Fight a Pandemic From Within with Dr. Jack Wolfson
By now COVID-19 is a household name and concerns continue to grow over this global pandemic. At this time, all 50 states in the US have confirmed cases and the stark reality of the wide reach of this virus is beginning to set in. As government and public health organizations encourage people to limit the number of individuals gathered in one area, families and businesses alike are having to change the way they do life. To be honest, things are a little weird right now.
So what can we do? Standard advice is to limit your interactions with others, wash your hands regularly, and use common sense. While all of these can be effective, we believe that the fight begins with a strong immune system.
Meet Dr. Wolfson
Our guest this week brings some more insight into the fight against infection. Dr. Jack Wolfson might be best known for his book The Paleo Cardiologist, but with the current state of the world we wanted to jump on the chance to get his take on how to naturally boost your immune system and guard against this virus. We discuss some immune basics, supplementation, and why a strong immune system is your best line of defense.
Some Topics We Discuss:
What would you tell someone about how to build their best immune system? (3:00)
What causes us to get sick? (8:30)
What supplements should we consider? (12:08)
How do fear and anxiety play a role in our immune system function? (20:30)
Some Key Takeaways from this Episode:
Getting sunshine and fresh air is one of the best things you can possibly do to boost your immune system. (4:05)
We need to sleep! (5:15)
Eating a low sugar diet is key. (6:01)
When you eat sugar you have about a four-hour super decrease in immune function (10:25)
Heed the advice of practitioners that challenge the mainstream medical system. Pharmaceuticals are not the answer to being well. (16:52)
Products + Resources:
Get Social with Dr. Wolfson:
Facebook @theDRSWolfson
Instagram @theDRSWolfson
Website: thedrswolfson.com
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT
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Hey listeners, welcome back to The Holistic Navigator Podcast where we talk about all things holistic health and believe in the body's capacity for self healing if given the proper nutrients and care. For any new listeners we just want to take a moment and say welcome. We're excited that you found the show. My name is Brian [00:01:00] Strickland. I'm the producer and I'm joined in the studio as always by our host Ed Jones. Now this has been an extremely trying month for many around the globe. As covid-19 continues to spread their many people scratching their heads wondering if there is anything that they can do to further protect themselves besides socially isolating and washing their hands. Well we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Jack Wolfson this week to get his take on what people should and could be doing. Dr. Wolfson is known for his book The Paleo Cardiologist and our original plan was to speak to him about matters of the heart and atrial fibrillation in particular, but with the onset of this outbreak we wanted to jump on the opportunity and here another perspective of what he recommends for this current situation. So sit back, relax, and let's go ahead and get this show started. Here's your host. Mr. Ed Jones.
Ed Jones: Thank you so much Brian. And today on the Holistic Navigator, there's a gentleman we're going to talk to a physician that I have actually [00:02:00] followed for several years and I am absolutely taken back by the fact that we have the opportunity to discuss the certainly the topic of the day, coronavirus, with one of the most respected in my world physicians. Dr. Jack Wolfson. And welcome. Dr. Wolfson to the Holistic Navigator.
Dr. Wolfson: Thanks so much Ed. It's a pleasure to be on with you and speak to you again. I so appreciate everything you do in helping to get that message out there of health and wellness and you've been doing it for I guess you're into your fifth decade now of providing that information. So again again in crazy times Like These we need to get this information out to the world and really make make make everybody safe.
Ed Jones: That's right because we are in a kind of a panic chaotic moment, which will pass people, you know, there's no storm that last forever and neither will this one. But it is scary because of the ripple effect [00:03:00] of not only the fear of will I get sick, what happens if I get sick, and the economy. Those are the big factors and I have spoke endlessly the past three weeks on social media, the last interview with Dr. Smith from life extension and on a personal level to thousands of people and I know from reading some of your writings, Dr. Wolfson, that you share many of the same beliefs that we have a human body that is so well designed to be self-healing but only If we nourish it and we help it along the way if it's struggling with most people's physical body is struggling. So let's just get right into the whole story of this. If I was your brother and I knew very little about nutrition but was very open-minded. We want to talk from that perspective of what would you be telling me on the phone if I lived, [00:04:01] you know a long distance away and you do live in Arizona, is that correct?
Dr. Wolfson: We actually moved to Colorado. My practice is still in Arizona. But whether you're in Arizona, or you're in Colorado, or you're in Tennessee, or you’re anywhere, I think one of the most important things you can do for your immune system has nothing to do with food. It has everything to do with being outside in the fresh air and hopefully in the sunshine, but even natural light will help boost your immune system and prevent illness. Doctors have known this for many years. In fact in the days of the Spanish Flu that reportedly killed so many around the world, maybe a million, millions of people around the world in 1918. And one of the therapies back then was to get people outside in the sun. And we know [00:05:01] that the sun is great for bacterial infections and again the sun helps crank up vitamin D to so many other things get the sun and sunshine is free. So again, make sure you get plenty of the sunshine that is most critical. Another thing I would tell my brother or a friend or when I'm doing webinars or even talking right now, I tell people to get the sleep because people who sleep 6 hours and less have a 400 percent increase in the common cold. So what does that mean for coronavirus? What does that mean for influenza? It means we need to sleep. That's when our body repairs itself. That's when the immune system repairs itself and gets ready for battle when our body rests and recharges. That's why we need to sleep and the people who do not get that adequate sleep are in major trouble. And then let me finally one thing that you said, you know regarding the food, of course, everybody tends to focus on the food they missed [00:06:01] the sun and the sleep but for food the evidence is very clear that it is the low sugar diet. That is the key in this situation. Now me personally, I'm always organic. I'm always paleo. All those environmental pesticides damage the immune system we can get into that. But again always organic preferably paleo be low sugar, even the days of polio. Whatever was causing polio people did better when they follow it a low sugar diet Ed Jones: What's sound advice and you echo so much of what I had previously said on many of my episodes. And one of those like on the sleep one that I am a fairly chronic insomniac due to whatever kind of weird reasons happen when my daughter was born 30 years ago. I kind of got onto that, you know, reactive hear noise kind of get it awake really fast and can't go back. And so anyone listening who has sleep issues. Please go back to the Holistic Navigator on sleep. And I'm a huge [00:07:01] fan of Gaba. I use it every night when I wake up because that's the only thing that calms this cognitive popcorn, but how wise is that that and again I go back to all of these massive publications and worries and testimonies on the news media that basically the only advice they're saying is stay home, wash your hands, and use hand sanitizer. Those are all wise things. But the real deal is let's build the vitality and robustness of our own innate healing system we have. And I've said this before, everyone listening has gone and already had dozens maybe a hundreds of viral infections in their life and they've lived through every single one of them if you're listening to this podcast. So we had the ability to do this and I have a radio show with another physician, Dr. Christopher Greene, and he said the exact same thing that you did three days ago on the radio show about the 1918 flu and [00:08:01] using sunshine. So bless your heart Dr. Wolfson. And I want to say you've got your book The Paleo Cardiologist and your website, which I want you to mention had is so freaking full of useful information, especially from your cardiology background that I just want to make sure people know what is your website before we get to further down on this conversation.
Dr. Wolfson: Sure thing Ed. The website is thedrswolfson.com and doctors is abbreviated DRS. But you know to the point of my book, you know, Ed, it's kind of interesting is that us medical doctors when we go through training we learn about all these different diseases, you know, we learn about all different forms of cancer, and all different forms of lung disease, and heart disease, and autoimmune diseases. The reality is they're all from the same cause. They're from the toxins that come into our body through food and environmental exposure. So my book The Paleo Cardiologist, a natural way to heart health, it [00:09:01] is a heart health book, but when you follow the recommendations that are in the book not only will you prevent heart disease but these are all natural immune boosters as well. This is the way to stay healthy in a 21st century toxic world. These are the strategies that we need to do. So again, whether it's you know, you have cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease, dementia, Parkinson's you name it? It's all about going after the cause and when we find the cause then we have the cure.
Ed Jones There you go. And I love the fact in your wife does such a wonderful job also. She's I think a chiropractor is that correct?
Dr. Wolfson: She is a chiropractor and she, you know, Ed, see me personally. I have to read like all the science. I have to go through all the scientific literature and say oh this is beneficial. My wife was just born with the common sense and Chiropractic education and getting her doctorate in Chiropractic only confirmed everything she was already born with. Me, I had you [00:10:01] know, I had to rewire my brain from all the brainwashing from medical school.
Ed Jones: I love that and I have such respect for the chiropractors who have been able to help so many people in this country. I know, the traditional medical crowd doesn't elevate them too highly but I do because of exactly what you said, so wonderful for that. And again the low sugar diet, I know I've spoke with this often when you eat sugar you probably have about a four-hour super decrease in immune function. Well, guess what people? I don't care if it's a cold or is the Corona if you have less immune function, that's the window of opportunity for the the thing to take hold. And you write about the fact that you know, eating clean and eating pure, and chemical free, and also the fact that you're and correct me if I'm wrong, but your I think you eat just like I do which is I'm eating out. I do a leaning [00:11:01] toward a keto diet and a Paleo Diet with a fairly large amounts of fat. Is that what you do?
Dr. Wolfson: Yeah, I know that's certainly what we do with my entire family does. In fact, I did a webinar last night about coronavirus about, you know, making a bulletproof immune system and one of the slides I showed in there is how the ketogenic diet is protective against influenza. So I put that in there as well. So again ketogenic, higher fats. Do I care, if you do the test strips and stuff like that to make sure you're in ketosis? That's up to you. But again eating those high quality foods that our ancestors ate free-range grass-fed Meats, wild seafood, nuts, seeds, eggs, avocados ,coconuts, green leafy vegetables. That's the way to go to really support your you know, your system. No doubt.
Ed Jones: That's wonderful because you just gave the whole list of my entire diet and so and again for people listening. I've done a personal Holistic Navigator on keto and [00:12:01] how I embrace it, so please go back if you want to learn more about that. Now if we kind of get further into this maybe game plan of supplements. What do you want to talk about Dr. Wolfson?
Dr. Wolfson: Ed if I can real quick, I do want to address the fact that I have not unfortunately I've not been to your location. You and I have talked for a couple years now about having an event out in your area, but I'm going to assume that you sell personal care products.
Ed Jones: Yes.
Dr. Wolfson: Okay. So those hand sanitizers, those soaps when you buy them from your store, obviously, you're not getting the poison that people are stocking up on Purell and these other things that are loaded with triclosan. They're loaded with other synthetic chemicals that yes, they destroy viruses, but they will also destroy our health as well in the process. So when you're washing In your hands [00:13:01] or when you're carrying hand sanitizer, which I recommend to do. Anyways, like a woman should always have a couple things in our purse. You should always have some kind of hand sanitizing wipes that are natural. I believe that these women should also carry argentan silver or like a sovereign silver gel again for cuts, abrasions. So you put that silver gel on there. Silver is a great immune booster, but only again when you're getting products from Sovereign or their doctors version which is called argentin, but in any case that's the stuff you want to make sure you stock up on because it's extremely extremely anti-viral.
Ed Jones: Oh my gosh, what great advice. In fact, you know, you are speaking something that almost no one is even thinking about. It was funny because I was sitting in the sauna this morning I go to the gym every single day, half the gyms have closed in town this morning, but my gym Is still open so [00:14:02] worked out very hard set in the sauna and the young lady was in there who I'd never seen and she started talking about all her, you know, the same thing everybody talks about today. The coronavirus. And she was speaking about you know, she wasn't worried and she understood this health conversation, but she said her young child started having a cough and she absolutely and wasn't sick. She felt it was absolutely connected to the toxic sanitation in the daycares because they're spraying, you know, every five minutes this stuff with the chemicals. And you are exactly right. We have better choices than this harshness and this poison basically. Now, I'm not saying I wouldn't use it if I'm in a place and that's all there is I'll use it. But the thing is my daughter who's almost 30 years old in a couple weeks. She has a Facebook group called Earth Conscious Mama and you have to it’s a private group for Earth Conscious Mama. That's her whole focus is exactly what you're [00:15:02] talking about. It's not that hard to make better choices and it doesn't cost more money. In fact as she says many of the chemicals in these sanitizers, detergents, and makeup are banned in most countries of the world except here and it is taking our health down a bad road. So thank you Dr. Wolfson for enlightening people on these sanitizers. There's a better way. So thank you.
Dr. Wolfson: Yeah, personally I would expose my children to any virus any natural virus not talking about man-made stuff any natural virus as compared to any kind of environmental toxin like you're talking about. Like a room that's full with Lysol and other toxic cleaning agents I would never send my child into that room. I would never go into that room. That's me personally, you know different people have to make different choices. I guess my choice would always be to avoid that I would always [00:16:02] try to find another way. We cannot let our children be exposed to those chemicals. All bets are off, you know when we do so but I also I do want to make sure I address another point too. And my wife is big on this because it's like as people are scared right now people are scared. They're scared of dying. They're scared of relatives that are dying. They read you know, they watch the news which is a big mistake, but they watch the news and they see all these different people that are dying and you start to quite I start to question and my wife certainly questions who is dying? Who were the people that died from these what should be benign, viral pathogens that our body has an immune system to fight against? And what became very clear to her, what is very clear is that the people that treat with medical doctors, the people that get the testing from the medical doctors, the people that get the pharmaceuticals from the medical doctors, they're the ones that get really sick. They're [00:17:02] the ones that are dying from whether it's a virus or a bacteria or something else that's going on in our world. And in my presentation last night I showed the information about people who use ACE inhibitors, which are common pharmaceuticals for blood pressure. They may be at higher risk and they're definitely at a higher risk of pneumonia. People that use proton pump inhibitors or acid blockers like, Ed in your place you sell digestive enzymes that's what people need. They don't need acid blockers and those acid blockers increase the risk of pneumonia and influenza. Of course, you've got antipsychotic drugs. They do it as well. And the list really goes on and on as far as what has been researched. We still didn't don't even know about other categories. Oral diabetic drugs and appear to increase the risk of pneumonia as well. So these are the people that are getting sick. As my wife would say [00:18:02] has been telling me for years. It's the people that treat with the medical doctors, the people that get the drugs, they get the testing, those are the people that are getting sick. Let me say two other points to real quick smokers have a five hundred and sixty nine percent increased risk of influenza. Diabetics have a three hundred percent higher risk of hospitalization from the flu. So again a healthy host just like you and I Ed, my family, your family, your clients, your customers, my customers, clients patients that follow our advice, they're not the ones that are getting sick. They're not the ones that are dying. They're the ones that are going to have little to no symptoms from any virus.
Ed Jones: And I love the confidence building of your vast experience, Dr. Wolfson, because people you are a lone wolf in the big Forest right now. And you're exactly right in my opinion [00:19:02] also that you know and I say this to many people I speak to: I practice everything that I've learned over my entire life. Does that mean I won't get sick? No, it doesn't. I can still catch things. The difference is at what level will I experience risk and danger? It will be far far less than most people and the people we’re reading about on the news because the news sells bad news. That's why they put so much on there. And so they're not going to really present the real truth by any means and the people they're talking about that are 40 year olds on incubators. We never know the true story because medicines are idolized by many of the public, especially of course the medical field. So if these people are on PPIs, and other drugs, we're not going to see that in the news when we read about their story. And you're exactly right. And you know life [00:20:02] is a risky endeavor to be living. There's no doubt and once in a blue moon, I can't figure out sometimes in my 40 plus year career why the person who seemingly did everything right occasionally goes down a bad road, but 98% of the time you and I and our philosophy serves us so freaking well and it's just I'm so thrilled we're talking about that. So what's the next step, Dr. Wolfson?
Dr. Wolfson: Well, I think you know once again, it's just, you know continuing to push out there all the information we have. You know, you and I had talked about I mean listen we talked about sleep, we talked about sunshine, we talked about getting away from the chemicals. You and I both would agree with the scientific literature stress, and fear, and anger, and anxiety all damage the immune system. I write about this in my book the entire chapter 5, which is called One Nation Under Prozac about how those mental health issues lead [00:21:02] to cardiovascular disease and they probably do so for a variety of reasons including damaging the immune system which of course affects the heart. So as the media sells us fear it is becoming a sickness in us and if you listen to brilliant people like, Dr. Bruce Lipton and Joe Dispenza and some of the greatest minds that exist on Earth right now. Bruce Lipton says, “90% of illness stems from poor thoughts, bad thoughts, stress anxiety, fear, anger, depression all the mental health things manifest into physical disease.” And again, I'm a conventional cardiologist by training. I mean I saw everything on that side. I saw everything they did and now I know that natural holistic side [00:22:02] and that's where I choose to live in practice because that's the right way. And medical doctors again they shun everything we talked about and they denigrate everything that we talked about because they've got no training in that. They've got no training in that whatsoever. So you can't, it's not that you can't trust them. It's just you can't rely solely on the medical doctors opinion. You have to get other opinions in an emergency go to an emergency room for a prevention go to Nutrition World.
Ed Jones: Uh-huh. Wow, and I did not pay him to say that everyone who's listening. That's awesome. And it's so odd because I had written down here the word Bruce Lipton about 60 seconds before you said it because he is a hero. He changed the way that I perceived disease when that first book the Biology of Belief came out. And another whole system of healing in which I don't want to go down called German New Medicine [00:23:02] that I've done an interview on here also speaks of that vary in a different way, but in the same context so lets you know, maybe create because we don't have too much time left. Let's create in your mind you know that that you know, I'm doing it or let's not say me. Let's say the average person they did come down with the viral infection and they're just now feeling the illness coming on and they're at home and they're quarantining. Is there anything else that you're going to recommend for them if they're talking to you?
Dr. Wolfson: Well, the first thing I would start off with really is again, you know thinking back to to how we grew up, you know Chicken Soup for the Soul and it truly is getting the chicken soup. I think the first thing that I do I reach for any time that I am sick. It just contains everything in there that we need. Then from a supplement standpoint you and I had talked about silver. What's beautiful about Sovereign Silver is that they got the directions right there on [00:24:02] the bottle for long-term or short-term immune support. So make sure that you've got some and this is you know, really just great to have in your cabinet at any particular time. And although the silver has an expiration date silver doesn't expire right? It's going to be there in the bottle, you know, and you know, 500 million years, you know from now. I'm also a big fan of garlic and garlic supplements. So pick out your favorite garlic supplement that you can use. NAC or N acetyl cysteine has great data on it. In fact, it's got great data that it actually can target coronavirus itself. Of course, you want to make sure you've got plenty of vitamin C on hand. Don't forget that don't forget your zinc as well. So again, there's a lot of different nutrients and you and I can talk about these forever and keep going down that list, but I think those are kind of the foundational things that I would make sure that I have around on this occasion. And then also we mentioned in our brief about digestive enzymes and [00:25:02] stomach acid. Stomach acid is is really yes. It does activate the nutrition cascade but one of the main things it does is it kills bacteria. It kills viruses, it kills parasites. That is why we've evolved to have that stomach acid and why so many nasty side-effects are involved in the people that take proton pump inhibitors. So digestive enzymes, especially in times of prevention. Or even in the acute phase. I think that again as viruses, you know start to multiply having a good digestive enzyme on board is very very important.
Ed Jones: Yes, and I know from reading all of your writings you and I believe again like Hippocrates that the you know illness begins and ends in the colon. And you know, and I thought so it's like telepathic because this morning I thought of exactly what you said about the ppis. And the thing, is that our bodies want it needs and produces acid [00:26:02] for the exact reasons that you just said and how about lastly would apple cider vinegar help to acidify a little bit in the stomach. Is that something valuable?
Dr. Wolfson: Yes. I mean, I think that as far as the scientific literature pointing to apple cider vinegar, I'm not sure how much literature is out there. But I think the proof is in all the people that come into your store, the people that come into my office, the testimonials that people say, I mean, I don't need evidence that says the sky is blue. To me, it looks like it's blue. You know apple cider vinegar is and we love putting apple cider vinegar, of course into our homemade salad dressing. So we take that everything's organic, of course, but we take the olive oil which is again antiviral. We take the apple cider vinegar. We take lemon which is antiviral all the vitamin C that's in lemon and apple cider vinegar for that matter. We take all the herbs and spices, all of them are antiviral. We take if I don't know if you guys carry black cumin seed or black cumin seed oil but [00:27:02] but the black freshly ground black cumin seed. Wow! That like does everything and it's all in the literature. And then I take anchovies, put it into the salad dressing blend and boom you got your fresh salad dressing that will kill any virus, any parasite, any nasty bacteria and it's part of the food budget. So it's perfect.
Ed Jones: Oh man, you are just a wealth of wisdom and knowledge. And I you know, I know that we're going to have more conversations down the road. I certainly hope you're more than willing to do that because you are an ambassador of health. And again, there's not many of us that have this experience and as sometimes I think we're a dying breed but then other times I feel like, you know, like people like you and your wife and I mean, it is what it is and you are planting more seeds for people to be even, you know, opening to this conversation. I know and you know, at least when I'm talking I also am embracing, you know, [00:28:02] quick dosing of vitamin D the right therapeutic mushrooms, the Manuka Honey sometimes colostrum, lactoferrin things like that. So there's still a lot of information out there. And again, I have to be legal and say, you know, none of this is treating a disease with nutrients. And you know, if you're sick go to your whoever you trust healthcare professional you can order things at nutritionw.com if you choose to do that. And on your site to Dr. Wolfson, because we're partners on this we're certainly not competitors. There's plenty of room for all of us. So do you have any last statements you would like to make to the people who are listening?
Dr. Wolfson: You know something I would Ed, because this is very important as well. When I was a kid, I lived on DayQuil during the day and Nyquil at night and I just again I want to say that I feel my person I feel this stuff is absolute poison. You never [00:29:02] want to use one of these chemicals to lower a fever. These fever reducers are very problematic. Acetaminophen, which is also known as Tylenol is a major problem. And I showed studies in my presentation last night evidence that says fever suppression increases the expected number of flu cases and deaths in the United States. I also showed how acetaminophen destroys glutathione which the body's main antioxidant. This is a major major problem. There is data that says that people who use non-steroidal anti-inflammatories they're linked to poor pneumonia outcomes. This is again, these are all over-the-counter toxins and chemicals and poisons that we need to avoid. And then again finally let me say a thing is that I believe that the doctor of chiropractic should be your primary care doctor, should be or go to for all things health and wellness.
Ed Jones: [00:30:02] Wow, this is going to be one of the best out of 66 podcasts that I have done. Dr. Wolfson and I cannot thank you enough. I know that you and I will be back together. I want to talk about afib somewhere down the road. So blessings to you, you and your family and continue the good work that you were doing and we will talk very soon. Hopefully.
Dr. Wolfson: My pleasure, Ed. Thank you any time.
Ed Jones: All right. I do want to say to people listening. I know these are trying times. History has shown itself that throughout as long as we've lived there has been episodes of chaos, and worry, and fear and we have survived all of them and we will on this one too. Keep a clear mind but also a calm heart and know and trust with courage a healthy body, which we're helping you to have. So please everybody, take heed of this. I hope we've been [00:31:02] helpful and I look forward to the next Holistic Navigator and I certainly appreciate all the people who are listening. Thank you and all the best.
Brian Strickland: The information on this podcast in the topics discussed have not been evaluated by the FDA or any one of the medical profession and is not aimed to replace any advice you may receive from your medical practitioner. The Holistic Navigator assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever on behalf of any purchaser or listener of these materials. The Holistic Navigator is not a doctor or doesn't claim to be please consult your physician before beginning any health regimen.