A Message from Bloom Natural Health | 4.7.20

Dear Bloom Patients,

Many of you have reached out to us about what to take to prevent or treat COVID-19. At this time there is no proven treatment for this disease. The only proven way to prevent COVID-19 infection is to avoid exposure.

We encourage all our patients to stay home as much as possible and to educate themselves about physical distancing and to follow all guidelines and recommendations when you do need to visit the grocery store or go outside of your home. Click HERE for food safety guidelines.

Experts are now recommending we wear masks when we go outside the home. Mask wearing reduces infectious droplets from the wearer. By wearing a mask, we are protecting others. If everyone wears a mask when going shopping, we will decrease the potential for transmission. Click HERE for instructions to make a mask.

Our patients are asking us about how to keep their immune system healthy. Listed below are our recommendations for ways to boost your immune system:

1. Eat a whole foods diet that is low in processed sugar and white flour and incorporate as many fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits as you can.

- Now is a great time to start a garden. Cold weather greens such as spinach, kale and lettuce are quick to grow, and you can have fresh greens without a trip to the store. If you don’t have access to a yard, try sprouting seeds in jars inside.

- Learn to grow broccoli spouts by watching this video and learn how to increase this superfood’s benefits HERE.

2. Get daily fresh air, sunshine (weather-permitting) and exercise.

- In addition to boosting the immune system, these practices will also help boost your mood. Remember to practice physical distancing outside of the home by keeping 6 feet away from others.

- Walking, running, indoor HIT workouts and dancing are great options. There are unlimited options for online classes.

3. Hydrate well.

4. Manage stress and get adequate sleep.

- Loss of sleep and increased anxiety can hurt our relationships and cause suffering.

- Please do not hesitate to reach out to your doctor for a telemedicine appointment to discuss natural therapies that can ease anxiety and stress and help promote sleep.

There are some unproven, but potentially helpful approaches to support your immune system, and some targeted supplements/herbs we might recommend as support if you were to become ill. Recommendations for you would be individualized and need to take in consideration your medications and current health status. Please make an appointment with your doctor to discuss what is appropriate and safe for you. Appointments with Bloom Natural Health can be booked through our website.

At Bloom, we are committed to supporting our families, patients and community during this time. We are staying up to date on information as it comes out in both the conventional and natural medicine world.

Please refer to reliable sources for any Coronavirus information. Reliable websites are:

• Coronavirus.gov - coronavirus.gov

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - cdc.gov/coronavirus

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/counterterrorism-and-emerging-threats/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) - nih.gov/health-information/coronavirus

• World Health Organization (WHO) - who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-cornavirus-2019

Please utilize our telemedicine office visits for your ongoing care and any new issues that may arise.

We hope you are all staying healthy and safe.

Dr. Christine Louden and Dr. Sharon Hunter