If there’s one thing we need to learn through this pandemic, it’s that the virus is not our real enemy – a weak immune system is.

Like you, I’ve been sheltering in place with my loved ones for more than a month now. I’ve read everything I can get my hands on about this virus and have stayed up to date on the new research that’s unfolding right before our eyes. What a rollercoaster! One day, we’re being told about a miracle drug combination and the next day the NIH recommends against it. Well-respected medical experts are contradicting each other and we’re left feeling confused and vulnerable to an unseen foe.

You see, the message I’m hearing the loudest out of all of this is one I’ve been sending for more than 4 decades now – medicine should be our last resort, NOT our first line of defense. What I love about nutrition and holistic health – and what makes it ideal for such a time as this – is that we focus on making our bodies so strong that they can overcome anything! No matter what the illness or disease is you’re facing – even during a pandemic – there is always someone who has triumphed over it and come out healthier on the other side.

James Templeton, founder and CEO of UNI KEY Health Systems, overcame terminal cancer naturally more than 30 years ago. It’s thrilling to see how vibrantly healthy he continues to be. He has a powerful message in his book, I Used To Have Cancer, that is very relevant for today: a strong immune system is the cornerstone for maintaining your health – even when you’re being faced with a challenging disease. His daily nutritional supplement regimen includes high dose vitamin C, which I believe is a key reason he hasn’t even had a cold or flu in more than a decade.

Maximize Your Immunity

The lessons that people like James have learned through their battles with diseases like cancer are what will help us all not just survive but thrive through this pandemic. Taking control of your immune health includes eating a clean diet, exercising regularly, getting good quality sleep, tuning in to your emotional and spiritual needs, and supplementing with herbs and vitamins. If you already struggle with fatigue, digestive woes, immune issues like allergies, or chronic illness, then it’s important to find the root causes, detox, and rebuild.

This time at home presents us with a unique opportunity to invest time and energy into maximizing our immune health before we increase our risk of contact with the virus as social distancing is phased out. Social distancing was meant to slow the spread of the virus but doesn’t completely eradicate it. We simply must do everything we can to strengthen our immune systems now, before this Fall presents the challenge of influenza and more viral exposures overlapping for a greater challenge to our immune systems.

A healthy immune system defeats foreign invaders on its own – including viruses. It functions best when environmental toxins and exposures are minimized and detox pathways are open and functioning optimally. These concepts are the foundation for my Radical Metabolism plan, which focuses not only on eating a clean, nourishing, and detoxifying diet, but also on eliminating toxins in your environment and reducing inflammation in your body.

My Top 3 Indispensable Immunity Boosters

Once your diet and lifestyle are promoting health and fighting disease, the next step is to shore up your immunity with nutrients specific for the issues you’re facing. Several studies have been done to determine what makes this virus mild for some and life threatening for others. Nutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, selenium, iodine, and zinc have been studied for their antiviral effectiveness. Here are 3 key immune-boosting supplements:

1. High dose IV vitamin C is currently being studied for its effectiveness as a treatment for this viral infection and initial results are promising. In Michigan, Drs. Brownstein and Ng have included it as part of their antiviral protocol and are also reporting great success with it. Both oral and IV forms of Vitamin C have long been known to have antiviral effects by increasing the activity of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, while inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. I recommend supplementing with UNI KEY Health’s Time-C to keep levels consistently high throughout the day.
2. I cannot overstate the importance of vitamin D supplementation for your lung health and immunity. Your airways, bronchial tubes, and even the small air sacs called alveoli are lined with vitamin D receptors, responsible for several different immune functions designed to protect these delicate lung tissues. This is especially important over age 50, because alveoli lose some of their elasticity as we age, which results in a decreased ability to hold air and increases the risk of developing pneumonia and respiratory failure from viruses like influenza. Vitamin D also helps regulate T cells, which help us fight off viral infections and decline as we age.
3. Silver has a long history of antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral use. I recently wrote about the most effective form of silver I’ve found in this article. Silver Excelsior chelated silver oxide is available in a 4000ppm concentration, which is 15 times more concentrated than colloidal silver you can buy. This biocompatible silver is able to get inside cells right where viruses replicate. I dilute mine to the recommended 150ppm then use 8 drops in my sinus rinses and gargle with it at least once daily.

What steps are you taking to build greater immunity?