HEALTHY LIVING At Last, a Way to Treat Integrative approach targets sleep, hormones, nutrition, and exercise. :: BY LYNN C. ALLISON M
illions of people suffer ongoing illness after battling COVID-19. Many have been
frustrated in their attempts to find adequate care because their symptoms have been diagnosed as separate diseases or, worse, as figments of their imagination. Now, experts have officially
acknowledged the often-debilitating long-term effects of COVID-19. The National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) issued a new, broadly inclusive definition of long COVID to improve treatment for both adults and children. This is important because
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7% of all adults — approximately 17 million people — report currently having long COVID. According to the 2024 NASEM definition of long COVID, it is a chronic condition that occurs after COVID-19 and is present for at least three months as a continuous, relapsing, and remitting, or progressive disease state affecting one or more organ systems. Symptoms include shortness of
breath, rapid heartbeat, extreme fatigue, post-exertional malaise, or sleep disturbance. The panel said that long COVID
can exacerbate existing medical conditions or present as new ones. Experts say that long COVID
mimics conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome because it affects the body’s energy production.
94 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | OCTOBER 2024 “When you get a viral infection,
your body intelligently tries to protect itself, so it shuts down energy production to starve the virus,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D. “This is one reason we feel so tired when we’re sick.” Teitelbaum, a board-certified
physician and noted authority on post- viral chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia, says in his latest book, You Can Heal From Long COVID, that managing long COVID requires an integrative approach that targets sleep, hormones, infection/immunity, nutrition, and exercise. The acronym for this protocol is SHINE. In randomized double-blind
studies, 91% of patients with CFS and fibromyalgia improved their symptoms with an average of 90% increase in quality of life using his SHINE protocol. Teitelbaum has treated long COVID patients with similar results. Here’s the recipe: Sleep. Sleep replenishes your body’s
energy, so you should aim for eight to nine hours nightly. Set up a bedtime routine that helps you relax, such as taking a hot bath and eliminating electronics. Taking a melatonin supplement may help some people fall asleep easier. Hormones. You may need
thyroid and adrenal support if you are suffering from long COVID. An integrative physician can help pinpoint potential deficiencies and suggest supplements
that are right for you. Immunity. Underlying viral, bacterial, and yeast infections are common causes of long illness. An elderberry supplement, such as ViraPro, can help boost immune response. Nutrition. To maintain optimal
energy levels, make sure you have a balance of nutrients. Vitamin B12, magnesium, acetyl-L-carnitine, glutathione, as well as your basic A, B, C, and D vitamins, are often depleted during long illnesses. Emerging evidence suggests that a plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet can help relieve symptoms. Exercise. After 10 weeks on the
first four steps, you should be able to slowly increase the amount of exercise you can comfortably perform without feeling wiped out the following day. Don’t overdo it. If you do get COVID-19, ask
your doctor for metformin. This diabetes medication may reduce the risk of getting long COVID by 63% when taken in the first three days of infection, according to a study published in the journal Lancet.
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