Category Archives: health policy

Antibiotic Resistant Infections: A growing threat

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  • At least 1.27 million deaths per year are directly attributable to AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance), according to global AMR estimates released earlier this year by IHME (Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation) and Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (GRAM) Project partners.
     
  • The deadliest pathogen-drug combination globally was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which caused more than 100,000 deaths attributable to AMR in 2019.
     
  • MRSA can infect cuts or scrapes in the skin and then be passed through skin-to-skin contact or through items such as towels or clothing that have touched the infected skin.

There are several pathways converging on Anti-Microbial Resistance.

  • Misuse and Overuse of antibiotics in raising meat, farmed fish, dairy, poultry and eggs
  • Excessive use of antibiotics in Medicine
  • Lack of clean water and sanitation in many poor countries
  • Poor infection and disease prevention and control in health-care facilities and farms
  • Poor access to quality, affordable medicines and vaccines
  • Lack of awareness and knowledge

Emerging resistant strains include sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia), MRSA, tuberculosis, several bacteria that cause pneumonia, urinary tract infections and food poisoning.

Viral infections are also demonstrating antibiotic resistance including HIV (10% of cases in the majority of monitored countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America).

Malaria is also developing drug resistance and as global warming pushes this disease further north, soon greater parts of USA will be experiencing this mosquito vectored disease.

Drug resistant fungal infections (especially Candida which represents a major threat to immunocompromised individuals, especially in the hospital setting) are becoming widespread.

Antibiotic resistance in animal husbandry presents unique challenges.

Antibiotic resistance is of great public health concern because the antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with the animals may be pathogenic to humans, easily transmitted to humans via food chains, and widely disseminated in the environment via animal wastes. These may cause complicated, untreatable, and prolonged infections in humans, leading to higher healthcare cost and sometimes death.

One of the problems with the RWA designation (Raised Without Antibiotics) is that it does not distinguish between overuse (used for prevention, growth and output) and use to treat infections. There should be a category of RWA that indicates that antibiotics are used only to treat illness in animals, not to prevent infections or foster growth.

RWA programs are intended to supply customers, such as restaurants, grocers and other food service establishments, with meat, eggs, and dairy products that can be labeled as having never had exposure to antibiotics.

Research in animal husbandry has demonstrated that pork, beef, chicken, dairy, and eggs raised without preventive antibiotics following simple sanitary protocols can decrease total cost in the long run. (Taking into account costs of antimicrobial resistance) Yet farmers continue to utilize antibiotics routinely to prevent rather than treat infections, due to habit, marketing (pharmaceutical industry) and fear of change.

This raises the issue of free-range economics vs raising animals in crowded environments. Regenerative agricultural practice incorporates free-range animal husbandry into crop management in a manner that utilizes animal waste for fertilizer instead of fossil-based nitrogen sources (reducing carbon foot print and creating rather than destroying soil), and eliminates crowded conditions, decreasing risk of infection. In addition there are many other potential approaches to help solve the problem of AMR.

Phytochemicals added to chicken feed represents a possible alternative to antibiotics to control antibiotic resistance in poultry.

Altering simple practices in the dairy industry (changing the rate at which a slurry tank is emptied) can delay the proliferation of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

There are many potential approaches to animal husbandry that can mitigate the growing problem of AMR.

The use of antibiotics to enhance profitability margins in the animal production industry is still practiced worldwide. Although many technical and economic reasons gave rise to these practices, the continued emergence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria is furthering the need to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics. This will require improving on-farm management and biosecurity practices, and the development of effective antibiotic alternatives that will reduce the dependence on antibiotics within the animal industry in the foreseeable future. A number of approaches are being closely scrutinized and optimized to achieve this goal, including the development of promising antibiotic alternatives to control bacterial virulence through quorum-sensing disruption, the use of synthetic polymers and nanoparticles, the exploitation of recombinant enzymes/proteins (such as glucose oxidases, alkaline phosphatases and proteases), and the use of phytochemicals.

Studies investigating various alternatives to antibiotics use in livestock show promising results. These alternatives include the application of bacteriophages and phage derived peptidoglycan degrading enzymes, engineered peptides, egg yolk antibodies, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics, as well as quorum quenching molecules

Simple sanitation techniques in raising poultry can achieve benefit without the use of prophylactic antibiotics.

Keeping strict biosecurity in segregation, traffic control, cleaning, and disinfection, helps prevent a large proportion of harmful bacteria and viruses from entering poultry barns (Segal, 2013). Apart from good management practices, there are many alternative approaches proposed and explored by researchers worldwide to overcome bacterial infections in birds.

Likewise, eliminating antibiotics from pig feed does not reduce growth measured at the end of finisher stage, and eliminates the cost of antibiotics in the feed.

At the consumer level, purchase animal products raised without prophylactic antibiotics. This will protect your family and send a message to the marketplace. The more we demand food raised without preventive antibiotics, the more producers will be forced to change old-unsafe habits.

Buying meat, poultry, dairy and eggs from local farmers that do not utilize preventive antibiotic usage and practice regenerative agriculture, is a great way to shift the marketplace towards a safer and more sustainable food system that improves health and safety while addressing loss of soil and carbon footprint.

If you prefer watching documentaries there are several that address issues related to regenerative agriculture. Here are a few:

https://www.thepollinators.net/

https://www.biggestlittlefarmmovie.com/

https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/

https://www.sacredcow.info/about-the-film

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml, >40ng/ml arguably better.
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
  11. Drink water filtered through a high quality system that eliminates most environmental toxins. (Such as a Berkey or reverse osmosis filter)
  12. HEPA filters or the home-made version (Corsi-Rosenthal box) used in your home or workplace can reduce circulating viral load by 80%. This works for any respiratory virus transmitted by aerosol and this winter we have the triple threat of RSV, Influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. It also decreases indoor air pollution.
  13. If you are eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with a few jabs. Age > 50 and/or risk factors (Diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, COPD, asthma, cancer treatment, immune suppression) suggests benefit from a booster. Risk for complications of boosters in adolescents, especially males, without risk factors, may equal benefit. Previous infection with Covid can be considered as protective as a booster. Discuss risk vs benefits with your doctor.

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

The argument for cattle grazing and meat consumption: COP27

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The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP27, is the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference and is being held from 6 November until 18 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The summit presented an opportunity for nutritionist and healthy food advocate Diana Rogers to offer an alternative to the false narrative so prevalent today regarding beef, global warming, and nutrition.

The false narrative states that methane released by raising cattle is a major contributor to global warming and meat is unhealthy. This narrative diverts attention from the real source of global warming, fossil fuels. Importantly this narrative ignores the importance of meat consumption for human health as well the importance of ruminant grazing for soil regeneration as well as economic and food stability for many poor people. Lastly it ignores the contribution of properly raised cattle, lamb and other animal food sources to carbon sequestration.

By most estimates, the number of ruminants roaming our plains and forests before the industrial era was equal to the number of wild and domestic ruminants in the US today.

Global warming was not a problem before industrialization. This simple fact should belie the false narrative.

Diana Rogers has been a champion for honest science in this debate. She is the only nutritionist to present information at the conference. She has recently posted on twitter the slides presented at the global COP27.

Here are some of her slides that speak for themselves.

Well managed cattle when raised in an integrative fashion with crops in a process called regenerative agriculture:

  • sequester carbon
  • regenerate soils
  • provide high quality nutrition to an increasingly diseased and nutrient deficient population
  • Reduce the need for fossil fuels and fossil-based fertilizer, providing natural fertizlizer

Mono-agriculture, which predominates US farmland (90%)

  • destroys soil, killing essential microbes and converting soil to dirt
  • converts cropland to desert contributing to air pollution (dust storms), soil erosion and floods
  • releases carbon into the atmosphere during tillage
  • utilizes Roundup-ready crops that are sprayed with roundup before harvest (carcinogenic, endocrine disruptor which contaminates our food and water)
  • consumes large amounts of fossil fuel and fossil-based fertilizer creating a large carbon footprint.
  • Kills more innocent bystander animals directly (during tillage, planting, and harvest) and indirectly (habitat destruction), then the number of animals slaughtered for human consumption (are cattle more worthy of protection than rabbits, squirrels, mice, birds, snakes etc., all of which are killed by mono-agriculture practices?)
  • Depletes our soil, and therefore our food, of nutrients, reducing the nutrient content of vegetables and fruits. (example: 8 oranges today have the same nutrients as 1 orange 100 years ago)

Animal protein offers twice the bioavailability of plant protein.

Malnutrition is rampant throughout the world.

This affects health, brain development and educational achievement.

Livestock contribute to food security.

It is time for the narrative about eating and raising animal sources of protein to change. We need to produce rather than destroy soil, enhance rather than degrade the nutrient value of crops, sequester rather than release carbon, utilize ruminant waste for fertilizer instead of fossil based fertilizer, and provide our children and adults with nutrient dense healthy food that includes animal sources of protein.

The cow-methane narrative ignores much of science and diverts our attention from the source of global warming, the burning of fossil fuels.

To learn more about this topic visit the Global Food Justice Alliance

The Global Food Justice Alliance advocates for the right of all people to choose nutrient-dense foods such as meat, milk, and eggs, which are critical for nutritious, environmentally sustainable, and equitable food systems that can sustain both human life and the planet.

Here are some of the bullet points from Diana Rogers’ presentation at COP27

  • Many are claiming meat is unhealthy, unsustainable, unnecessary and unethical, but are these claims justified? Are we looking at livestock agriculture in a holistic way? What strong evidence do we have to prove this?
  • Or are policymakers and others pushing for the removal or dramatic reduction in livestock suffering from “carbon tunnel vision”? Are they failing to account for the value meat plays to human health, rural economies, and overall ecosystem function?
  • Worldwide, 1 in 2 children and 2 in 3 women have at least one micronutrient deficiency, wreaking havoc on immune systems, hindering growth and development, and limiting human potential.
  • These deficiencies are not limited to low- and middle-income countries. Iron deficiency alone impacts 1 in 5 women in the US, where we’re told to eat less meat, which is the best source of iron.
  • The leading micronutrient deficiencies are: iron, zinc, folate, vitamin A, vitamin D, and B12. As many as 40% of children and 70% of women have multiple deficiencies at the same time. Animal-sourced foods are the only or best source of all those above except folate (which is found in liver, but plant-based foods like lentils are also a good source).
  • If we are to discuss a “climate friendly diet”, we need to consider not just “emissions” but the nutritional value of the food per serving (not per calorie), because a further shift away from meat will do more harm, especially to women and children.
  • The evidence against meat for health reasons is based on shaky science. There are no experimental studies showing meat causes harm, only associations, but we know typical meat eaters also tend to partake in other unhealthy behaviors like smoking and drinking. When accounting for these factors, red meat has not been found to cause ill health.
  • When it comes to processed meat, the science is also not significant. Your overall risk of getting colon cancer is 5.6% and eating 5 slices of bacon every single day for your whole life would raise your risk to 6.6%. This is not statistically significant. However, the media reports this as a 20% increase, which is misleading to consumers.
  • We only have one experimental study looking at meat vs. less meat, which was done in Kenyan school children. It proved that adding meat increased their academic scores, their physical ability, and their behavior.
  • Because livestock can “up-cycle” nutrient poor food (food scraps, waste from the plant-protein industry, and grains) into protein, iron, B12, and other critical nutrients, they are a net win for our food system.
  • Livestock are less susceptible to drought or extreme weather.
  • 12% of the world’s population rely solely on livestock for their livelihood.
  • Women in ½ the countries worldwide are unable to own land, but in many cases, they can own livestock, improving gender equality and household nutrition.
  • Plus, most of our agricultural land is too dry, brittle, or rocky to crop, but livestock thrive on this marginal land.
  • Food choice is a privilege. Those with the means to push away nutritious food like meat should not be creating policies limiting access to nutrients in meat, which is also a culturally appropriate food to most. This is moral and cultural imperialism.
  • We need a lot more recognition that livestock can provide critical ecosystem function and micronutrients.

Check out the work of Diana Rogers

info@sacredcow.info
sustainabledish.com

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml, >40ng/ml arguably better.
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
  11. Drink water filtered through a high quality system that eliminates most environmental toxins. (Such as a Berkey or reverse osmosis filter)
  12. HEPA filters or the home-made version (Corsi-Rosenthal box) used in your home or workplace can reduce circulating viral load by 80%. This works for any respiratory virus transmitted by aerosol and this winter we have the triple threat of RSV, Influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. It also decreases indoor air pollution.
  13. If you are eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with a few jabs. Age > 50 and/or risk factors (Diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, COPD, asthma, cancer treatment, immune suppression) suggests benefit from a booster. Risk for complications of boosters in adolescents, especially males, without risk factors, may equal benefit. Previous infection with Covid can be considered as protective as a booster. Discuss risk vs benefits with your doctor.

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

Why Do We Not have HEPA filters or Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes in every US Classroom, COVID ward, home and Business?

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SARS CoV-2 virus is spread by aerosols. These aerosols contain many viruses carried in a tiny amount of liquid from a person’s mouth and nose as they breath, talk, sing, or yell. Yelling, singing, coughing, sneezing produce more aerosol than breathing. Risk of transmission in a room depends on duration of exposure (time in the room), amount of ventilation, # of individuals carrying the virus present and their activity . A 5 micron aerosol can stay suspended in air for 30 minutes indoors.

HEPA filters (High Efficiency Powered Air-filters) can dramatically reduce the number of aerosols in a room. This includes not only virus carrying aerosols but also small particulate pollutants, both of which impact the health and safety of children and adults in classrooms, meeting rooms and businesses.

HEPA filters range in price from $150 to $800 or more depending on quality, efficiency and how quiet they run. They have been tested in classrooms and hospitals.

In the hospital setting they have dramatically decreased COVID Virus.

To determine how the filters stand up to real-world conditions, Navapurkar and his co-authors installed them in two fully occupied COVID-19 wards — a general ward and an ICU. The team chose high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which blow air through a fine mesh that catches extremely small particles. The researchers collected air samples from the wards during a week when the air filters were switched on and two weeks when they were turned off.

In the general ward, the team found SARS-CoV-2 particles in the air when the filter was off but not when it was on. Surprisingly, the team didn’t find many viral particles in the air of the ICU ward, even when the filter there was off. The authors suggest several possible reasons for this, including slower viral replication at later stages of the disease3. As a result, the team says that measures to remove the virus from the air might be more important in general wards than in ICUs.

You can read the article here.

An Engineering professor and Dean at UC Davis, Richard Corsi, tweeted the design of an inexpensive homemade air filter providing the equivalent aerosol clearing capacity as an expensive manufactured HEPA filter. A colleague in Texas built one with simple components from a hardware store. The result was called the Corsi-Rosenthal box.

Made with four MERV 13 Airfilters, a box fan , duct tape and cardboard.

Dr. Corsi is an expert in the engineering of HVAC systems. He has researched methods to improve indoor air quality and published many scientific studies involving the interaction between pollutants and indoor materials. He estimates that the cost of a home-made Corsi-Rosenthal box is $4.50 per year per student to build and run based on average class size in the US. These are easily made with simple components and instructions available on-line. In fact if you search YouTube you will find many short videos on how to build these in 20 minutes. Their construction and use could easily be a classroom activity.

Professor Corsi was interviewed on the People’s Pharmacy radio show.

Here is a picture of the Corsi-Rosenthal box from Wikipedia:

One box can help to improve the air quality in an average size classroom, offering the equivalent of 7 to 8 air changes an hour.

These boxes would not only benefit health by decreasing circulating virus containing aerosols but also filtering out indoor pollutants that come from latex paint, carpet fibers, cleaning chemicals, air fresheners, fire retardants on furniture and clothing, which all release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause lung damage, increase risk of asthma and autoimmune disease. So why have these not been widely used in our schools, homes, and businesses?

Why has the CDC not recommended this simple and inexpensive highly effective risk reduction approach? If widely implemented soon after Drs. Corsi and Rosenthal invented and advocated it’s use, it would have prevented many infections and allayed some of the fear and anxiety of teachers, students and parents. As the flu season approaches, and with the added risk of a triple threat presented by RSV, Influenza, and Covid, all transmitted by aerosol, now would be a great time to build some for your home, business, office or your chidren’s school classrooms.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml, >40ng/ml arguably better.
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
  11. Drink water filtered through a high quality system that eliminates most environmental toxins.
  12. If you are eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with a few jabs. Age > 50 and/or risk factors (Diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, COPD, asthma, cancer treatment, immune suppression) suggests benefit from a booster. Risk for complications of boosters in adolescents, especially males, without risk factors, may equal benefit. Previous infection with Covid can be considered as protective as a booster. Discuss risk vs benefits with your doctor.

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

Global Food Justice Alliance

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My friend Diana Rogers, started the Global Food Justice Alliance. This organization brings unbiased science to the discussion of meat consumption as it relates to health AND the environment. As discussed previously (see regenerative agriculture posts), properly raised ruminants (beef, pork, lamb, etc.) are ecologically sound, help create soil and fight climate change, and provide important nutrient dense food for people of all ages. The anti-meat narrative in popular media presents a false and dangerous position that threatens our environment, soil conversation/creation, and health.

For more information go here:

Regenerative sustainable agriculture (depicted on the right) , minimizes use of fossil fuel and fossil oil based fertilizer. Instead it utilizes ruminant animal waste for fertilizer, creates living soil and biologic diversity. Mono-agriculture depicted on the left, destroys soil, depletes nutrients in food, contaminates our food with pesticides, creates downstream runoff environmental degradation, and contributes to climate change. The documentary “Kiss the Ground” documents these important concerns.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml, >40ng/ml arguably better.
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
  11. Drink water filtered through a high quality system that eliminates most environmental toxins.
  12. If you are eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with a few jabs. Age > 50 and/or risk factors means clear benefit from a booster.

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

Red Meat and Health, another round of nonsense

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Again, another biased article claims to demonstrate the dangers of red meat. There are so many problems with the author’s analysis and conclusions it is hard to know where to begin. Rather than go through the nitty gritty here, just head on over to this analysis to read another debunking of the same litany of bad science.

https://www.globalfoodjustice.org/nutrition/does-the-global-meat-trade-lead-to-poor-health

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml. (read this Open Letter)
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
  11. If you are eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with a few jabs.

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

Red Meat: Good or Bad?

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There remains a strong bias against the consumption of red meat in published dietary guidelines. The evidence supporting claims of increased risk of cancer or heart disease remains very weak and suggests at most a 1% absolute risk increase based on very weak evidence. Significant factors are almost universally ignored in the analysis. These include:

1. Use of hormones in raising animals

2. Grass fed and grass finished vs grain fed- feedlot fattened animals

3. Use of antibiotics

4. Methods of cooking

5. Processed-refined meats with added sugars/preservatives vs fresh or frozen unprocessed meats.

6. Confounding factors such as smoking, exercise, and other lifestyle factors

7. Poor accuracy of dietary questionnaires

8. Poor study design.

9. Residual pesticides in animals passed through feedlots.

These considerations are all important in determining the health benefits of consuming animal fat and protein. The 1% absolute risk increase discussed above relates to consuming meat raised in the typical US fashion. That includes the regular use of hormones, antibiotics, and feedlot conditions. Feedlot conditions dramatically change the fatty acid content of beef to a less healthy mix. I do not consume meat that passed through feedlots.

Prior to WWII, meat and poultry were raised without hormones, without antibiotics. They were pastured and free range. Ruminants ate grasses not grains, which cause gastro-intestinal problems in ruminants. Poultry ate bugs, grass, seeds in an open air environment. Crowded disease causing conditions were not prevalent in animal husbandry. Today things are different and one would be wise to make their consumption choices speak for healthier sources of animal protein and fat.

I have always advocated for avoiding animal foods raised with indiscriminate use of antibiotics and hormones, animals raised in crowded unsanitary conditions, ruminants (beef, lamb) fed grains, etc.

But beyond those considerations, unprocessed red meat provides an abundance of important nutrients vital to health.

A discussion of the bias that underlies many dietary guidelines is covered in a brief and informative video:

I have previously discussed the false narrative about environmental concerns related to beef, recommending the book and documentary by the same name, SACRED COW.

You can read that here.

Dr. Georgia Ede addresses the issue of red meat in many of her talks. Here is one.

She has also posted a discussion of brain health and animal fat.

And she has debunked the concept that meat causes cancer.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml. (read this Open Letter)
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)
  11. If you are over age 12 and eligible for vaccination, consider protecting yourself and your neighbor with vaccination.

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

COVID-19 UPDATE: Masks, social distancing much more important than cleaning surfaces.

2 Replies

Today’s update from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security:

An editorial published in Nature discusses the need to shift focus away from surface decontamination as a mechanism to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk. Multiple studies have found that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via contaminated surfaces, or fomites, is relatively rare compared to respiratory transmission via droplets or aerosols. Despite the evidence supporting respiratory exposure as the overwhelming driver of community transmission, numerous public health entities, including the WHO and US CDC, continue to emphasize the importance of surface decontamination, which can cause confusion among the public regarding transmission risk and appropriate protective measures. Notably, surface decontamination efforts, while highly visible and easy to recognize, are costly and likely not effective means of reducing transmission risk. The editorial calls for increased focus on improving ventilation and air filtration capacity to reduce respiratory exposure. Additionally, proper physical distancing and face mask use remain key tools in mitigating exposure and transmission risk for individuals.

The key to reducing the risk of symptomatic infection, especially moderate to severe illness and death appears to be vaccination.

While vaccination clearly reduces the risk of severe illness and death, we do not yet know whether or how much vaccination reduces the risk of carrying and transmitting the virus. So even after vaccination, an asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic person can still transmit the disease to others.

50-60% of viral transmission appears to be from asymptomatic individuals. So wearing a mask, social distancing, and avoiding unventilated crowded indoor spaces remains extremely important.

DOUBLE MASKING IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN SINGLE MASKS.

A TRIPLE LAYER MASK OF TIGHTLY WOVEN FABRIC IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN a SINGLE OR DOUBLE LAYER MASK.

N95 MASKS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE BUT THEY MUST FIT THE FACE WITH A TIGHT, SNUG FIT. 

TO IMRPOVE THE BARRIER FUNCTION OF MASKS WEAR A SNUG FABRIC MASK OVER A SURGICAL MASK OR OVER AN N-95. THIS WILL PROTECT BOTH THE WEARER AND THOSE AROUND THE WEARER. The fabric mask over a surgical or N-95 mask provides two mechanisms of protection. It adds an extra layer and it provides for a tighter fit of the underlying mask.

Doctors and nurses in hospitals and clinics often wear a surgical mask over an N-95. 

Face shields do not protect you or those around you from infection. Face shields and goggles (more so) likely decrease the risk of infection transmitted from aerosols that hit your eyes but do nothing for the most important mechanism of spread, breathing aerosols or droplets into your nose. Aerosols spread around a face shield into your nose. 

Think about smelling the pleasant odors of food cooking in a kitchen. Face shields will not block those aerosolized food vapors from entering your nose, but tightly fitting masks will do it to some degree.

SARS-CoV-2 virus is at least 10 times more lethal than an “average” case of influenza. Newer circulating variants have mutations that have probably increased the mortality rate.

SARS-CoV-2 is at least 10 times more easily transmitted compared to most respiratory viruses. Newer circulating variants have definitely increased ease of transmission by at least 30%. As a result, herd immunity will likely require 85-90% vaccination of a given population.

10 times 10 equals 100 TIMES MORE SERIOUS.

In addition, compared to other respiratory viruses, this virus will more frequently cause long lasting or even permanent damage and disability involving one or more organs (heart, lung, kidney, brain). Long-COVID can occur following minimally symptomatic illness and even after asymptomatic illness.

This virus is unique in that TRANSMISSION OCCURS MOST FREQUENTLY FROM ASSYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS.

This occurs for two reasons.

1. Unlike most other respiratory viruses, there is a long time from the onset of when a person becomes infectious to when they become symptomatic. (an average of 5 days)

2. Some individuals never develop symptoms but are still highly infectious for up to 2 weeks.

Restaurants, bars, churches, meeting rooms, cafeterias, parties in closed spaces are situations for SUPERSPREADER EVENTS. An this includes SUPER BOWL PARTIES.

Studies in hospitals show that transmission to health care workers occurs most frequently in the cafeteria and in meeting rooms, not at the bedside where providers are wearing PPE.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml. (read this Open Letter)
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

Vitamin D for All, the time is right

2 Replies

On Dec 7, 2020 a group of more than 100 scientists signed a letter recommending that governmental agencies and major medical organizations endorse their recommendation for universal Vitamin D supplementation at adequate doses in order to decrease the risk of COVID-19 infection and death.

https://vitamindforall.org/letter.html

The letter cites multiple converging sources of data from several studies that should no longer be ignored.

“To all governments, public health officials, doctors, and healthcare workers,
[Residents of the USA: Text “VitaminDforAll” to 50409 to send this to your state’s governor.]
Research shows low vitamin D levels almost certainly promote COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Given its safety, we call for immediate widespread increased vitamin D intakes .
Vitamin D modulates thousands of genes and many aspects of immune function, both innate and adaptive. The scientific evidence shows that:
● Higher vitamin D blood levels are associated with lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
● Higher D levels are associated with lower risk of a severe case (hospitalization, ICU, or death).
● Intervention studies (including RCTs) indicate that vitamin D can be a very effective treatment.
● Many papers reveal several biological mechanisms by which vitamin D influences COVID-19.
● Causal inference modelling, Hill’s criteria, the intervention studies & the biological mechanisms indicate that vitamin D’s influence on COVID-19 is very likely causal , not just correlation.“

I have previously discussed the relationship between low Vitamin D levels and COVID-19 infection.

https://practical-evolutionary-health.com/2020/05/02/covid-19-link-to-vitamin-d-status-should-doctors-prescribe-sunshine/

Since that post several more studies have been published strengthening the evidence that low levels of Vitamin D are not only ASSOCIATED with increased risk of infection, severe illness and death from COVID-19, but that this relationship is CAUSATIVE.

80% of patients requiring ICU care for COVID-19 infection have low vitamin D levels (25-OH Vitamin D levels less than 30 ng/ml)

“The data strongly suggests that vitamin D is the safest, easiest, and most important anti-pandemic measure the world is failing to prioritize,” says Karl Pfleger, Ph.D., biotech investor, former Google data scientist, and one of the organizers of VitaminDforAll.org.

More than 80 percent of COVID-19 patients are deficient in Vitamin D, studies show.

But how much vitamin D should an adult take and in what form?

As discussed in the letter, 3875 IU (97 micrograms) of Vitamin D3 daily is required for 97.5% of adults to reach a level of 20 ng/ml. 6200 IU (155 mcg) are required for 97.5% of adults to reach a level of 30 ng/ml. These doses far exceed the RDA (minimum daily requirement) necessary to prevent rickets.

On a sunny day, not too far from the equator, adult humans are capable of generating 10,000 units of vitamin D per day from the interaction of sunlight with skin. Human studies have demonstrated NO TOXICITY with daily supplementation of 10,000 units Vitamin D3 per day. Because of the risks of skin cancer, common use of sun block, distance from the equator, and a decrease in the ability of humans to make vitamin D from sunlight as we age, too many people have chronically low levels.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. On a given daily dose it takes about 3 months to reach a steady state (stable tissue levels).

The point of that open letter and similar letters which have been published in major medical journals is the following. There exists today enough data to support universal supplementation with safe doses of Vitamin D3, well above the RDA, in order to decrease the risk of COVID-19 infection, risk of severe illness, and risk of death with the infection. Any further delay, waiting for more data is senseless. The risk benefit calculation based on present data is a “no-brainer”.

My wife and I have been supplementing with 4000 IU per day. Fauci is reported to be taking 6000 IU per day. We take it with food in order to maximize absorption. Our levels have been measured. Our levels are >30 ng/ml, <40 ng/ml on this dose. These are protective levels.

The amount of supplementation necessary to achieve these levels varies from person to person, season to season, and varies with distance from the equator. Some individuals will require less, some more to achieve levels above 30 ng/ml. But adults can safely take the daily amount recommended in VitaminDforall, http://HTML version.

The suggested protocol for those not already receiving the recommended intake is 10,000 IU (250mcg) daily for 2-3 weeks (or until achieving 30ng/ml if undergoing testing), followed by taking 2000-4000 IU daily thereafter.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels. Supplement with Vitamin D3 to get your levels above 30 ng/ml. (read this Open Letter)
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

COVID-19 and Death Certificates, Trumps Allegations

1 Reply

Trump has recently accused doctors of falsifying death certificates for financial gain. Let’s be clear.

  1. If a patient is hospitalized with viral pneumonia and dies, the cause of death has ALWAYS been listed as the viral pneumonia, no matter what complications occurred, no matter what the pre-existing conditions were. Viral pneumonia can cause heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, multiple organ failure but the proper cause of death to be listed is the initial presenting causative agent.
  2. Doctor’s caring for COVID-19 patients in the hospital do not get paid more because of the diagnosis. Hospitals may get extra payment because of the pandemic circumstances, doctors do not. Recently the AMA has recommended additional payment to OFFICE PRACTICES for the extra expense of COVID-19 precautions. This does not impact hospital doctor payment.
  3. Death is not the only bad outcome. “Long COVID” is a state of persistent symptoms and disability that can occur even after mild illness not requiring hospitalization. Post viral syndromes such as this have long been recognized and can last a lifetime. Consequences can include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, chronic fatigue, heart failure, kidney failure, chronic pain to name a few. A recent study from Germany demonstrated MYOCARDITIS (chronic heart inflammation) in 70% of patients “recovered” from COVID-19. 80% of those patients were not hospitalized. We do not yet know the extent of long term morbidity caused by this virus. Viral Myocarditis is a common cause of cardiomyopathy that can lead to heart transplant, shortened life, and decreased quality of life.
  4. Misleading and untruthful statements that downplay the serious nature of this pandemic, especially by national leadership, cause great harm to our nation, bringing unnecessary death, suffering, and economic ruin. Such lies result in many people defying necessary and effective public health measures such as wearing masks, washing hands, social distancing.
  5. In any pandemic public health recommendations change as more information becomes available. This is to be expected. Trump has dangerously and tragically criticized our public health leaders for changing recommendations as new information and new circumstances have evolved.
  6. The greatest nation in the world still has not implemented an adequate TEST-TRACE-ISOLATE infrastructure. Our testing is inadequate, takes too long, has too many false positives and false negatives. Similarly, tracing and isolating are not widely and effectively implemented. This requires NATIONAL COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP. It also requires that all Americans take this seriously. Trumps denial of the truth has led many Americans to disregard the necessary steps to safely reopen our economy.
  7. By now business shut downs and severe restrictions would be unnecessary if America had instituted early and effective TEST-TRACE-ISOLATE. By now, our economy would be out of trouble. Instead lies, deceit, and incompetence has led to unnecessary death, suffering, chronic illness, and economic disaster.
  8. Even after a vaccine is available, MASKS, HAND WASHING, SOCIAL DISTANCE, will still be necessary for a long time.

The Republican leadership has consistently failed to call out TRUMP on this issue and many others. The Republican leaders have failed to fulfill their sworn duty to protect our citizens from harm and instead placed party over country. This deplorable behavior threatens Balance of Power and Democracy itself.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels.
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob

Soil vs Dirt, our future depends on REGENERATIVE FARMING AND RANCHING.

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If we continue to grow crops and raise animals the way we presently do, our topsoil will be gone in 20 years! There will be another dustbowl but this time it will be NATIONWIDE.

Shocking? Yes.

Fake news? NO.

Watch this 2.5 minute trailer to understand the scope of this problem and the simple proven solution that will not only lead to carbon sequestration in the ground but will create soil and improve the profitability of farming and ranching.

Watch this movie to understand why we must create soil with regenerative farming and ranching.

When we destroy soil and turn it into dirt we release CO2 into the atmostphere.

When we create living soil, returning insects, microbes, viruses, worms, fungi and water to their proper ecosystem role, we capture CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester it in the newly created soil through the crops. Moving CO2 from air to plant to soil through the roots, that is the path to saving out planet and providing for world-wide food security.

Biosequestration is the process of using plants, trees, and techniques of farming and raising animals, to capture carbon and store it in the soil. Restoration of grasslands along with regenerative agriculture can accomplish this much quicker and with greater return on investment than planting trees. Of course restoring forests should also be part of a global effort to save our planet from destruction. But the quickest, most efficient way to solve multiple problems at once is to convert present day mono-agriculture system that destroys soil releasing CO2 into the air with the opposite and more profitable system of regenerative agriculture and ranching.

But what about eating meat and raising cattle? We have heard that is bad for the planet. THE SCIENCE SAYS OTHERWISE.

You can watch this BRIEF TRAILER:

That is the science.

Plants capture CO2 and put it back into the soil. Plants and soil capture and sequester rain water as well as CO2, further preventing erosion and runoff. But to create soil we need ruminant animal poop!!!!!!!!!!!

Regenerative agriculture and ranching avoids fossil-fuel based fertilizer and toxic chemicals and uses instead manure from grazing animals to fertilize crops and convert dirt into living soil. This process creates life and habitat for numerous species of animals, plants, microbes etc.

This is a win-win scenario.

What stands in the way?

Ignorance, habit, and Federal subsidy of corn, wheat, soy.

Most (>90%) of the (subsidized) grains grown in the US go into feeding cattle and pigs which are raised on factory farms. After grazing naturally during their early life, most cattle are then moved onto feedlots to be fed GMO glyphosate-resistant grains which degrade the quality of their fat and protein and transfer toxic glyphosate from grain to animal. Those cattle stand in their own excrement and require antibiotics to fend off the inevitable infections that come with feedlot conditions.

The pigs live their lives in a warehouse standing on grated floors dropping their excrement into methane producing lakes of pig poop which overflow into streams and rivers when heavy rains fall.

Antibiotic resistant organisms are created in our feed lots and contribute to our epidemic of antibiotic resistant infections in humans.

But it need not be that way.

After viewing the trailers linked above, watch the movies KISS THE GROUND (already released and available on Netflix) and Sacred Cow (soon to be released) you will learn the path to recovering the health of our planet and the health of our human population.

If you still do not believe this narrative or want to dive deeply into the science, read the book:

Filled with scientific references.

Visit the http://The Carbon Underground and read their decisive scientific review:

https://regenerationinternational.org/2020/09/28/regenerative-agriculture-and-the-soil-carbon-solution-new-paper-outlines-vision-for-climate-action/

The full PDF for a deep science dive is here:

Regenerative Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution

“Data from farming and grazing studies show the power of exemplary regenerative systems that, if achieved globally, would drawdown more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions.”

That is a very bold but hopeful statement, backed by solid science. It will improve the bottom line for farmers and ranchers by increasing production per acre with non-toxic, soil producing simple farmer’s almanac based technology already being practiced and proven today.

“Actual yields in well-designed regenerative organic systems, rather than agglomerated averages, have been shown to outcompete conventional yields for almost all food crops including corn, wheat, rice, soybean, and sunflower.”

A good short read on the topic can be found here:

Desertification is turning the Earth barren – but a solution is still within reach by David R Montgomery. 

Finally, the scoop on methane produced by cattle and the difference between that and fossil fuel generated CO2 is discussed in this very brief animation.

How can livestock be a part of the climate solution? The natural carbon cycle explained. Often missed in climate change discussions is the natural carbon cycle. There’s a huge difference between fossil fuel carbon emissions and methane from cattle. Perhaps short animations like this will help change the narrative around meat.

In the context of the COVID 19 pandemic I will close with the usual summary.

  1. Avoid alcohol consumption (alcohol wreaks havoc with your immunity)
  2. Get plenty of sleep (without adequate sleep your immune system does not work well )
  3. Follow good sleep habits
  4. Exercise, especially out of doors in a green space, supports the immune system
  5. Get some sunshine and make sure you have adequate Vitamin D levels.
  6. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet rich in micronutrients.
  7. Practice stress reduction like meditation and yoga which improves the immune system
  8. Eliminate sugar-added foods and beverages from your diet. These increase inflammation, cause metabolic dysfunction, and suppress immunity.
  9. Eliminate refined-inflammatory “vegetable oils” from your diet, instead eat healthy fat.
  10. Clean up your home environment and minimize your family’s exposure to environmental toxins by following recommendations at EWG.org with regards to household products, personal care products, and organic foods. (https://www.ewg.org/)

THIS WEBSITE PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. CONSULT YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Eat clean, drink filtered water, love, laugh, exercise outdoors in a greenspace, get some morning sunlight, block the blue light before bed, engage in meaningful work, find a sense of purpose, spend time with those you love, AND sleep well tonight.

Doctor Bob