Note: this is part 3 of our series.
You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.
Our environment (The Terrain) has vast amounts of control over how well or how poorly we respond to a virus or anything else for that matter. We create a good environment by making sure that our bodies and minds have exactly what they need to function correctly - things like safety, shelter, connection with others, nutrient dense food, clean water, etc. If we consume healthy living food from living soil while also keeping up with the other daily practices that keep our immune systems strong, our bodies will have massive amounts of energy to keep us thriving and in our natural state of health. And, if we do get sick our bodies will be primed and ready with all the ingredients and energy to do what they do - detox, purge, upgrade, and carry on. If you are struggling with your weight or other health conditions or you are reliant on medications and want to rebuild from the inside out, there is no time like NOW to make better health and vitality a reality. There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming but if you need help with navigation and guidance, I am available to help you.
Good health gives us energy, clarity, and vibrancy. It gives us more patience, better stress response, and a stronger ability to handle the occasional cold or flu. But it requires both acquiring and maintaining — mentally, emotionally, and nutritionally.
A supportive diet avoids heavy loads of sugar, refined carbs, and artificial ingredients. (Sugar alone can reduce macrophage activity by 50% for five or more hours.) A good diet includes a wide variety of vegetables, fermented foods, quality proteins, healthy fats, some fruit, and herbs — covered in detail in Part 1.
However, even with a very clean diet, we can be deficient in key nutrients — especially if we eat non-local or conventional foods, or regularly consume sugar and refined flour. Environmental toxins deplete us further, and those chemicals are everywhere.
Below are my top supplement recommendations for a strong, resilient immune system — with the why, the how, and practical dosing information.
Did you know the the US ranks #37th in the world in health?... A pathetic ranking!
Vitamin D
An estimated 75% of teens and adults are deficient in this essential vitamin. A recent study found that optimizing vitamin D levels could reduce the risk of severe complications from Covid by 90% and the risk of dying from it by 96%.
Vitamin D is complex and multi-functional — it's a main hormone precursor (along with cholesterol) and plays a key role in many systems throughout the body. For the immune system specifically, it produces proteins called Defensins that reside on our cell walls and defend against bacterial and viral infiltration. Less Vitamin D means greater vulnerability.
Low vitamin D has also been correlated with viral replication, seasonal flu severity, and acute respiratory tract infections — increasing your levels can slash respiratory infection risk in half within just a few weeks.
Food sources: Sunshine (15–20 min/day for most people), cod liver oil, herring, catfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, shrimp, raw cow's milk, whole eggs.
Supplement dosage: Adults who are deficient can take 5,000 IU of D3 per day for one month to bring levels up, then 1,000–2,000 IU/day for maintenance. Children can take the same maintenance dose; higher doses for low levels should be used under the guidance of a healthcare practitioner. We can check your levels with a quick blood test — just send us a message.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has natural antiviral properties and a long, well-documented history in immune support. Just 200 mg/day has been shown to reduce mortality in elderly patients with severe pneumonia by 80%. Babies with pneumonia have shown improved oxygen levels within a single day of supplementation. We've known Vitamin C protects against viral pneumonia since the 1940s.
Vitamin C is also a key ingredient in eliminating sepsis from the blood, a powerful anti-inflammatory (important given the cytokine storms associated with Covid), and a free radical scavenger. White blood cells rely on it to perform their function. The Shanghai Government officially recommended Vitamin C for Covid, and a Netherlands-based company donated 50 tons to Wuhan in early March 2020.
Food sources: Papaya, raw red bell peppers, the white pith inside citrus fruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, buckwheat, strawberries, oranges, cantaloupe, kiwi, cauliflower, kale, parsley, mustard greens.
Supplement dosage: 500–1,000 mg/day for maintenance for adults and children. At first signs of illness, 1 gram per hour for six hours, then 1 gram three times daily thereafter has shown significantly better outcomes than decongestants or pain relievers. Take to bowel tolerance — most people can handle 5–10 grams before any loosening of the bowels. Use a buffered form, not straight ascorbic acid. For very high doses (such as in cases of sepsis), look into liposomal Vitamin C.
Zinc
Fifty years of mounting evidence confirms zinc's antiviral activity against many viruses including SARS coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, HIV, herpes simplex, and Hepatitis C. It works both as a direct antiviral and as a stimulant of the immune system's own antiviral activity.
Zinc is essential for immune cell development, maturation, and survival. Deficiency severely impairs immune response. Supplementing with zinc has been shown to help people recover from severe respiratory infections and even reduce mortality rates when used alongside conventional care for severe pneumonia.
Food sources: Red meat, oysters, fish, nuts, pumpkin seeds, ginger, calf's liver, crimini mushrooms, beef tenderloin, lamb, sesame seeds, yogurt, green peas, spinach, shrimp.
Supplement dosage: Zinc Bisglycinate is one of the best-absorbed forms — 50–100 mg/day for adults. Children: ages 1–3, 7 mg/day; ages 4–8, 12 mg/day; ages 9–13, 23 mg/day. A quality children's multivitamin will typically cover the baseline while diet supplies the rest.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K doesn't get much attention in immune conversations, but for the cardiovascular complications associated with Covid, it's worth discussing. Low vitamin K status has been found in more severe Covid cases and is associated with worse outcomes. Sufficient K2 levels, in particular, appear to be protective against Covid-related complications.
Covid patients are significantly more likely to have low Vitamin K levels compared to those without the disease. People taking statin drugs are also commonly low in K2, making supplementation especially relevant for that group.
Vitamin K may positively influence lung fiber integrity — which is known to degrade in severe Covid infections. It also supports healthy blood clotting and proper blood viscosity. Note: Those on blood thinners should consult their physician before supplementing or significantly increasing dietary Vitamin K.
Food sources: Natto, sauerkraut, fermented vegetables (using a K2-producing starter culture), Brie, Munster, Gouda, egg yolks, liver, butter, and raw dairy — all sourced from grass-fed animals, as grain-fed sources do not contain sufficient K2. Also found in kale, collards, spinach, turnip greens, beet greens, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts — most available after fermentation.
Supplement dosage: Take only the Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) form — approximately 150 mcg/day for adults. Children: 45–90 mcg/day. Children's multivitamins typically cover baseline needs.
Quercetin
Quercetin has long been recognized for its antioxidant properties and its ability to bring balance to inflammation. It stabilizes mast cells, reducing histamine-related allergy symptoms, and shows protective potential against cancer and heart disease. Vitamin C recycles oxidized quercetin, making these two nutrients highly complementary — even synergistic — when taken together.
For Covid specifically, Quercetin functions as a natural zinc ionophore — meaning it helps zinc and other ions pass through cell walls, stopping viral reproduction. It also has a direct regulatory effect on immune cells, acts as a broad-spectrum antiviral, prevents viral entry into host cells, and reduces the toxic effects of a wide variety of viruses including rhinovirus, poliovirus, and Zika. It has shown activity against SARS-CoV and preliminary findings suggest it also inhibits SARS-CoV-2. It has even protected cells from lethal doses of ebola in vitro.
It also helps modulate the pro-inflammatory cytokines (NLRP3) involved in the cytokine storms associated with severe Covid.
Food sources: Apples, brassica vegetables, capers, onions, green tea, tomatoes, Ginkgo, St. John's Wort, Elderberry.
Supplement dosage: 500–1,000 mg/day for adults. Children can take half the adult dose.
Fermented Foods
A recent study found that countries with higher consumption of traditionally fermented foods had lower Covid mortality rates. For each 1 gram per day increase in national consumption of fermented vegetables, Covid mortality risk fell by 35.4%.
The health of the gut microbiome and its connection to immunity cannot be overstated. Each serving of fermented food can deliver trillions of beneficial bacteria — far more in number and diversity than any probiotic supplement, which typically provides billions of CFUs. That's essentially an entire bottle's worth of probiotics in a single bite.
Our ancestors made it through times far more difficult than ours, and their diets — built on fermentation and whole living foods — played a major role in that resilience.
Food sources: Fermented pickles (not distilled-vinegar-soaked), kimchi, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, miso, sauerkraut.
Dosage: 1 tablespoon, 1–3 times per day with meals.
Hydrogen Peroxide
This one may be new to many people. Using a nebulizer to administer diluted hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into the lungs is an inexpensive, time-tested approach to respiratory infections.
Hydrogen peroxide is a simple molecule — water with an extra oxygen atom. Your own immune cells manufacture and use it to neutralize infected cells by breaking down viral structure. It has a long history of use against respiratory viruses and other conditions including scarlet fever, diphtheria, whooping cough, asthma, hay fever, and tonsillitis, and showed efficacy against influenza pneumonia during the post-WWI epidemic.
A study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection found that H2O2 at 0.5% killed human coronaviruses, SARS coronaviruses, and MERS.
Important: Use only food-grade H2O2 diluted with distilled water to 0.1%. Standard drugstore hydrogen peroxide is not safe for internal use. Use only at the first signs of symptoms and discontinue after the acute treatment period.
Dosage: Inhale food-grade H2O2 diluted to 0.1% through a nebulizer for 10–15 minutes, four times per day, until symptoms resolve.
Putting it all Together
Getting — and staying — healthy follows a tried and true formula. If you're still following the USDA food pyramid (or "MyPlate"), know that those guidelines are heavily influenced by the agricultural industry and are not aligned with what the human body actually needs to thrive.
A diet closer to the lower-carb Mediterranean model, or one rooted in your own ancestral food traditions, will serve you far better. Keto and Paleo approaches have produced meaningful results for people dealing with chronic pain, chronic disease, and obesity. Time-restricted eating (eating within approximately a 6-hour window each day) has also shown strong results for those same conditions.
That said, I believe the best diet for you is the you diet — built on ancestral wisdom but personalized to your metabolism, preferences, activity level, and needs. The key is research, experimentation, and ideally some professional guidance along the way.
Book a free consult if you'd like help building a stronger immune system or addressing your own health challenges.
