How We Beat COVID
Like many people across the country, my family and I had a very quiet holiday this year, because we all came down with the dreaded COVID-19 right before Christmas.
That’s the bad news…
The good news is that it was mild, uneventful, and nothing to fear or even dread.
While testing positive put a damper on our holiday plans, we were never nervous or afraid. We were prepared. We knew exactly what to do and had everything on hand. This resulted in timely, early treatment, which kept our downtime super short (only one day each), our symptoms mild, and our ability to bounce back quick.
Each of us experienced only ONE “not-so-great day.” It involved the sniffles, a sore throat, and a low grade fever, which brought with it the usual unpleasant side effects, like fatigue, body aches, and headache. After one day of feeling ill, the sniffles stayed with us for a few days thereafter and that was it.
What made it so mild? Well, it might have been the Omicron variant, which has proven to be not much more than a cold for most people, but I also believe that it was EARLY TREATMENT, which is unfortunately completely ignored by the media and traditional medicine (likely because there is no money in keeping people healthy), but also key to knocking out COVID-19, as well as the cold and flu.
Since posting my positive COVID test and then talking about our quick recovery on social media, I have been bombarded with questions about the protocol we used. As such, I decided to share a detailed list of everything we did (not including dosing, as that is dependent on many different factors, such as age, gender, weight, etc.) and the scientific rationale behind it. Regardless of your vaccination status, there is substantial research (links attached whenever possible) to support the use of everything in this article as immune system support.
If you find this protocol useful, please leave me a note below and share it with everyone you know.
Please note that nothing in this post should be misconstrued as medical advice.
Speak with your own physician before commencing any new supplement regimen and to find out if there are any contraindications with any medications you may be taking or any conditions you may have.
HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE CHOICES
Before we get into the protocol, I want to address the most important element of health and wellness—good nutrition and regular exercise. Malnutrition, whether it stems from under-consuming calories or from overconsuming highly-processed, "frankenfoods", can lead to an increased risk of infection, as well as other health problems. Supplementing may help a bit, but the truth is that there is no amount of supplements that can negate a poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle.
Poor nutrition and unhealthy food choices can also lead to obesity, which is the number one risk factor for complications from C19 and other viral infections. Conversely, healthy, nutrient-dense diets may help reduce the risk of infection by reducing inflammation and supporting overall immune health. Even if you choose not to take any dietary supplements, focusing on whole, unprocessed foods, limiting sugar, alcohol, and seed and/or vegetable oils can have a positive impact on your body's ability to fight off viruses naturally (shameless plug - contact me if you need help figuring out what and how to eat to maximize your health, and if you need inspiration, CLICK HERE to sign up for our newsletter, which includes a new, whole food recipe every week).
Daily Supplements + MEDS
I’ve listed the supplements we took in order of importance (those with an asterisk next to them should be a part of your daily regimen regardless of COVID).
The first seven are an non-negotiable. They are an absolute MUST at the first sign of symptoms. Timing is crucial because the sooner you start taking them—particularly zinc and quercetin—the more likely you are to stop viral replication and potentially minimize symptoms and illness duration. You may even be able to knock it out altogether.
This means that you need to have these supplements on hand (so don’t wait to buy them until you feel sick) and even keep some of them on you at all times. For example, I keep a first dose of zinc and quercetin in every bag I own and in my car. If I wake up in the middle of the night with a sore throat, I will get up and take my zinc, because I cannot stress enough how important it is to take it at the very first sign of any symptoms!
Zinc (Learn Why)
Quercetin (Learn Why)
Vitamin D3/K2* (Learn Why)
Vitamin C (Learn Why)
Probiotic* that targets Prevotella bacteria associated with severe COVID (Learn Why)
NAC* (Learn Why)
Glutathione (Learn Why)
Bromelain (Learn Why)
Curcumin* (Learn Why)
Melatonin (Learn Why)
Vitamin B3 (Learn Why)
You can purchase the entire regimen above or any of the recommended products by going to my online dispensary. Because it is a medical-grade dispensary, you will have to create an account to see the brands I have hand-selected based on my research.
In addition to the daily supplements listed above, here are three more steps you may want to consider, especially if you are in a high risk group for developing severe COVID-19
Ivermectin (Learn More) If you or your loved ones are in a high risk group due to age or other health-related issues, please make sure that you have this important medication on hand at all times. You can buy it HERE. It takes a while to arrive, so don’t wait to order when you need it. It may be too late. We did not take Ivermectin because we are not high risk and were confident that COVID wouldn’t pose much of a risk to us.
Pepcid and Zyrtec (Learn More) These have been shown to stop the "cytokine storm." They block H1 and H2 histamine receptors and prevent a major inflammatory response. My husband and I took them but I did not give these to my daughter. Healthy children have very little risk from the virus and first 5 supplements (zinc through the probiotic) on my list above are sufficient to help them bounce back quickly.
Povidone Iodine (Learn More ) - Nasal irrigation with Povidone Iodine + distilled water acts as an effective virucidal agent against all coronaviruses. It has been shown to be an effective shield against COVID-19, minimizing symptoms, like-nasal congestion, sore throat, etc., and reducing downtime.
foods and drinks
As the Greek physician, Hippocrates, famously said, “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” What you choose to put in your body can either heal you or prolong and intensify your illness. To that end, here is what we did while we were sick:
AVOID: ALL sugar, fructose, and high carbohydrate foods. (Learn Why)
DRINK: 9.5 Kangen Water (which is very high in antioxidants) with electrolytes to stay hydrated.
EAT: Organifi juices to help nourish and lower inflammation and load up on bone broth. You can make it yourself (CLICK HERE for my recipe) or if you are in no condition or mood to cook, Kettle & Fire Bone Broth is the only store-bought bone broth I recommend because it doesn’t have any nasty additives or toxins (CLICK HERE to buy and use code NEWTRITIONNY for 10% off).
Because we did experience a loss of appetite while we were ill, the bone broth and the juices were easy to get down and highly nutrient dense to fuel our bodies and help us heal quickly.
Other foods that were helpful included capers (rich in quercetin), fermented foods (probiotics), cloves, ginger, and garlic (a powerful, natural antiviral).
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Read Natural Supplements for COVID19—Background, Rationale, and Clinical Trials on nih.gov.
Listen to this Ben Greenfield interview with Dr.Peter McCullough, a leading COVID expert.
Final Note
The most important point I want to convey is that you do NOT have to live in fear, waiting and praying that you don’t have to go to the hospital. There are excellent, science-based and proven options for EARLY TREATMENT, which is key to knocking COVID out quickly and easily for most people
If you are overweight, suffer from chronic inflammation, and/or poor blood sugar balance, unfortunately, you are in the highest risk group of developing severe COVID. This means that there has never been a more important time to commit to a healthier lifestyle. Don’t wait until you are sick. It will likely be too late at that point. Be proactive and take control of your health. If you need help losing weight and restoring metabolic function, consider working with me. CLICK HERE for more information and CONTACT ME with questions or to schedule a consultation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Gregory is an Integrative Nutritionist and founder of NEWTRITION NEWYOU. Her focus—whether with private clients, readers of her blog, or her followers on social media— is whole body wellness, incorporating whole-food nutrition, supplementation, exercise, toxin-free living, and mindset coaching. Victoria’s personal mission is to help make the world a healthier place, one person at a time, and she has helped thousands of people find joy and self-love through better eating habits and mindfulness. Learn more about Victoria.