Dr. Bean's Response to COVID-19
EXPOSURE & HOST HEALTH
It's interesting to look back in history to see where our beliefs and understanding of "sickness" and "health" come from.
Historically, there are two schools of thought that date back to the 1840's-50's and can best be described by looking at two major players in the medical field.
Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard - both from France, both top physicians of their time, and both lecturing at the same medical conferences and they have OPPOSING VIEWS.
EXPOSURE TO A PATHOGEN
Louis Pasteur, the inventor of pasteurization believed that whether you are sick or healthy is a direct relationship to exposure to a pathogen (bacteria, virus, etc...). According to this theory, the germ theory, there are germs outside of the body and if they get into the body they will create disease. To "be well" means to do whatever it takes to keep the "invader" from getting in, and if it does, you must kill the germ that made you sick. The germ theory falls in line with much of Western medicine where the idea is to combat the germs; kill them, avoid them, and attempt to outsmart them (drugs, surgery, vaccines, social distancing, masks, washing hands etc ..)
Rather than simply opposing this view, what would it be like to complement it with another important element that is just as important as doing our best to avoid exposure?
HOST HEALTH
Claude Bernard introduced the Terrain Theory in which the focus for good vs poor health is on one's own internal environment. According to Bernard good health is a direct relationship to cellular health. This means maintaining good nutrition, immune system health and detoxification capability. When you have a well-balanced "terrain" you become a bad host for pathogens. Germs thrive in an unbalanced, or sick, terrain. In essence, he believed that trying to control germs is like trying to control the wind, and due to the ubiquitous nature of microorganism's we are all continually exposed to them. Yet, there are countless examples of people who are exposed, but don't get sick. The emphasis here is to be a "bad host" by balancing: nutrition, pH, detoxification, and nervous system.
BE A BAD HOST!
As our world begins to open up again and shelter in place ordinance lifted I believe it is as important to continue to social distance, wash your hands, cover your face AND maintain good "internal" health so you are a "bad host" for the virus!
It's estimated that 25-50% of the people who are spreading coronavirus are completely asymptomatic. 81% of people who contract the virus will have mild to moderate symptoms. This is a BIG DEAL when we are facing a highly contagious virus.
When a virus enters the body it gets into your cells and basically shuts down the function of the cell and turns it into a self replicating factory then releases the newly created virus into the environment.
This is a process called Viral Shedding. The more virus you create, the more that is released into your environment and the more contagious you become. According the statistics above most people won't ever know that they are making and shedding and spreading the virus.
The coronavirus is known to be highly contagious, yet it is not indiscriminately fatal. Some experts say that many more people will contract the virus and never know they have it. This also means that people who contract the virus will shed more of the virus if their own immune system is less than capable of quickly controlling it.
Here are some things you can do TODAY to decrease your chances of having anything more than a mild/moderate reaction AND to help attenuate the spread of the virus IF you are someone who is exposed.
DON'T DEPLETE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
REDUCE YOUR CARBOHYDRATE CONSUMPTION!!
It is well known that the majority of people with poor outcomes are those with pre-existing conditions: diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure. The thing these conditions all have in common is poor metabolic health.
With or without a "preexisting condition" anyone with poor metabolic health has a dramatically reduced capacity to fight infection. Good vs poor metabolic health is determined by these 5 factors:
High Blood Glucose Levels
High Blood Pressure
High Body Fat Percentage
High Blood Triglyceride (fat) Levels
Low HDL ("good" cholesterol) Levels
Those 5 factors are directly associated with high carbohydrate diets and impaired immune function. The ability of the virus to spread unchecked has to do with: 1. the ability of the virus to enter the cell 2. the ability of the immune system to combat it.
Individuals with suboptimal levels of the 5 metrics above have more entries points for the virus and a decreased capacity for the immune system to recognize and destroy it.
Having a low carbohydrate diet and lifestyle is the quickest way to normalize your metabolic health and keep your immune system strong! For some people changing blood glucose levels can happen literally over night. The other 4 factors may take a little longer, but are still directly associated with your daily carbohydrate consumption.
If you are interested in knowing where you stand and making improvements in your metabolic health I'm happy to order these labs for you and make diet/lifestyle recommendations if needed.
BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
It is well understood that Chiropractic care will give your immune system a natural healthy boost.
This occurs by calming the "fight-or-flight" (sympathetic nervous system) response and turning up your capacity to fight infections.
You may have experienced this yourself, and it is well known that when people have high stress levels are more likely to get sick.
There is a DIRECT correlation with adjusting the joints of the spine and quieting down the stress response. So whether you want a natural immune system boost, or want to help calm your nerves, chiropractic care can help!!
Chiropractic care is most commonly known for the "popping and cracking" adjustment, and although I do provide this style for those who prefer it, I have a specialty in gentle, no force, corrective chiropractic care. A chiropractic adjustment can certainly be GENTLE and incredibly effective.