Category: Blog Post

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Since there are currently no clinically researched natural treatments specific for COVID19, my recommendations to this point have been based upon what is typically helpful to support a strong and healthy immune system – including remedies that are known antiviral agents.

I now have very important new information from immunology research that I wanted to share as it could be extremely helpful – for prevention and treatment. I think it’s critical to share this information widely and as quickly as possible as it has the potential to turn the course for those who are immune compromised and elderly.

Most of this information comes from a couple of webinars and from this excellent podcast I recently shared on Facebook. I will summarize the important points below. The podcast is heavy into immunological science but it is chock-full of critical information and I’d dare say potentially life-saving information.

Avoid with COVID-19 infection:

ACE-inhibitors. These medications work on the very receptors that that the virus binds to- so they stress the very biological system the virus attacks. Because ACE inhibitors increase the amount of receptors the virus binds to, those who are on this medication will invariably have a higher viral load. Better to utilize other types of blood pressure lowering medications than ACE inhibitors now.

Ibuprofen – switch to acetominophen instead. It is thought that Ibuprofen exacerbates the illness as it puts more stress on the very system (renin-angiotensin) implicated in infection.

Things to add in for prevention:

Vitamins: C, A, D3 – These vitamins shut down the biochemical cascade responsible for the severe lung inflammation. Preventative doses to consider:

2-4,000 mg of Vitamin C

20,000 IU Vitamin A (not beta-carotene)

2-4,000 IU Vitamin D

Good quality sleep to boost melatonin which also reduces inflammation

Herbs to consider adding in for prevention:

Andrographis has been indicated becasuse it inhibits the furin protease on the cellular membrane which is necessary for viral binding, also – Elderberry, Astragalus.

What to do when/if infected:

Increase Vitamin C levels – It down regulates the inflammatory markers that cause the severely uncontrolled inflammation in the lungs. Increase C levels to bowel tolerance – which basically means taking upwards of 10,000 mg per day or higher or until your have looser stools

Add in stress reducing herbs:

Passionflower, Feverfew, Ashwagandha– Not only are these herbs powerful for reducing stress (which is so depleting to the immune system) they reduce IL6 (interleukin 6) a key modulator of inflammation implicated in this disease.

One last note about prevention = Quality sleep important

Lastly, sleep and stress reduction are both extremely important. Because melatonin levels are inversely correlated with illness, sleep is critical now. This is thought to be the reason why children are less susceptible because they have higher melatonin levels.

Consider: meditation, limiting your news consumption and including some deep breathing that will not only promote relaxation, it will power up your lungs. I really like ‘5 for 5’ breathing. Inhale for a count of 5, hold for a count of 5, exhale for a count of 5 and hold again for a count of 5. Repeat this 5 times.

I will be offering another healing meditation at 1 pm EST Wed March 25th:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/651310235

I felt like sharing some support and information during what feels like an unusually ‘weighty’ time. Last week, it felt like all I needed was more breathing room, so I have been tuning in quite a bit less to media and I’m feeling so much better!  For those of you who are currently tuning-out and happily going about your day, I applaud you – there is no need to read the rest of this post.  Just know that I am offering a guided stress-reduction meditation this Saturday 3.14 at 5pm  EST, I will also have time for q&a and cover some immune supportive ‘tips’. Stay tuned for a link. 

For those of you who believe knowledge is empowering, I wanted to share some quality information from a few perspectives that have come across my path in the past week:

Integrative Medicine Perspective

My dear friend and colleague, Dr. Christine Schaffner at Sophia Institute treats a large population of chronically ill patients with high-level cutting edge methods that are integrative.  Their center combines the best of research oriented protocols and bioenergetic interventions.  Since they treat such an immunocompromised population, the doctors at Sophia are really at ‘ground zero’ for learning what will be useful in prevention and treatment of COVID-19.  They are doing amazing work to keep us abreast of the latest developments and tools that can be helpful.  I attended a webinar last week that went heavy into the immune science behind this variant of coronavirus, and based upon this update, I am still recommending the measures I wrote about a few weeks ago.

Tonight, Dr. Klinghardt at Sophia is offering a webinar with more information, feel free to sign up for the call, and you should be able to get a replay.

Chinese Medicine Perspective

This is a great research article of findings from Chinese Medicine practitioners who traveled to Wuhan and treated COVID-19 patients first hand with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.  I find it extremely fascinating and very informative.  Translated from Chinese medicine terms to layperson’s terms: what they discovered was that the manner in which the virus infects and then affects the respiratory system is unique and requires an entirely different approach. People aren’t getting sore throats and upper respiratory congestion with this illness, they are experiencing fevers, sometimes headaches, and a dry cough with a thicker congestion that settles deeper into the lungs. The acupuncturists were able to help the patients by treating the large intestine meridian instead of the lung meridian (which is typically how a respiratory illness is addressed).  The large intestine and lungs are connected after all.

Long story short, if we get this virus, it’s not one that we will be able to ‘cough up’ – it’s almost like we just have to ‘digest it’ – for lack of a better explanation.  Since the congestion is ‘sticky’, it will stick around longer, so hydration, warm broths and your herbal teas here will really help.  Staying well now goes really far in not only preventing, but also increasing our chances at moving through it more comfortably.  Once again, my previous suggestions still apply.  

Mental Health Perspective

Check out this supportive blog post written by another dear friend and mental health expert, Dr. Julie Lopez.  It offers keen insight about risk vs. stress levels during these times.  While COVID-19 will need to run its course, it’s important to dial out and get the bird’s eye view as much as possible.  Is keeping up with the flood of statistics more harmful than helpful?  Probably.  As important as it is to keep our bodies strong and healthy, it’s also important to discern what is helpful information, and what can be ‘too much’ information.  Afterall,  our DC metro airways are already extra-burdened with politics in an intense election year.  This is more than enough energy for my system.
One final note – have you noticed we are heading into Spring?  You may be sniffling and sneezing and these are extremely common allergy symptoms, not COVID-19 symptoms. So no need to fear the seasonal allergy sufferer – there are a lot of us out there!

I feel we are all doing our best to contain this, and this is a time for us to support each other in this shared experience –  in spite of it being inconvenient.  We will get through it!

warmly,
Dr.  Marie

The intention of our yoga and energy healing retreat is to support and empower you on your healing journey – you may crave replenishment and renewal or you may have a specific intention or a desire to create a change in your life.  Dr. Marie and Liana will create a warm and safe supportive environment for you to become deeply grounded and cultivate your inner calm and resilience.  You will be guided through yoga and energy healing sessions designed to clear past energies and support optimal alignment with your present –  so that you may flow into your future goals with greater ease and awareness.

Haramara resort is located outside of Puerto Vallarta near the neighboring town of Sayulita.  It is set on a lush hillside overlooking the ocean – it is a beautiful eco-resort. The land at Haramara is special – it is sacred land previously occupied by the local Huichol tribe.  The owner of Haramara built the resort with the intention of keeping the native vibe fully intact.  It is the perfect place to unplug – all of the open air cabanas are spaced far apart, so you feel fully immersed in the terrain, and electricity is limited to the main dining and pool areas.  A visit to this land is deeply healing in and of itself.  

Together, we will experience:

~twice daily yoga at your pace

~guided breathwork, meditation, and chakra clearing 

~group energy work for healing and renewal

~rituals for transformation of energy and patterns 

We will also have opportunities for:

~spa treatments~temezcal (Aztec sweat lodge)

~walks into the neighboring town of Sayulita

Unplug, tune into nature and receive support on your journey – we hope you can join us!

Who We Are:
We are both alternative medicine and healing professionals practicing in Washington, D.C.  We deeply believe in the body’s innate capacity to heal from physical, mental, emotional and spiritual disharmony and are passionate about helping others gain access to their own healing power.  We met almost 20 years ago at a yoga studio and have continued to build on that initial connection through our friendship, respective healing journeys, and professional paths.  We are very excited to be collaborating together on our first of what we hope will be many retreats! 
Dr. Marie has been in naturopathic medicine practice since 2002, and has over 20 years experience as a craniosacral practitioner.  As a fervent seeker and forever student, Dr. Marie’s personal healing journey inspired her to study a myriad of energetic healing modalities.  She has extensive shamanic training, has been a long-time meditation practitioners, is a family constellation facilitator and is recently certified in past life regression.  
Dr. Marie recognizes that the physical, emotional, energetic and spiritual aspects of our human experience are all highly intertwined.  She skillfully weaves the contents of her eclectic medicine bag to support people wherever they are on their own healing journey.
Liana Brooks-Rubin is nationally certified as a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine.  She is a licensed acupuncturist, practitioner of Chinese Herbal Medicine, and a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500).  Like Dr. Marie, Liana is a seeker and perpetual student who is dedicated to deepening her study and practice of Chinese medicine, largely through an ongoing hands-on apprenticeship with the founders of the Association for Traditional Studies based in Asheville, NC.  Liana has also been a dedicated student and practitioner of alignment-based yoga, pranayama (breathwork), and meditation for 20 years and has been a teacher of Hatha yoga since 2004.  

Pricing, Accommodations, Reservations
*All prices below cover accommodations, three meals per day, twice daily yoga classes, guided group healing exercises and rituals, and one combined acupuncture/energy healing session per person.  Separate costs include airfare, shuttle to and from the airport in Puerto Vallarta to Haramara and any on-site spa services you opt to take advantage of while at Haramara.*
**We are offering a $200 Early Bird discount if you make a $500 deposit on or before May 15th, 2020**  Early bird prices are as follows:*Single:  $3,000*Double: $2,200*Triple:  $2,000*Quad:   $1800
To register or for additional queries, please contact us at liana@eventidewellness.com and/or drmarie@drmarierodriguez.co

I had really been feeling anxious and off this week. It all started before the equinox with body aches, congestion and some serious lethargy. Luckily some rest and immune support – elderberries – were perfect for clearing the rogue virus. Immune system back on track, but I was still left feeling buzzy, racey and had seriously achey legs. Classic signs of my root chakra needing some serious attention! Following the impeachment saga and getting frazzled about downed internet were doing absolutely nothing to support me feeling grounded.

I’m thinking – OK this really is anxiety- and it feels crazy. Knowing that it is hard for me to give myself advice, I literally had to think ‘ok what would I tell a client to do if they were feeling like this’. hmm I would say “legs up the wall yoga posture immediately for 20 min”

Legs up the wall is the perfect nervous system reset. In 10 min I can feel my adrenals throbbing and then I immediately got the hit that in addition to my normal meditation routine, I really need to connect more with nature to attune to the seasonal change- barefoot on the grass preferred…imagine myself rooting just like the trees send their energy down into their roots this time of year. Now is the time for more self care and even a ritual to honor the change of season. I’ve been spending 10-20 min barefoot outside in the mornings and what a huge difference it has made.

This is a perfect time of year to invest in ourselves in terms of self-care. When all of nature is slowing down and rooting, we humans tend to get busier – back to school schedules followed by holiday train. It’s hard on our bodies and it weakens our immunity. It’s not uncommon to feel edgy, irritable, lethargic or experience digestive woes or upper respiratory symptoms as we adjust to fall.

Consider ‘falling’ into some self care with a healing session for some grounding support, AND when you refer a friend you will receive 50% off a facial or massage with my friends at Ladan Holistic Spa!

I hope this finds you all well with the transition to these cooler, shorter, ‘back to school’ days..

For those of you who may not know, I have moved back to the East Coast!  I made the long cross country trip with my 2 cats in their carrier and arrived late August in time to get a dose of heat and humidity.  

After living 2.5 yrs on the beautiful Northern CA coast, I honestly had had enough  🙂  Hard to believe – California is a beautiful and healthy place to live, but after 2.5 years in a small sleepy coastal town, I was ready for more activity – I had also had enough of the cold weather and fog.  (Think UGG boots and puffy jackets year round !)

The time I spent out West was fruitful for personal healing on many levels. Having all that extra space enabled me to see patterns and make changes that I wouldn’t have been able to had I stayed in my routine here.  I also had the opportunity to expand my horizons in the healing arts.  I took several myofacial release classes and am able to offer that approach in combination with my craniosacral therapy for an added approach for pain relief.  I also am now certified in Past Life Regression – it’s great for sensitive people and healers who want to address patterns from those deep and ‘hidden’ place.  I tend to span the spectrum when it comes to healing – there is no ‘one sized fits all approach’

I want to extend a warm thank you for your support during these past couple of personal healing/transition years.

To that end, I am offering a 10% discount on your next visit – through November 2019.

This time of year is perfect to treat yourself to some self care to support grounding and adjusting to the change of season.  I always get a bit anxious in the fall and benefit from practices and therapies to support my nervous system and digestive system in adjusting.

I am offering healing sessions in person and over the phone and I am maintaining office hours at the same locations in in DC and VA.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Warmly,

Dr.  Marie

Doesn’t  it seem like life only gets busier and that there is more and more information coming at us all the time? There is too much information out there to take in and process! The human nervous system has never had a physiologic ‘upgrade’ to be able to handle this level of over-stimulation.  As a result, a lot of us feel overwhelmed, anxious, and have difficulties concentrating and sleeping well.

Because the nervous system isn’t fully developed until age twenty-five, the impact of our modern lifestyle is felt even more deeply by children and adolescents.  A striking example – digital screens affect the frontal cortex of the brain and alter dopamine levels much in the same way that stimulating drugs like cocaine affect the brain.   This level of sensory data in combination with the added burdens of environmental toxicity and nutritional deficits are compromising children’s nervous system health.  They are at a disadvantage for todays’ rigorous (and often unreasonable) classroom demands.  It’s not surprising at all that attention, focus and behavior are common concerns.

As a naturopathic physician in practice for over 15 yrs, I have seen just how dramatically the lives and health of children have changed.  Anxiety levels in little ones have risen remarkably.  In supporting children and adolescents to feel clearer, calmer and more focused, I like to focus on boosting brain health,  managing daily stressors, and building nervous system resilience.

In supporting overall brain health – I encourage parents to eliminate foods with additives, dyes, processed sugars and taking a look at potentially  inflammatory foods that can impact focus, energy and mood.  I encourage parents to take a look at protein content of foods – making sure there is protein at each meal.  This balances blood sugar – which works wonders for balanced energy and moods.  The developing brain requires a plethora of natural plant based vitamins and minerals for repair and essential fatty acids for optimal nerve cell membrane function.

I love making nature prescriptions to help children and families manage stress – children thrive in the outdoors!  There is so much great information out there about the healthy benefits of earthing – or connecting our body’s electromagnetic field with that of the earth’s.  It is powerful for discharging stress and reseting the nervous system.  Think bare feet in sand or grass for 10-15 minute daily.

Because children and adolescents are so open and sensitive, they respond really well to energetic bodywork.  I incorporate craniosacral therapy in my practice – a gentle system that eases the nervous system out of fight or flight and back into the restorative parasympathetic state.  This modality in combination with guided visualization is really effective for improving adaptation to stress, boosting concentration and improving sleep quality.

Our children don’t have to be at a disadvantage as we life life in the fast lane.  We just need to implement wellness strategies at a much earlier age.  Gone are the days when kids could get away with fast foods as a nutritional mainstay, and no one is too young to begin a daily mind body practice for calming and strengthening the nervous system.