Supercharge Your Cells to Fight the Virus: 2 Powerful Strategies

Week Three in a Series: Dr. Seeds on IMMUNE CONTROL

I’m back. Dr. Seeds here with some easy ways to strengthen your body’s immune system.

In case you missed week 1 and 2, I highly recommend starting there!

Week 1: Immune System Up-regulation – Repair

Week 2: Immune System Up-regulation – Reboot

In This Article:

• • Strategy 1: High-Dose Vitamin C to the Rescue
  • Strategy 2: Spike Your Water

 

How to Supercharge Your Cells to Fight the Virus

Last week, I shared four steps to improve your resistance to viral infection and any other virus, cold or flu that might come your way:

• Replace probiotics with prebiotics
• Include collagen peptides
• Combine D3 with K2 supplements
• Discover Black Aged Garlic

This week you’re going to focus on two essential strategies to help your cells become more efficient. Remember, cell efficiency is the end-game when it comes to building a powerful immune system. When your cells are efficient, they make better choices, they work faster and better. It’s that simple. Our immune systems are set up to go after viruses, but your cells have to be working well to do their job. That’s what cell efficiency is all about.

Strategy 1: High-Dose Vitamin C to the Rescue

We’ve all been told to take extra Vitamin C when we have a cold. Do you know why? First, Vitamin C is one of the very few vitamins that our bodies do not produce on their own, which means we need to add it. Second, Vitamin C acts like a scavenger, seeking out electrons involved in your anti-oxidant system (remember, anti-oxidants are part of your immune system’s first line of defense against free radicals and other “bad” cells).

And even more importantly, when you’re sick with a virus, and your immune cells (T-Reg cells and macrophages, for example) are on the front lines battling, they will get tired, overworked, and lose their efficiency. Which means you need to replenish what these cells need. This is where Vitamin C comes in. When you take high doses of Vitamin C, you assist the building blocks of cells (the mitochondria) to turn on and become more active. In this way, Vitamin C acts like a “co-factor” or helping agent that makes other reactions work against inflammation brought on by exposure to a virus or flu.

Many studies have shown the importance of Vitamin C in helping to support our immune system by making cells more efficient and aiding in gene regulation. When any one part of our body is under attack — for instance the lining of our respiratory system where an infection is doing most of its damage — you can take real steps to amp up your body’s use of Vitamin C. High doses of Vitamin C can not only offset symptoms but also protect against dangerous inflammation. This particular study shows how Vitamin C increases the production of Nitric Oxide, which in turn helps to promote healthy endothelial cells, which are so important to our immune system’s overall health. Another study shows how you can take Vitamin C prophylactically — that is, even if you’re not sick — to protect against infection.

My Advice: Supplement Vitamin C

I suggest taking Liposomal Vitamin C which usually comes in 1000mg packets. I use this daily for supplementation and if symptoms occur, such as sore throat, cough, fever, malaise, or body aches, I then have people take up to 4 packets daily, every 2- 3 hrs until they feel better or notice improvement. After symptoms go away, start again taking 1 packet or 1000 mg daily.

Sidebar: Foods High in Vitamin C

It never hurts to get your vitamin C from the foods that you eat! Here is a list of foods high in Vitamin C:

VERY HIGH in Vitamin C

• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Collard greens
• Horseradish
• Kale
• Parsley
• Red and green peppers

HIGH in Vitamin C

• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chives
• Orange pulp
• Lemon pulp
• Beet greens
• Papaya
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Watercress

FAIRLY HIGH in Vitamin C

• Asparagus
• Grapes
• Melons
• Okra
• Potatoes
• Tangerines
• Turnips

 

Strategy 2: Spike Your Water

Another way to improve cell efficiency and support your immune system is to keep your body well hydrated. But what does that really mean? You can drink 8 glasses of water a day, which is always good to keep your metabolism moving and your energy up.

But by drinking even more water (up to a half-gallon) to which you’ve added amino acids, electrolytes, and a hint of lemon for taste, you create another huge benefit for your immunity.I call this my Amino Drink. This potent mixture recharges the body and the brain.

For my elite level athletes, it helps them recover faster after training. For my ortho patients, this drink helps them heal more quickly. And now, my Amino Drink keeps the liver performing optimally so that it can fight infection and shorten the length of illness.

Cell Swelling Can Be A Good Thing

Scientists talk about cell osmolarity — which is the technical way of describing cell swelling. When your cells swell in response to sufficient water intake, they not only flush your system, they give the chance for the cells of the liver to restore and regenerate.

One of the primary functions of the liver is to get rid of toxins from the body. And like any organ, if the liver gets tired from over-use, it needs some backup. When you give your cells super-hydration (water + amino acids + electrolytes) you decrease viral replication — meaning you stop a virus in its tracks.

A number of studies have shown how cell swelling improves overall health and cell efficiency. When the cells are stretched by this extra water, they are better able to utilize the accompanying amino acids, which in turn supplies the cells with important nutrition to stay active. Why not add this Amino Drink to your Immune Control arsenal?!

My Amino Drink Recipe

Here’s a quick and easy recipe:

1. Fill a half-gallon or gallon jug, over-sized water bottle, or other large container with purified water.
2. Then add:
   • One Scoop each of these four amino acids to create the best syneristic effect:
     • L-glycine -3 grams
     • L-Glutamine- 5 grams (slowly increase over a few weeks to 15-20 grams)
     • L-alanine -4 grams
     • Creatine- 5 grams (made up of methionine, arginine, and glycine)
3. A shot (¼ cup) of coconut water ( coconut water is a great, sweet-tasting electrolyte without added sugar!)
4. A squeeze of lemon for taste

I make a batch of my Amino Drink in the morning and sip on it all day. I encourage not only my patients and athletes to do the same, but all the folks that work in my clinic! But keep in mind that you can’t store this mixture in the refrigerator for the next day because the amino acids will degrade.

And don’t forget my other Immune Control tips:

1. Eat a balanced diet, low in processed foods and high in fiber. In other words, bring on the veggies!
2. Include ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 8-ounce glass of water to create Ph balance in your gut — during flu season, you will want to drink this mixture 3 times a day.
3. Replace Probiotics with prebiotics
4. Include collagen peptides
5. Add Aged Black Garlic as a supplement
6. Take Vitamin D3 + K2