0 Action Plan for purchase, or free to paid members here (must use the password), can bring measurable improvement.
Have a happy, healthy day! Steve and Bonnie Minsky
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Well Connect Feature: Natural Ways to Limit Herpes Outbreaks*
COIVD-19 Update
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COVID-19 Update
Steve: Two of the most fervent vaccine enthusiasts have made surprisingly transparent comments recently. It is refreshing to hear them so candidly comment on herd immunity and a second booster (fourth dose). Fourth Dose Paul Offit, MD, author of an editorial accompanying a New England Journal of Medicine study about the fourth shot, told Medscape Medical News, "I would argue, without fear of contradiction, that this is going to have no impact on this pandemic. We are still in the midst of a zero-tolerance policy for this virus. We don't accept mild illness and if we're not going to accept mild illness, we think we have to boost it away, which would mean probably about two doses every year. That's not a reasonable public health strategy." Offit is director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in Pennsylvania. I reiterate my position that a booster or second booster is only necessary in severely immunocompromised individuals. Herd Immunity Not Possible Dr. Anthony Fauci co-authored a study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases which discussed the concept of herd immunity in relation to COVID. He and the authors argue that because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is different to viruses such as polio and measles, which are considered to mutate less often, that it may not be possible to control COVID by achieving herd immunity. Hydroxychloroquine As I am not citing studies from the US because of lack of trust and potential bias, the following The Lancet study from Brazil, who's population used hydroxychloroquine frequently during the pandemic, purported that in outpatients with mild or moderate forms of COVID-19, the use of hydroxychloroquine did not reduce the risk of hospitalization compared to the placebo control. Vitamin D, Zinc A study from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides evidence on the association between higher predicted circulating vitamin D3 concentrations and a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Greater intake of vitamin D supplements was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization. Low serum zinc and vitamin D levels appear to be risk factors for COVID-19. Thus, the treatment of individuals with such deficiencies is recommended, according to a study from European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (Long COVID) Update Alternate Nostril Breathing Especially for those with brain fog or fatigue, one way to retrain and fire the nerves is to alternate breaths through your nostrils. Cover one nostril and breathe in. On the next breath, cover the other nostril and breathe in. Start slow and increase the number of breaths to 25, 30, and 50 times if need be to feel the effects. Do this daily for as long as is needed. Vagus Nerve Syndrome Symptoms of post-COVID syndrome may be caused by lasting damage sustained to one of the most important nerves in the human body: the vagus nerve. As well as being crucial to the gastrointestinal system, as it controls the transfer of food from the mouth to the stomach and moves food through the intestines, the vagus nerve is also responsible for multiple other processes, such as controlling the heart rate, sweat production and the gag reflex, as well as certain muscle movements in the mouth, including those necessary for speech. Aside from a surgical implant to stimulate the nerve, acupuncture, chiropractic, optimal eating style, dietary supplements, stress reduction techniques, breathing therapy, and non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) therapy such as gammCore may be used. Noninvasive Brain Stimulation COVID-19 causes swelling of the blood vessels, reducing their diameter, which leads to abnormal neuronal response. SARS-CoV-2 infections impair blood flow to the eyes and brain, causing visual and cognitive deficits, and the stimulation restores normal blood flow. Noninvasive brain stimulation using alternating microcurrents appears to rapidly and effectively improve cognitive and visual deficits related to "long COVID," a small case series in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience shows. Memory Deficit A type of rehabilitation program that allows the brain to rewire itself has been successful in improving the lives of people with brain fog. The approaches are based on the concept of neuroplasticity: the ability of neural networks in the brain to change, adapt, and strengthen, much like a muscle in the body that has been trained and exercised. One of the approaches used is errorless learning, or having a patient with memory problems repeat information a certain number of times without error. The repetition helps rebuild memory skills that were weakened during infection. If you are not sure what method(s) to try, as well as individualizing all the other lifestyle modifications to address post-COVID-19 syndrome, set up an appointment with Steve.
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