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Cristina Cuomo Covid-19 Wellness Blog Before and After

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On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, show kindness toward our planet and every creature who inhabits it, as the transcendent photographer, adventurer, preservationist and raconteur Peter Beard advised us. My old friend’s recent death offers an eerily timely punctuation on this virus and a reminder that we can’t forget to protect one another, and the animals that roam the Earth.

One’s character will truly be evident now as things begin to open and people begin to recirculate in public. Are we going to behave like locked-up wild animals set free? Maybe we take a cue from them and emerge slowly, quietly, trepidatiously. How will we greet one another? I’m going for the peace sign. How will we behave when those we know get sick, because this virus is not going away? This is a great challenge America is facing now as we organize re-entry. It’s also an opportunity to learn how to keep the immune system up and at PURIST, we are planning to share those methods with you in our June issue.

One’s character will truly be evident now as things begin to open and people begin to recirculate in public. Are we going to behave like locked-up wild animals set free? Maybe we take a cue from them and emerge slowly, quietly, trepidatiously. How will we greet one another? How will we behave when those we know get sick, because this virus is not going away? This is a great challenge America is facing now as we organize re-entry. It’s also an opportunity to be consciously aware of the good in our lives and also to learn learn how to keep our health strong.

Cristina Cuomo with the late Peter Beard

me with the late Peter Beard

This past week was very challenging for me. What started as a sinus cold escalated into nightly sinus headaches and tough breathing. I stayed on the course I set for Chris of oxygenated herbs:

I am aware that what I am about to talk about are remedies for people who are already in a privileged situation–we have a roof over our head, enough food to eat and clean drinking water, and not everyone has that. Many of the treatments that I relied on are actually cheaper than conventional medicine, like the broth of cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic or the lemon and ginger tea or vitamin C.

We need to take care of ourselves in a different way than many of us have before. It’s about strengthening the immune system and having the body working optimally with self-care and good diet so that we don’t get sick in the first place. But if we do, we will be in better shape to manage the symptoms and the illness. This comes from what we eat, breathe, drink, and surround ourselves with. Once you commit to managing this lifestyle, it’s actually the easiest and least expensive way to manage health.

The point of sharing my story is to help people become aware of the various options that are available beyond the overstrained medical system and to give a voice to the scientific advances that could have a real impact on our collective health. Sharing new knowledge is not elitist, it’s revolutionary. This is the driving intention behind Purist, with good health as its north star.

This past week was very challenging. What started as a sinus cold escalated into nightly sinus headaches and tough breathing. Since there is no proven treatment for COVID-19 and I did not want to embark on a side-effects nightmare of unproven drugs, I was ready to try alternatives. None of these natural remedies below should be taken without consulting a doctor or naturopath. I enlisted Dr. Linda Lancaster, who put my husband on a path of natural remedies to strengthen his immune system—and now mine–and it’s working for us. If you think these are far-fetched treatments as I once did, think again. I went through tons of antibiotics for chronic Lyme disease last year, which did not help eradicate the Lyme. I did some tests and found out that certain strains of bacteria in my body are resistance to certain antibiotics. After four doctors’ differing prescriptions and one experimental anti-parasite that sent my body into an inflammatory mess, not to mention the toll they all took on my gut, I decided to take a natural course with Dr. Linda Lancaster. Only then did I get better. We decided to apply that information to this virus because there is no cure for a virus, and she wanted to treat the symptoms and give my immune system a fighting chance.

We are all trying to find tools to help beat this. The fact is, there are no standardized treatments for this virus. I am very grateful I have the ability to research and educate myself on natural remedies and try them and write about them for a living. I’m sharing my journey, and many of these things are not widely available—I know how lucky I am to be able to have access to these things I write about as well as access to doctors through the work that I do. My hope is to share information and alternatives that many might not have access to and are interested in hearing about. Access to health care and medicine is not a privilege, it is a human right. Regardless of accessibility, I wanted to give my immune system a fighting chance. Dr. Linda Lancaster teaches people to “access and care for the body’s vital force to heal… to switch on our body’s ability to stay well in a world of challenging forces and help our body to heal when we are sick. This force exists within everyone, no matter their age, current health concerns, or predispositions.”

First and foremost, sleep is the most important thing. I was able to get some good, restorative sleep of about up to 8-10 hours on a few nights during the week of moderate symptoms, and I had a hard time getting up most mornings. My goal was to steer the sinus cold away from getting into my lungs and avoid getting a fever. Rest, recovery, reflection. Some form of meditation eased the high cortisol levels (stress) too. Resonance breathing and Pranayama helped expand my lungs. “The breathing exercises we work with are designed to boost vitality and uplift consciousness. Through them, we utilize the ‘breathing mechanism’ (inhale and exhale) to influence, or direct, the flow of vital life energy deep within the physical body (as well as the energetic body),” says yogi Erika Halweil of the breathing exercises she teaches. “Beyond expanding the shoulders, upper back and rib cage; beyond stretching the lung tissue from within; these conscious, deep breathing exercises activate a life force within us to help us attain a higher state of vibratory energy. They create space in the body and a feeling of joy and ease in the mind and heart.” I like Deepak Chopra and Eddie Stern’s Breathing app, as well as Calm, which my kids listen to at bedtime.

Vitamins/herbs/minerals–note: I did not mix these with any traditional prescriptions and, again, a naturopath or doctor should be consulted:

3 Sinex daily

3 Antivirals daily

3 KappArrest daily

3 OXO (nontoxic quinine) daily. Here’s one you can buy; it’s Cinchona officinalis—Peruvian bark. This oxygenates the blood.

3 OXO (nontoxic quinine) daily. Here’s one you can buy from Cinchona officinalis—Peruvian bark. This is essential to oxygenate the blood.

I made a liver-cleansing beverage with one raw garlic clove, one orange, one lemon, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, a spoonful of olive oil, a crunch of ginger and a piece of turmeric. On the days I was also in isolation, I made a big batch in advance and kept it in the fridge.

I made Dr. Lancaster’s “liver-cleansing” beverage with ingredients that offer support: one raw garlic clove, one orange, one lemon, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, a spoonful of olive oil, a crunch of ginger and a piece of turmeric. On the days I was also in isolation, I made a big batch in advance and kept it in the fridge.

Zinc

Alka C—6000 mg per day (helps reduce the inflammation this virus causes all over the body)

3 Vitamin B

2 Vitamin D

Echinacea Osha—3 droppers full daily

Respiratory Response—3 droppers full daily

Glutathione powder

Glutathione powder (Liposomal Glutothione is available in tablet form from Bulletproof)

Two medicinal florals: xanthium and magnolia

Viracid from Orthomolecular—available online

My sister Andrea dropping off my Spirometer and father, Rainer, who made me laugh talking about the haircut he desperately needs.

My sister Andrea dropping off a Spirometer (under $20) that will help regulate air flow into the lungs; and my father, Rainer, who made me laugh talking about the haircut he desperately needs.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, when my sinus congestion was painful, I enlisted Dr. Roxanna Namavar from Pretty Healthy NYC, who also does vitamin drips at home in the Hamptons. She shows up in her full hazmat outfit and 3M mask. I got magnesium, NAC (a precursor to glutathione, said to be very helpful against COVID-19), vitamin C with lysine, proline, and B complex, folic acid, zinc, selenium, glutathione and caffeine (to combat the headache).

On Tuesday, my sinus congestion was so painful that I called Dr. Roxanna Namavar from Pretty Healthy NYC, who suggested I do a vitamin drip. She also tests for COVID-19 and anti-viral tests and comes to your home. Doctors suggested the drip because “New York hospitals and hospitals all over the world are using the vitamin C drip as part of their COVID-19 treatments (not a cure) since vitamin C has anti-viral properties, when vitamin drips had previously been brushed off as ‘alternative,'” Dr. Namovar says, who shows up in a hazmat outfit and 3M mask because I couldn’t leave the house. In March, Dr. Andrew Weber of Northwell Health services said of the Vitamin IVs the hospital has been administering to patients, “The patients who received Vitamin C did significantly better than those who did not get Vitamin C.” in this artcle on how Hospital turns to high-dose Vitamin C to fight coronavirus. Orally you can’t absorb the amount of vitamin C comfortably that is required for the anti-viral properties to combat this virus. The IV version is a safe alternative to untested pharmaceuticals. You have to be really sick to go to a hospital which charges a fortune to give you an unproven pharmaceutical treatment, which has unknown side effects and more exposure to other illnesses and other strains of COVID-19.” In my vitamin-packed drip: magnesium, NAC (a precursor to glutathione, said to be very helpful against COVID-19), vitamin C with lysine, proline, and B complex, folic acid, zinc, selenium, glutathione and caffeine (to combat the severe sinus headache). NAC is N-Acetyl-Cystine—an antioxidant amino acid (which is used for respiratory health) and replenished glutathione. NAC is also available in capsule form from THORNE. After 2 hours, this pricier investment paid off and my intense sinus pain was gone.

Both days, I added ½ cup of Clorox to my bathwater to combat the radiation and metals in my system and oxygenate it.

IVs are not cheap. A vitamin drip ranges around $300–it’s less in comparison to the price of going to a hospital where they charge more for an IV and for other medication that has no proven studies behind them, but both are out of reach for most people. I wanted to try more affordable recommendations. I’m not suggesting anyone follow this, but I wanted to share my experience. At the direction of my doctor, Dr. Linda Lancaster, who reminded me that this is an oxygen-depleting virus, she suggested I take a bath to combat the radiation and pollutants in the system and oxygenate it. But it isn’t just Dr. Lancaster’s treatment. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and their doctors recommend it for skin conditions: HAAAAI on bleach bath to decrease bacterial infections. Also, Dr. Gibson who has served as the fellowship director for dermatopathology and as chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology at The Mayo Clinic, the number one hospital overall in the nation according the US News & World Report says, “”It’s important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information,” and goes on to write this piece for The Mayo Clinic, describing bleach in a bath as a treatment to aid in chronic bacterial skin infections too. These doctors recommend in a bathtub filled with 80 gallons of water to add 2 ounces of sodium hypochlorite in the form of Clorox, as a type of homeopathic bath. To be clear: A 1/4 cup of bleach in an 80 gallon water tub is a ratio of 1:5000 or 2 ounces in 10,000 ounces of water, which is less than the % of chlorine (calcium chloride) in drinking water. Why the bath now? “We want to neutralize heavy metals because they slow up the electromagnetic frequency of our cells, which is our energy field, and we need a good flow of energy. Clorox is sodium chloride—which is technically salt. Clorox is made by introducing an electric current to water and sodium chloride (saline) creating sodium hypochlorite. There is no danger in doing this. It is a simple naturopathic treatment that has been used for over 75 years to oxygenate the cells,” says Dr. Lancaster. “Household bleach is not chlorine.”

I used a “body charger,” which energy specialist Randy Oppitz suggested I borrow from a friend. It sent electrical frequencies through my body to oxygenate my blood and stimulate the healthy production of blood cells to fortify my immune system. It also rebalanced my energy, which was gravely off from the stress of caregiving, catching the virus, fearing my kids would get it, etc. The key to healing the human body is directly related to the body’s ability to allow energy to flow through it. “I discovered in my 40-year career as a personal energy specialist that every person I ever worked with has blocked energies. The Body Charger is a device that transfers energy, breaks up, and pulls out the low frequency while replacing with a higher rate,” Oppitz told me.

Besides having read Dr. Lancaster’s Harmonic Healing book and the chapter on heavy metals, and her article on the Elimination of Metals, I needed to dig deeper into sodium chloride, sodium hypochlorite. I found a few articles stating it is used in both the medical and the alternative medicine worlds. This one from NY Times best-selling author Ann Louise Gittleman PhD, CNS in Bathe Away Toxins states, “This (1/2 cup) amount of bleach in this volume of water will not harm your skin,” and in Therapeutic Baths the author, who is not a doctor, points out that this “bath is fairly controversial… There are many testimonials on the web as to the effectiveness (of the original 6% formula) even for heavy metal detox! However, using the new, concentrated formulas has not yet been adequately tested.” Even though this detox method isn’t FDA approved, I couldn’t find any study that indicated Dr. Lancaster’s small dosage recommendation in a full tub of water is toxic (even Clorox’s website says their “bleach does not contain free chlorine. In fact, it’s derived from common table salt, sodium chloride.”) I also learned sodium chloride when mixed with water creating a saline solution is used in the medical world to treat dehydration, clear congestion through a saline flush, and clean wounds in this article in Healthline. The other ingredient in Clorox-sodium hypochlorite-also comes with a host of issues, but “when NaOCl is applied topically, there is no published evidence of systemic toxicity and local reactions have not been reported to be life-threatening,” according to The National Institute of Health. I did find plenty to read on chlorine as a carcinogen and the alarming effects it has had in our drinking water over a century. A study that came out in 2010 from the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona showed swimming in a chlorinated pool may increase your risk of developing cancer Chlorine in Pools.

After reading these articles, and consulting with a few other people who have been doing the therapeutic baths for years as well as two other medical doctors about this (and since I had no sense of smell and no open wounds that it could potentially sting) I opted to try it once. I added her recommended small amount—1/4 to ½ cup ONLY—of Clorox to a full bath of warm water (80 gallons). “We are all exposed to radiation (phone/Wi-Fi) and that agitates our cells,” says Lancaster, who also recommended a sea salt (1 pound) and baking soda (1 full box) bath to help with this too. “We have never recommended the baths as any type of cure. We utilize this bath to aid the body in the detox process of chemicals and environmental pollutants,” says Lancaster. I did not engage any other member of my family in this experiment. In no way does Dr. Lancaster tout this is not a treatment for coronavirus–this is one of her institute’s methods for detoxing chemicals that suppress the immune system. The result: After her recommended 20 minutes, my pigment turned a little more flushed (I did not submerge my shoulders, neck or head), and I felt relaxed and tired. I rinsed off with a cool shower. I experienced no negative side effects. The Oximeter reading (tracks oxygen levels in your body) before the bath: 96; After the bath: 98–both normal.

Then, an energy specialist, Randy Oppitz, who I had met through two friends who worked with him for their treatment of cancer, suggested I borrow a “Body Charger” from a friend. The Body Charger sends electrical frequencies through the body to oxygenate blood and stimulate the healthy production of blood cells to fortify my immune system. It also rebalanced my energy, which was gravely off from the stress of caregiving, catching the virus, figuring out what works for me, and the anxiety of my kids getting it. “The key to healing the human body is directly related to the body’s ability to allow energy to flow through it. I discovered in my 40-year career as a personal energy specialist that every person I ever worked with has blocked energies. The Body Charger is a device that transfers energy, breaks up, and pulls out the low frequency while replacing with a higher rate,” says Oppitz, who works with cancer patients and people suffering from chronic disease.

Spirometer to help oxygenate the lungs.

I also rented a PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) machine, which optimizes the ability of cells to start healing. It uses low-energy fields to stimulate the self-healing mechanisms of the cells after a physical injury or a viral attack on the body’s tissues or bones. For COVID-19, it increases the speed with which your lungs and whole body can recover. I was able to rent this from StandWellness in Water Mill for the month, but it is good to use for any ailment, at any time. I have used it in my office for the arthritis on my foot and for the inflammation Lyme disease caused my shoulders.

I also used a PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) portable machine, which optimizes the ability of cells to start healing. It uses low-energy fields to stimulate the self-healing mechanisms of the cells after a physical injury or a viral attack on the body’s tissues or bones. “For COVID-19, it increases the speed with which your lungs and whole body can recover,” says Tapp Francke, the founder and holistic nutritionist at StandWellness in Water Mill, an integrative wellness center that practices functional medicine. I was able to rent this portable device from StandWellness for the month, as it is good to use for many ailments. I had used it in their office for my arthritis and for the inflammation Lyme disease caused my shoulders. I”d go in with pain and leave without, so I know it to be effective in reducing inflammation.

Every day, Chris and I both ate Ayurvedic food from Corey de Rosa at Tapovana to-go in Bridgehampton; his menu treats food as medicine. Aside from improving digestion, Tapovana’s Southeast Indian dishes are also nourishing and cleansing. They focus on having balanced proportions of essential healing micro (vitamins and minerals) and macro (proteins, carbs and fats) nutrients. I had also ordered some comfort Italian cuisine to go from Acquolina; that way, I could freeze some and have it on hand for the kids to simply heat up. I had ordered ingredients online for soups, and some helpful friends and family members dropped off some local, fresh items. While my appetite did not wane much and I’d like to tell you it was all delicious, I couldn’t taste it. I do know it was good for me.

Every day this week, Chris and I both ate an Ayurveda lunch from chef Corey de Rosa at Tapovana in Bridgehampton; his menu treats food as medicine. Aside from improving digestion, Tapovana’s dishes are also nourishing and cleansing. They focus on having balanced proportions of essential healing micro (vitamins and minerals) and macro (proteins, carbs and fats) nutrients. I had also ordered lots of comfort Italian cuisine to go from Aquolina; that way, I could freeze it and have it on hand for the kids to simply heat up.

Here is an interesting video with an Ayurvedic doctor speaking of how she treated the virus, speaking with Dr. Junger, author of CLEAN: Dr. Junger

Here’s what we ate for food as medicine:

Here’s what we ate for food as medicine, small portions (note to self: must step up my cooking game in general after this week):

Monday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk; the vascular shrinkage of the caffeine helped my raging sinus headache from the inflamed pressure. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had English muffins with almond butter.

Lunch: Chickpeas and spinach, which is high in B vitamins; lemon rasam—a high immunity-building soup; and mango chutney for digestion.

Dinner: Soup made with organic chicken stock, spinach, carrots, ginger, nutmeg and black pepper, for respiratory health.

Dinner: Soup—organic chicken stock, spinach, carrots, ginger, black pepper, for respiratory health.

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Green tea (caffeinated). Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had oatmeal.

Lunch: Cabbage, asparagus—a kidney cleanser—and chayote sambar (chayote is a tropical squash that hydrates the body and is high in vitamin C), with a lentil stew; mango with cardamom and cashews, a tissue-builder that’s also delicious

Dinner: Aqualina’s zucchini-and-mint soup and mushroom crepes.

Dinner: Aqualina’s zucchini-and-mint soup and a mushroom crepe.

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had scrambled eggs on seven-grain toast.

Lunch: Pongal, made of mung beans and rice, which strengthens and fortifies all bodily systems; and rose lassi, a yogurt-based drink packed with natural probiotics.

Dinner: Aqualina’s vegetable lasagna, organic chicken stock soup with vegetables.

Dinner: Acquolina’s vegetable lasagna, organic chicken stock soup with carrots and spinach.

I got through the week with my favorite flavors of Hint fruit-infused water plus Lumi’s organic juices and Turmeric shots.

While I can still taste savory and sweet, these fresh nectar drinks got me through the week.

Thursday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had scrambled eggs with spinach and tarragon on seven-grain toast.

Lunch: Chai tea, a tissue-builder and digestive aid; mashed mung daal, green chile and cilantro, all of which help remove environmental impurities; butternut squash with toasted lentils and red pepper, a dish high in vitamins A and C.

Dinner: Eggplant caponata (a slow-cooked Italian dish with chopped cooked veggies); Juice Press’ Soupa Doupa Greens soup

Dinner: Eggplant caponata (a slow-cooked Italian dish with chopped cooked veggies); my favorite Juice Press soup– “Soupa Doupa Greens.”

Friday:

‘Friday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea, GT’s Kombucha Gingerade, liver-cleansing smoothie.

Lunch: Sesame brown basmati rice, high in calcium; organic chicken stock soup with vegetables

Lunch: Sesame brown basmati rice, high in calcium; organic chicken stock soup with vegetables.

Dinner: For Chris and the kids—filet mignon with broccoli rabe, egg noodles; zucchini-and-mint soup for me.

Dinner: For Chris and the kids—steak with broccoli rabe, egg noodles; zucchini-and-mint soup for me.

Saturday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had pancakes with the kids.

Lunch: Tutto il Giorno salad and eggplant parmigiana

Lunch: Salad and eggplant parmigiana.

Dinner: Tutto il Giorno lasagna and chicken for the kids and Chris; butternut squash soup from Aqualina for me, and some vegetable lasagna.

Dinner: Lasagna and chicken for the kids and Chris; butternut squash soup from Acquolina for me, and a little vegetable lasagna.

Sunday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea, Organic Krush Wellness Shot with cayenne, orange, ginger and lemon

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea, Organic Krush Wellness Shot with cayenne, orange, ginger and lemon.

Lunch: Organic Krush’s chicken, tomato, rice, avocado and cilantro fajitas with corn tortillas

Lunch: Organic Krush’s chicken, tomato, rice, avocado and cilantro fajitas with corn tortillas.

Dinner: Mushroom crepes; steamed spinach and broccoli rabe; eggplant caponata

Dinner: Mushroom crepe; steamed spinach and broccoli rabe; eggplant caponata.

Monday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk, Lumi grapefruit juice

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk, Lumi grapefruit juice.

Lunch: Organic Krush’s avocado, cheese, tomato and cilantro quesadillas; lentil soup.

Lunch: Organic Krush’s avocado, cheese, tomato and cilantro quesadillas; lentil soup

Dinner: Miso Soup with added chopped asparagus.

After 9 days, I was feeling better and the virus is gone. I am keeping up with the vitamins and good, cooked foods. In addition to the food providers above that we ordered from to get us through the week, a million special thanks to our friends and family: Roxine Brown; Donna McCue; Yvette Corporon; Stephen McKnight; Maria Cuomo Cole; Madeline Cuomo O’Donoghue and Tess O’Donoghue; Andrea Greeven Douzet; my parents; Dr. Lea Lis for sharing information on our live Instagram chat on how to quarantine your kids; Lumi Juices’ organic fresh juices and turmeric shots; the organic and vegan hot Bend Sauce to test whether taste buds were returning; Organic Krush; Eden and Declan Williams. We love you and appreciate your immense kindnesses. Note: none of these brands are paying me in any way to be included. I’m grateful.

For those who didn’t get enough of the doctor recommendations above and disapprove of my trial-and-error efforts and my investment to keep myself strong and healthy, this information isn’t for you. “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that,” said Martin Luther King Jr. And, as our trusted New York Governor said, “Love wins.”

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On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, show kindness toward our planet and every creature who inhabits it, as the transcendent photographer, adventurer, preservationist and raconteur Peter Beard advised us. My old friend’s recent death offers an eerily timely punctuation on this virus and a reminder that we can’t forget to protect one another, and the animals that roam the Earth. 

One’s character will truly be evident now as things begin to open and people begin to recirculate in public. Are we going to behave like locked-up wild animals set free? Maybe we take a cue from them and emerge slowly, quietly, trepidatiously. How will we greet one another? I’m going for the peace sign. How will we behave when those we know get sick, because this virus is not going away? This is a great challenge America is facing now as we organize re-entry. It’s also an opportunity to learn how to keep the immune system up and at PURIST, we are planning to share those methods with you in our June issue. 


Cristina Cuomo with the late Peter Beard
This past week was very challenging for me. What started as a sinus cold escalated into nightly sinus headaches and tough breathing. I stayed on the course I set for Chris of oxygenated herbs:

3 Sinex daily

3 Antivirals daily 

3 KappArrest daily

3 OXO (nontoxic quinine) daily. Here’s one you can buy from Cinchona officinalis—Peruvian bark. This is essential to oxygenate the blood.

I made a liver-cleansing beverage with one raw garlic clove, one orange, one lemon, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, a spoonful of olive oil, a crunch of ginger and a piece of turmeric. On the days I was also in isolation, I made a big batch in advance and kept it in the fridge.

Zinc

Alka C—6000 mg per day (helps reduce the inflammation this virus causes all over the body)

3 Vitamin B

2 Vitamin D

Echinacea Osha—3 droppers full daily 

Respiratory Response—3 droppers full daily

Glutathione powder 

Two medicinal florals: xanthium and magnolia

Viracid from Orthomolecular—available online


My sister Andrea dropping off my Spirometer and father, Rainer, who made me laugh talking about the haircut he desperately needs.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, when my sinus congestion was painful, I enlisted Dr. Roxanna Namavar from Pretty Healthy NYC, who also does vitamin drips at home in the Hamptons. She shows up in her full hazmat outfit and 3M mask. I got magnesium, NAC (a precursor to glutathione, said to be very helpful against COVID-19), vitamin C with lysine, proline, and B complex, folic acid, zinc, selenium, glutathione and caffeine (to combat the headache).

Both days, I added ½ cup of Clorox to my bathwater to combat the radiation and metals in my system and oxygenate it. 

I used a “body charger,” which energy specialist Randy Oppitz suggested I borrow from a friend. It sent electrical frequencies through my body to oxygenate my blood and stimulate the healthy production of blood cells to fortify my immune system. It also rebalanced my energy, which was gravely off from the stress of caregiving, catching the virus, fearing my kids would get it, etc. The key to healing the human body is directly related to the body’s ability to allow energy to flow through it. “I discovered in my 40-year career as a personal energy specialist that every person I ever worked with has blocked energies. The Body Charger is a device that transfers energy, breaks up, and pulls out the low frequency while replacing with a higher rate,” Oppitz told me. 


Spirometer to help oxygenate the lungs.
I also rented a PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) machine, which optimizes the ability of cells to start healing. It uses low-energy fields to stimulate the self-healing mechanisms of the cells after a physical injury or a viral attack on the body’s tissues or bones. For COVID-19, it increases the speed with which your lungs and whole body can recover. I was able to rent this from StandWellness in Water Mill for the month, but it is good to use for any ailment, at any time. I have used it in my office for the arthritis on my foot and for the inflammation Lyme disease caused my shoulders. 

Every day this week, Chris and I both ate an Ayurveda lunch from chef Corey de Rosa at Tapovana in Bridgehampton; his menu treats food as medicine. Aside from improving digestion, Tapovana’s dishes are also nourishing and cleansing. They focus on having balanced proportions of essential healing micro (vitamins and minerals) and macro (proteins, carbs and fats) nutrients. I had also ordered lots of comfort Italian cuisine to go from Aquolina; that way, I could freeze it and have it on hand for the kids to simply heat up.

Here’s what we ate for food as medicine:

Monday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk; the vascular shrinkage of the caffeine helped my raging sinus headache from the inflamed pressure. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had English muffins with almond butter. 

Lunch: Chickpeas and spinach, which is high in B vitamins; lemon rasam—a high immunity-building soup; and mango chutney for digestion.

Dinner: Soup made with organic chicken stock, spinach, carrots, ginger, nutmeg and black pepper, for respiratory health. 

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Green tea (caffeinated). Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had oatmeal. 

Lunch: Cabbage, asparagus—a kidney cleanser—and chayote sambar (chayote is a tropical squash that hydrates the body and is high in vitamin C), with a lentil stew; mango with cardamom and cashews, a tissue-builder that’s also delicious

Dinner: Aqualina’s zucchini-and-mint soup and mushroom crepes. 

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had scrambled eggs on seven-grain toast. 

Lunch: Pongal, made of mung beans and rice, which strengthens and fortifies all bodily systems; and rose lassi, a yogurt-based drink packed with natural probiotics. 

Dinner: Aqualina’s vegetable lasagna, organic chicken stock soup with vegetables.


I got through the week with my favorite flavors of Hint fruit-infused water plus Lumi’s organic juices and Turmeric shots.
Thursday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had scrambled eggs with spinach and tarragon on seven-grain toast. 

Lunch: Chai tea, a tissue-builder and digestive aid; mashed mung daal, green chile and cilantro, all of which help remove environmental impurities; butternut squash with toasted lentils and red pepper, a dish high in vitamins A and C. 

Dinner: Eggplant caponata (a slow-cooked Italian dish with chopped cooked veggies); Juice Press’ Soupa Doupa Greens soup

Friday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea, GT’s Kombucha Gingerade, liver-cleansing smoothie. 

Lunch: Sesame brown basmati rice, high in calcium; organic chicken stock soup with vegetables

Dinner: For Chris and the kids—filet mignon with broccoli rabe, egg noodles; zucchini-and-mint soup for me.   

Saturday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had pancakes with the kids. 

Lunch: Tutto il Giorno salad and eggplant parmigiana

Dinner: Tutto il Giorno lasagna and chicken for the kids and Chris; butternut squash soup from Aqualina for me, and some vegetable lasagna. 

Sunday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea, Organic Krush Wellness Shot with cayenne, orange, ginger and lemon 

Lunch: Organic Krush’s chicken, tomato, rice, avocado and cilantro fajitas with corn tortillas

Dinner: Mushroom crepes; steamed spinach and broccoli rabe; eggplant caponata

Monday: 

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk, Lumi grapefruit juice

Lunch: Organic Krush’s avocado, cheese, tomato and cilantro quesadillas; lentil soup

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On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, show kindness toward our planet and every creature who inhabits it, as the transcendent photographer, adventurer, preservationist and raconteur Peter Beard advised us. My old friend’s recent death offers an eerily timely punctuation on this virus and a reminder that we can’t forget to protect one another, and the animals that roam the Earth. 

One’s character will truly be evident now as things begin to open and people begin to recirculate in public. Are we going to behave like locked-up wild animals set free? Maybe we take a cue from them and emerge slowly, quietly, trepidatiously. How will we greet one another? How will we behave when those we know get sick, because this virus is not going away? This is a great challenge America is facing now as we organize re-entry. It’s also an opportunity to be consciously aware of the good in our lives and also to learn learn how to keep our health strong.


me with the late Peter Beard
I am aware that what I am about to talk about are remedies for people who are already in a privileged situation–we have a roof over our head, enough food to eat and clean drinking water, and not everyone has that. Many of the treatments that I relied on are actually cheaper than conventional medicine, like the broth of cayenne pepper, ginger and garlic or the lemon and ginger tea or vitamin C.

We need to take care of ourselves in a different way than many of us have before. It’s about strengthening the immune system and having the body working optimally with self-care and good diet so that we don’t get sick in the first place. But if we do, we will be in better shape to manage the symptoms and the illness. This comes from what we eat, breathe, drink, and surround ourselves with. Once you commit to managing this lifestyle, it’s actually the easiest and least expensive way to manage health. 

The point of sharing my story is to help people become aware of the various options that are available beyond the overstrained medical system and to give a voice to the scientific advances that could have a real impact on our collective health. Sharing new knowledge is not elitist, it’s revolutionary. This is the driving intention behind Purist, with good health as its north star.

This past week was very challenging. What started as a sinus cold escalated into nightly sinus headaches and tough breathing. Since there is no proven treatment for COVID-19 and I did not want to embark on a side-effects nightmare of unproven drugs, I was ready to try alternatives. None of these natural remedies below should be taken without consulting a doctor or naturopath. I enlisted Dr. Linda Lancaster, who put my husband on a path of natural remedies to strengthen his immune system—and now mine–and it’s working for us. If you think these are far-fetched treatments as I once did, think again. I went through tons of antibiotics for chronic Lyme disease last year, which did not help eradicate the Lyme. I did some tests and found out that certain strains of bacteria in my body are resistance to certain antibiotics. After four doctors’ differing prescriptions and one experimental anti-parasite that sent my body into an inflammatory mess, not to mention the toll they all took on my gut, I decided to take a natural course with Dr. Linda Lancaster. Only then did I get better. We decided to apply that information to this virus because there is no cure for a virus, and she wanted to treat the symptoms and give my immune system a fighting chance.

We are all trying to find tools to help beat this. The fact is, there are no standardized treatments for this virus. I am very grateful I have the ability to research and educate myself on natural remedies and try them and write about them for a living. I’m sharing my journey, and many of these things are not widely available—I know how lucky I am to be able to have access to these things I write about as well as access to doctors through the work that I do. My hope is to share information and alternatives that many might not have access to and are interested in hearing about. Access to health care and medicine is not a privilege, it is a human right. Regardless of accessibility, I wanted to give my immune system a fighting chance. Dr. Linda Lancaster teaches people to “access and care for the body’s vital force to heal… to switch on our body’s ability to stay well in a world of challenging forces and help our body to heal when we are sick. This force exists within everyone, no matter their age, current health concerns, or predispositions.”

First and foremost, sleep is the most important thing. I was able to get some good, restorative sleep of about up to 8-10 hours on a few nights during the week of moderate symptoms, and I had a hard time getting up most mornings. My goal was to steer the sinus cold away from getting into my lungs and avoid getting a fever.  Rest, recovery, reflection. Some form of meditation eased the high cortisol levels (stress) too. Resonance breathing and Pranayama helped expand my lungs. “The breathing exercises we work with are designed to boost vitality and uplift consciousness. Through them, we utilize the ‘breathing mechanism’ (inhale and exhale) to influence, or direct, the flow of vital life energy deep within the physical body (as well as the energetic body),” says yogi Erika Halweil of the breathing exercises she teaches. “Beyond expanding the shoulders, upper back and rib cage; beyond stretching the lung tissue from within; these conscious, deep breathing exercises activate a life force within us to help us attain a higher state of vibratory energy. They create space in the body and a feeling of joy and ease in the mind and heart.” I like Deepak Chopra and Eddie Stern’s Breathing app, as well as Calm, which my kids listen to at bedtime. 

 

Vitamins/herbs/minerals–note: I did not mix these with any traditional prescriptions and, again, a naturopath or doctor should be consulted:

3 Sinex daily

3 Antivirals daily 

3 OXO (nontoxic quinine) daily. Here’s one you can buy; it’s Cinchona officinalis—Peruvian bark. This oxygenates the blood.

I made Dr. Lancaster’s “liver-cleansing” beverage with ingredients that offer support: one raw garlic clove, one orange, one lemon, a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, a spoonful of olive oil, a crunch of ginger and a piece of turmeric. On the days I was also in isolation, I made a big batch in advance and kept it in the fridge.

Zinc

Alka C—6000 mg per day (helps reduce the inflammation this virus causes all over the body)

3 Vitamin B

2 Vitamin D

Echinacea Osha—3 droppers full daily 

Respiratory Response—3 droppers full daily

Glutathione powder (Liposomal Glutothione is available in tablet form from Bulletproof)

Two medicinal florals: xanthium and magnolia

Viracid from Orthomolecular—available online


My sister Andrea dropping off a Spirometer (under $20) that will help regulate air flow into the lungs; and my father, Rainer, who made me laugh talking about the haircut he desperately needs.
On Tuesday, my sinus congestion was so painful that I called Dr. Roxanna Namavar from Pretty Healthy NYC, who suggested I do a vitamin drip. She also tests for COVID-19 and anti-viral tests and comes to your home. Doctors suggested the drip because “New York hospitals and hospitals all over the world are using the vitamin C drip as part of their COVID-19 treatments (not a cure) since vitamin C has anti-viral properties, when vitamin drips had previously been brushed off as ‘alternative,'” Dr. Namovar says, who shows up in a hazmat outfit and 3M mask because I couldn’t leave the house. In March, Dr. Andrew Weber of Northwell Health services said of the Vitamin IVs the hospital has been administering to patients, “The patients who received Vitamin C did significantly better than those who did not get Vitamin C.” in this artcle on how Hospital turns to high-dose Vitamin C to fight coronavirus. Orally you can’t absorb the amount of vitamin C comfortably that is required for the anti-viral properties to combat this virus. The IV version is a safe alternative to untested pharmaceuticals. You have to be really sick to go to a hospital which charges a fortune to give you an unproven pharmaceutical treatment, which has unknown side effects and more exposure to other illnesses and other strains of COVID-19.” In my vitamin-packed drip: magnesium, NAC (a precursor to glutathione, said to be very helpful against COVID-19), vitamin C with lysine, proline, and B complex, folic acid, zinc, selenium, glutathione and caffeine (to combat the severe sinus headache). NAC is N-Acetyl-Cystine—an antioxidant amino acid (which is used for respiratory health) and replenished glutathione. NAC is also available in capsule form from THORNE. After 2 hours, this pricier investment paid off and my intense sinus pain was gone. 

IVs are not cheap. A vitamin drip ranges around $300–it’s less in comparison to the price of going to a hospital where they charge more for an IV and for other medication that has no proven studies behind them, but both are out of reach for most people. I wanted to try  more affordable recommendations. I’m not suggesting anyone follow this, but I wanted to share my experience. At the direction of my doctor, Dr. Linda Lancaster, who reminded me that this is an oxygen-depleting virus, she suggested I take a bath to combat the radiation and pollutants in the system and oxygenate it. But it isn’t just Dr. Lancaster’s treatment. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and their doctors recommend it for skin conditions: HAAAAI on bleach bath to decrease bacterial infections. Also, Dr. Gibson who has served as the fellowship director for dermatopathology and as chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology at The Mayo Clinic, the number one hospital overall in the nation according the US News & World Report says, “”It’s important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information,” and goes on to write this piece for The Mayo Clinic, describing bleach in a bath as a treatment to aid in chronic bacterial skin infections too. These doctors recommend in a bathtub filled with 80 gallons of water to add 2 ounces of sodium hypochlorite in the form of Clorox, as a type of homeopathic bath. To be clear: A 1/4 cup of bleach in an 80 gallon water tub is a ratio of 1:5000 or 2 ounces in 10,000 ounces of water, which is less than the % of chlorine (calcium chloride) in drinking water. Why the bath now? “We want to neutralize heavy metals because they slow up the electromagnetic frequency of our cells, which is our energy field, and we need a good flow of energy. Clorox is sodium chloride—which is technically salt. Clorox is made by introducing an electric current to water and sodium chloride (saline) creating sodium hypochlorite. There is no danger in doing this. It is a simple naturopathic treatment that has been used for over 75 years to oxygenate the cells,” says Dr. Lancaster. “Household bleach is not chlorine.”

Besides having read Dr. Lancaster’s Harmonic Healing book and the chapter on heavy metals, and her article on the Elimination of Metals, I needed to dig deeper into sodium chloride, sodium hypochlorite. I found a few articles stating it is used in both the medical and the alternative medicine worlds. This one from NY Times best-selling author Ann Louise Gittleman PhD, CNS in Bathe Away Toxins states, “This (1/2 cup) amount of bleach in this volume of water will not harm your skin,” and in Therapeutic Baths the author, who is not a doctor, points out that this “bath is fairly controversial… There are many testimonials on the web as to the effectiveness (of the original 6% formula) even for heavy metal detox! However, using the new, concentrated formulas has not yet been adequately tested.” Even though this detox method isn’t FDA approved, I couldn’t find any study that indicated Dr. Lancaster’s small dosage recommendation in a full tub of water is toxic (even Clorox’s website says their “bleach does not contain free chlorine. In fact, it’s derived from common table salt, sodium chloride.”) I also learned sodium chloride when mixed with water creating a saline solution is used in the medical world to treat dehydration, clear congestion through a saline flush, and clean wounds in this article in Healthline. The other ingredient in Clorox-sodium hypochlorite-also comes with a host of issues, but “when NaOCl is applied topically, there is no published evidence of systemic toxicity and local reactions have not been reported to be life-threatening,” according to The National Institute of Health. I did find plenty to read on chlorine as a carcinogen and the alarming effects it has had in our drinking water over a century. A study that came out in 2010 from the Center for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona showed swimming in a chlorinated pool may increase your risk of developing cancer Chlorine in Pools.

After reading these articles, and consulting with a few other people who have been doing the therapeutic baths for years as well as two other medical doctors about this (and since I had no sense of smell and no open wounds that it could potentially sting) I opted to try it once. I added her recommended small amount—1/4 to ½ cup ONLY—of Clorox to a full bath of warm water (80 gallons). “We are all exposed to radiation (phone/Wi-Fi) and that agitates our cells,” says Lancaster, who also recommended a sea salt (1 pound) and baking soda (1 full box) bath to help with this too. “We have never recommended the baths as any type of cure. We utilize this bath to aid the body in the detox process of chemicals and environmental pollutants,” says Lancaster. I did not engage any other member of my family in this experiment. In no way does Dr. Lancaster tout this is not a treatment for coronavirus–this is one of her institute’s methods for detoxing chemicals that suppress the immune system. The result: After her recommended 20 minutes, my pigment turned a little more flushed (I did not submerge my shoulders, neck or head), and I felt relaxed and tired. I rinsed off with a cool shower. I experienced no negative side effects. The Oximeter reading (tracks oxygen levels in your body) before the bath: 96; After the bath: 98–both normal.   

 
Then, an energy specialist, Randy Oppitz, who I had met through two friends who worked with him for their treatment of cancer, suggested I borrow a “Body Charger” from a friend. The Body Charger sends electrical frequencies through the body to oxygenate blood and stimulate the healthy production of blood cells to fortify my immune system. It also rebalanced my energy, which was gravely off from the stress of caregiving, catching the virus, figuring out what works for me, and the anxiety of my kids getting it. “The key to healing the human body is directly related to the body’s ability to allow energy to flow through it. I discovered in my 40-year career as a personal energy specialist that every person I ever worked with has blocked energies. The Body Charger is a device that transfers energy, breaks up, and pulls out the low frequency while replacing with a higher rate,” says Oppitz, who works with cancer patients and people suffering from chronic disease. 


Spirometer to help oxygenate the lungs.
I also used a PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) portable machine, which optimizes the ability of cells to start healing. It uses low-energy fields to stimulate the self-healing mechanisms of the cells after a physical injury or a viral attack on the body’s tissues or bones. “For COVID-19, it increases the speed with which your lungs and whole body can recover,” says Tapp Francke, the founder and holistic nutritionist at StandWellness in Water Mill, an integrative wellness center that practices functional medicine. I was able to rent this portable device from StandWellness for the month, as it is good to use for many ailments. I had used it in their office for my arthritis and for the inflammation Lyme disease caused my shoulders. I”d go in with pain and leave without, so I know it to be effective in reducing inflammation.

Every day, Chris and I both ate Ayurvedic food from Corey de Rosa at Tapovana to-go in Bridgehampton; his menu treats food as medicine. Aside from improving digestion, Tapovana’s Southeast Indian dishes are also nourishing and cleansing. They focus on having balanced proportions of essential healing micro (vitamins and minerals) and macro (proteins, carbs and fats) nutrients. I had also ordered some comfort Italian cuisine to go from Acquolina; that way, I could freeze some and have it on hand for the kids to simply heat up. I had ordered ingredients online for soups, and some helpful friends and family members dropped off some local, fresh items. While my appetite did not wane much and I’d like to tell you it was all delicious, I couldn’t taste it. I do know it was good for me.

Here is an interesting video with an Ayurvedic doctor speaking of how she treated the virus, speaking with Dr. Junger, author of CLEAN: Dr. Junger

Here’s what we ate for food as medicine, small portions (note to self: must step up my cooking game in general after this week):

Monday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk; the vascular shrinkage of the caffeine helped my raging sinus headache from the inflamed pressure. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had English muffins with almond butter. 

Lunch: Chickpeas and spinach, which is high in B vitamins; lemon rasam—a high immunity-building soup; and mango chutney for digestion.

Dinner: Soup—organic chicken stock, spinach, carrots, ginger, black pepper, for respiratory health. 

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Green tea (caffeinated). Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had oatmeal. 

Lunch: Cabbage, asparagus—a kidney cleanser—and chayote sambar (chayote is a tropical squash that hydrates the body and is high in vitamin C), with a lentil stew; mango with cardamom and cashews, a tissue-builder that’s also delicious.

Dinner: Aqualina’s zucchini-and-mint soup and a mushroom crepe. 

Wednesday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had scrambled eggs on seven-grain toast. 

Lunch: Pongal, made of mung beans and rice, which strengthens and fortifies all bodily systems; and rose lassi, a yogurt-based drink packed with natural probiotics. 

Dinner: Acquolina’s vegetable lasagna, organic chicken stock soup with carrots and spinach.


While I can still taste savory and sweet, these fresh nectar drinks got me through the week.
Thursday:

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had scrambled eggs with spinach and tarragon on seven-grain toast. 

Lunch: Chai tea, a tissue-builder and digestive aid; mashed mung daal, green chile and cilantro, all of which help remove environmental impurities; butternut squash with toasted lentils and red pepper, a dish high in vitamins A and C. 

Dinner: Eggplant caponata (a slow-cooked Italian dish with chopped cooked veggies); my favorite Juice Press soup– “Soupa Doupa Greens.”

‘Friday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea, GT’s Kombucha Gingerade, liver-cleansing smoothie. 

Lunch: Sesame brown basmati rice, high in calcium; organic chicken stock soup with vegetables.

Dinner: For Chris and the kids—steak with broccoli rabe, egg noodles; zucchini-and-mint soup for me.   

Saturday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea. Liver-cleansing smoothie. Chris had pancakes with the kids. 

Lunch: Salad and eggplant parmigiana.

Dinner: Lasagna and chicken for the kids and Chris; butternut squash soup from Acquolina for me, and a little vegetable lasagna. 

Sunday:

Breakfast: Ginger lemon tea, Organic Krush Wellness Shot with cayenne, orange, ginger and lemon. 

Lunch: Organic Krush’s chicken, tomato, rice, avocado and cilantro fajitas with corn tortillas.

Dinner: Mushroom crepe; steamed spinach and broccoli rabe; eggplant caponata.

Monday: 

Breakfast: Organic coffee with oat milk, Lumi grapefruit juice.

Lunch: Organic Krush’s avocado, cheese, tomato and cilantro quesadillas; lentil soup.

Dinner: Miso Soup with added chopped asparagus.

After 9 days, I was feeling better and the virus is gone. I am keeping up with the vitamins and good, cooked foods. In addition to the food providers above that we ordered from to get us through the week, a million special thanks to our friends and family: Roxine Brown; Donna McCue; Yvette Corporon; Stephen McKnight; Maria Cuomo Cole; Madeline Cuomo O’Donoghue and Tess O’Donoghue; Andrea Greeven Douzet; my parents; Dr. Lea Lis for sharing information on our live Instagram chat on how to quarantine your kids; Lumi Juices’ organic fresh juices and turmeric shots; the organic and vegan hot Bend Sauce to test whether taste buds were returning; Organic Krush; Eden and Declan Williams. We love you and appreciate your immense kindnesses. Note: none of these brands are paying me in any way to be included. I’m grateful. 

For those who didn’t get enough of the doctor recommendations above and disapprove of my trial-and-error efforts and my investment to keep myself strong and healthy, this information isn’t for you. “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that,” said Martin Luther King Jr. And, as our trusted New York Governor said, “Love wins.”