After intitialy being quite wary of the vaccine, I decided it was safest to get it. For me, the benefits outweighed the risks and I did numerous things to prep my body. This is how I prepared for the COVID-19 vaccine.
I’ll be honest, when the vaccine initially rolled out – I was skeptical. Most vaccines take years to produce, fine tune, test for safety, ensure efficacy. Most of all I wondered how safe these vaccines were. I hadn’t heard of mRNA vaccines but I was thankful a viral vector vaccine was also available (Johnson & Johnson).
I decided to take a wait and see approach for a bit. I wasn’t the first to line up to get the vaccine honestly. I still wore a mask everywhere, socially distanced and was responsible. But I didn’t know yet if I’d get the vaccine. To be truthful, I was scared. I don’t have the best reactions to pharmaceuticals. I didn’t take narcotics when my kids were born via c-section or when my infected wisdom tooth was removed. I don’t get the flu shot. I don’t think I’d taken a vaccine in 10-15 years to be quite honest.
I watched the VAERS data coming out closely. VAERS is a system in which people can report adverse events and even death. I read voraciously. I read articles from the doctors who blindly supported vaccination in all forms and even said vaccines in their history have caused no serious harm (which is blatantly false). I read articles from Dr. Fauci, the CDC, the WHO, CNN. I read articles from Children’s Health Defense and Robert F. Kennedy. I read articles from Dr. Mercola, from Dr. Northrupp. I even read articles from batshit insane people who think the vaccine tracks us, causes infertility and somehow allows us to be hooked up to 5G and eventually traded via cryptocurrency. YEAH. I read ’em all.
Not all of them were valid, obviously. Not all of them had good science. Not all of them were unbiased. But they were information, and they helped me form my decision. And the reality is, the people who don’t support the vaccine, even the doctors, have no legitimate argument against it other than it hasn’t been tested enough (although at this point, with millions upon millions of doses administered – it has been).
I have seen and they have provided no legitimate evidence that the vaccine, in the vast majority of cases, causes harm. It doesn’t track us, we aren’t getting microchipped, it isn’t killing hundreds of thousands of Americans (but Covid is).
So like I do for most big decisions, I create a pro and con list. And the pros of he vaccine vastly outweighed the cons.
Risk Versus Reward
Initially I had thought, like so many other people, I’m young. If I get Covid I’ll be fine. I’m healthy, I take supplements, I optimize my nutrient status. Hell, I get more blood work and stool tests than anyone I know. I’ve got this! And realistically, I am not in a subset of people that Covid is a real danger for. If I were to contract it, chances are I would be fine.
And then I started reading about Covid brain. I read about how even young people with mild cases suffered from long Covid. I read from one of my favorite functional psychiatrists, Dr. Amen, about how he sees real changes in the brains of Covid patients. He was seeing more depression, more anxiety – actual physical evidence of this not from the pandemic, but from Covid literally changing the landscape of the brain.
I spoke with my doctor, who is a functional medicine doctor, an MD trained in acupuncture, Chinese medicine and meditation – and he told me he’s seeing Covid patients with inflamed brains. We discussed getting the vaccine over getting Covid, which one was more dangerous, and which was more likely to cause actual health issues.
I trust my doctor, he is both classically and alternatively trained. He has never once written me a pharmaceutical prescription, has only given me holistic supplements coupled with advice on exercise, meditation and even neurofeedback. And when he told me it’s more dangerous to get Covid, I believe him. He is brilliant, he knows how to research, he knows about human nutrition, the brain, how the mind, body and spirit are connected. He simply knows more than me, so when he suggested I supplement appropriately, boost my immune system and shore up my gut healthy and then get the vaccine – I did just that.
While my doctor suggested I get the J&J or the Pfizer (he did not recommend Moderna), I decided to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. I liked that it was one dose, it was a viral vector (more similar to typical vaccines) and it didn’t have as many ingredients.
How I Prepared For the COVID-19 Vaccine
Supplements To Prepare For The Covid-19 Vaccine
These are the supplements I took to boost my immune system before getting the Covid vaccine. I take most of them daily, but I would take these at least two weeks before getting the vaccine to reduce any nutrient deficiencies. I won’t go into detail for each supplement because this post would simply be too long, but each boosts the immune system and keeps your body functioning optimally.
- Vitamin D (5,000-10,000 IUs per day)
- N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
- Vitamin C (3g per day)
- My basic multivitamin
- Resveratrol
- Fish oil (2g per day)
- Collagen Protein + Super Greens (for gut health, one scoop daily)
- Magnesium (400mg nightly)
- Probiotics
*I discussed these supplements with my doctor based on my unique physiology and blood work. Discuss what’s best for your with your doctor. This is NOT medical advice.
Gut Health
Gut health is the basis for our health overall. Without a properly functioning gut, we cannot have a properly functioning brain or body. Gut health is absolutely crucial to overall health.
To improve my gut health:
- I took my Collagen Protein + Super Greens daily
- I took a probiotic nightly
- Limited sugar and refined carbohydrate
- Increase fiber from vegetables
- Ate fermented foods like sauerkraut
- Ate slowly, chewed, breathed
- I did not snack between meals or 3 hours before bedtime
Sleep
Obviously sleep is essential for everything. If you’re having trouble sleeping, read my article on how to improve your sleep HERE.
Exercise
It’s important to move your body. It improves mood, boosts the immune system, helps move lymphatic fluid and detoxify. Do it daily.
Mindset For the Vaccine
I didn’t get the vaccine until I was ready. I was nervous, but excited to do my part in helping end the pandemic. And honestly, I did NOT want Covid and Covid brain. I journaled about how I was excited to get the vaccine, how I was thankful it was available to me, and about how I was going to have a great reaction to it. Mindset is so key when we enter any situation. The energy you bring to it is real. If I were to go in dreading it, expecting to have a bad reaction, I’m sure my body would have reacted poorly. Mindset, energy and a positive attitude make a real difference.
Other important things I want to say about the Covid-19 Vaccine
And lastly, I am a researcher. I have built my career on research. On searching medical journals and PubMed, reading through studies, looking at who paid for the study, who performed the study, what their affiliations are. I know how to research, and I do so voraciously. But I am not a doctor. I am not a know it all. When someone or a group of people I deeply respect, like my personal doctor, Dr. Wong, Mark Hyman, Dr. Amen, etc. all say to get vaccinated – I listen. I still do my research, but I listen.
I also can’t help but notice that the doctors that are skeptical of the vaccine are largely doctors I do not respect, and have put forth no legitimate evidence that the vaccine is dangerous. They are mostly holistic or naturopathic doctors, many chiropractors, and they are genuinely building a following and making a ton of money promoting the skepticism of the Covid vaccines. I have seen no valid argument from these doctors and wellness practitioners, but many of them have lost what little respect I had for them.
The reality is that this pandemic is unprecedented. We aren’t going to see the same rollouts for vaccines like we normally do. There are risks associated with driving, with getting childhood vaccinations, with taking pharmaceutical drugs, with drinking, with smoking, with eating fast food. There are risks with the Covid vaccines, but factually, it is riskier to get Covid. Just statistically.
As of right now, VAERS reports just over 6,000 deaths from the Covid vaccine. These deaths are not confirmed from the Covid vaccine, but people have submitted reports to VAERS that 6,000 people have died from the Covid vaccine. Now, let’s assume that number is accurate (which it very likely is not). Over 621,000 people have died from Covid. This means you’re 100x more likely to die from Covid than from the Covid vaccine. And just look at the facts – more people are getting sick and dying in less vaccinated areas, whereas less people are getting sick and dying in more vaccinated areas. That’s just a fact.
I want to be a kind, considerate human.
When the drama started with masks, I really couldn’t believe it. Were people so weak that they thought they were being oppressed because they had to wear a five inch piece of fabric on their face? Yes, I quickly learned. People are that weak.
I understand the vaccine hesitancy more. I do. But let’s say we look back in ten year and find out masks and vaccinations don’t work (which isn’t true). But let’s imagine this for a second. I want to be the kind of person that wore my mask and got vaccinated to help protect my fellow humans. I don’t get all vaccines (or any actually), but I did get this one. And I’m happy to have done it.
So folks, this is how I prepared for the Covid-19 vaccine. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section!
