ACED a Cold

The best thing to do is to eat a healthy diet of nutrient dense foods, high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes, etc. The closer to how these foods are created the higher the nutrients.  The further from their original state and the more refined, the fewer nutrients. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats, dairy, legumes, and whole grains are nutrient dense resources. 

Our bodies are under constant assault from chemicals and the unrelenting stresses of modern life which cause our bodies to live in a constant state of adrenal hormone overload.  When this happens, the nutrients we eat can not be enough to provide our bodies with the needed building blocks to make its own weapons against viruses, bacteria, and fungi.  If the building blocks are not there, a successful response is not likely.

I have a protocol I do when I get the first signs of a cold.  If I catch it at the first sign, I can nip it in a few hours. If I wait, it can take a few days to a week.  If I take too long, it will go into full blown bronchitis. I do not smoke.  I do not live with anyone who does. I do however deal with a fair amount of stress. Stress devours vitamin A.

In the early 1980s I had bronchitis about 3 times a year.  They called it chronic. I did some research and  built up my vitamin A reserves and stopped getting sick. The bronchitis attacks came back after over a decade, during a time of great stress. Stress consumes vitamin A in large amounts rapidly deleting  our body's stored vitamin A  I have also found my lungs are highly sensitive to cleaning chemicals and have moved to steam cleaning and micro fiber to greatly decrease exposure.

When I follow this protocol the cold is ACED in no time.  These vitamins are not medicines,.  They are nutrient building blocks that the body uses to manufacture its own  weapons against invaders. I am simply supporting the body in doing its work. The ACED stands for Vitamins A, C, E, and D3.  At the first sign of a cold until 24 hours after the last sign, I take:

3 capsules of 5, 000 IUs /400 mg Vitamin D3- totaling 15,000 units of A and 1,200 units of D3.  These are from preformed vitamin A.  Preformed vitamin A can only be made by animals.  I get mine in the form of fish liver oil capsules of vitamin A and D. Beta Carotene is not vitamin A but can be converted into vitamin A in the body provided the body produces enough intrinsic factor. Many things can interfere, so I take preformed vitamin A to insure my body gets what it needs to meet increased demands.

2 caplets  of vitamin 1,000 mg (1 gram) vitamin C, for a total of 2, 000 mg (2 grams)

1 capsule of 400 units of vitamin E - mixed tocopherols.  

I have recently added:

2 capsules of 2,000 units D3 (This added to the 1,200 units from the A and D combo gives me a total of 5,200 units of D3).  Vitamin D3 helps the body produce a protein peptide that burrows in and pokes holes in viruses.

After the crisis I return to normal levels provided by a good diet.

If I catch the symptoms early, I only need to take this once!  If it does not kick it, within the hour, I will take another gram of C two hours later as a boost. This has never failed when I caught early symptoms. I have even used it before symptoms after exposure to someone real sick.  This has worked for me like a charm!  This has worked for me even when taking care of a house of really sick people.

Yet, if I was away from home for hours and was unable to do something,  the infection has a time to multiply and multiply without being checked.  If it can get the upper hand, I may end up doing this for a week or two. If I get distracted and am in a really worn out condition I can slip into bronchitis too easily. This is usually due to burning the candle at both ends and driving all my reserves low.  When low reserves meet bronchi aggravated by chemical exposure I can also get bronchitis. When I get full blown bronchitis I can be sick for 3-6 months! because of the body's inflammatory response. Not fun. Going to the doctor for it never seemed to shorten it.  Besides, all they usually do is give me antibiotics which then can cause candida and digestive issues. Once I am that sick it is hard to fight and build reserves.  So, I try to prevent this by life style changes and careful nutrition. Yes, when it comes to respiratory health, an ounce of prevention can be worth more than a pound of cure.

Yes, three decades ago I suffered from chronic bronchitis.  No longer! I would have three attacks a year and even cracked my ribs.  I discovered then that when vitamin A levels are adequate all mucous membranes and the skin exude an anti-viral, anti -bacterial, anti-fungal substance. Tissues have this lubrication that moves debris from the base of the cells to the surface. When vitamin A levels are low, the skin and cells dry and get sluggish. Pores clog, bronchi get sluggish, and immune systems get overloaded.  Old country doctors could tell when people were low in vitamin A, they would have more respiratory issues, and skin issues like warts and boils.  

At that time I then loaded up on vitamin A for two weeks.  I was getting about 17,000 units day , by taking double my Amway multi-vitamins, and did not have another bout with bronchitis for at least a decade. I only did this once and did not need to for over a decade!

Vitamin A levels can be destroyed by high stress and fluorescent lights. Fluorescent light can use up your visual purple and can deplete your ability to see at night.  So, working under fluorescent tubes or  replacing lights with those energy saving spiral fluorescent lights, can make me deficient. If my night vision is failing I consider my A levels.  My sight usually responds to a day or two of increased vitamin A levels.

A and D3 work hand in hand. C and E are anti-oxidants. Beta Carotene is not vitamin but under right conditions can be converted to vitamin A. So, I prefer preformed vitamin A from fish liver oil. Vitamin A, D3, and E are all fat soluble  and can store in your body.  Minimum requirements are to prevent nutritional diseases, but recent studies are showing that these vitamins are needed in greater amounts and deficiencies are contributing factors to many more degenerative diseases.

So, at the first sign of a cold, I shore up my immune system's ability to fight back by giving it the building blocks it needs. I do what I call- my ACED protocol.