Thrive Service Announcement: COVID-19

With all the fear and anxiety going on, we want to share some mindful and stress relief advice regarding the COVID 19, Coronavirus.

All the doctors at Thrive would like to acknowledge the fact that yes, the Coronavirus is real, it is here, and we must take this seriously. We are taking all the necessary precautions and want you to as well.
The best defense at this point is a good offense. Meaning, take all necessary precautions as one would with any viral outbreak. From what we know so far is that this is an upper respiratory illness that is passed from droplets, saliva, mucus. So, washing your hands often for 20 seconds is very important. Cover your mouth and nose if you cough or sneeze. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Social distancing, keep six feet away from others if you can. No handshaking.
Make sure you stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, and sleep. Being outdoors is good for you (as long as you are not sick) with some light aerobic activity. Eat well with a non-inflammatory diet, reduce sugar and alcohol intake, and support the good gut bacteria (the microbiome with pro and prebiotics). Try adding some extra antioxidant supplements like Vitamin D, Vitamin C. You can add some herbs like echinacea, goldenseal. Elderberry extract and mushrooms have been shown to have antiviral activity.
Some of the most robust immunosuppressant activity comes from stress. We are now in a hyper-stress, anxiety, and fear state. Most of us are in an imbalanced state with our sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic state is what we term the fight, flight, and fear state. The parasympathetic is known as the rest, and digest state, where our bodies can relax more, and healing takes place. Some straightforward yet effective ways of reducing stress are simply with the breath. Deep belly or diaphragmatic breathing has been shown to increase our vagal tone and create more of a balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. It is known as the relaxation response. Mindfulness meditation and movement meditation, or what is known as Qi Gong can be very beneficial for relaxation and increasing our immune response.
Remember, we can only control what we can control. That is, be smart, be mindful of taking all the necessary precautions, and use common sense when it comes to not spreading germs. Reducing your stress is paramount to your overall health. Fear is based on anxiety, and anxiety tends to be based on the future of the unknown. Stay aware, be present with all you do, and practice good hygiene. Try adding some meditation for stress reduction and follow the video attached to help increase your overall immune system.
When it comes to adding supplements as mentioned above, make sure you check with your doctor if you are currently taking any other medications.
We wish for you and your family to be safe and to be healthy. We are all in this together, and we will come together to help in this health crisis.

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