Grow Healthy
With Dr. Sally's
"Vital Signs" Blog
Hippocrates was right when he made that statement almost 2,500 years ago – that’s well before we’d refined sugar, created processed “food” products, and added antibiotics and a slew of other toxins to our food! Every bite we eat passes through the twenty-plus feet of our digestive tract, which is lined by our delicate “inner skin”.
As we head into this fall, almost every patient I see is concerned about the health of his or her immune system. Between hurricanes and smoke from the wildfires, not enough exercise and too much sugar, and feeling run down from the constant stress of this “new normal”, it’s time to take a look at how we got here and make a plan to optimize your health now!
Let’s face it; this fall’s cold and flu season is shaping up to be a real challenge. Almost every patient I see expresses concern about the health of their immune systems and the ability to withstand the challenges ahead. So in this time of unprecedented concern about the global pandemic of COVID-19, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to be a sitting duck, just waiting to get sick.
According to a study published this summer in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, people who use omeprazole are more likely to get COVID-19. (1, 2) The long-term, twice-daily use of PPIs doubles the odds of testing positive COVID-19, even after taking into account a range of sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical variables. Omeprazole is in a class of drugs called “Proton Pump Inhibitors”, or PPIs, which reduce stomach acid output by 99%. PPIs include brands such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid.
Fight the flu and get back on your feet faster with the powerful healing benefits of chicken soup! Now that the cold and flu season is upon us, it’s the perfect time to make and freeze a delicious pot of chicken soup. Since the days of Hippocrates, chicken soup has earned its reputation as “health in a bowl”.
