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!
16 Comments
Thank you for this. Can I ask your thoughts on natural immunity? If you had recovered from COVID, would you still have chosen to get the vaccine?
I’m honestly not sure. I would’ve consulted my doc for sure but I honestly just have no idea. I would think natural immunity is more effective but I know people do get it more than once.
I have always loved the content you provide and thank you for your time. This post has me a little concerned though. In a perfect world, if the majority of the population cared enough to do the hard work and prepare their bodies for everyday life in similar ways to yourself, instead of patching themselves with “pharma” and other products sold under the guise of food- would there even be a need for vaccines?
Shouldn’t the governments the world over be promoting the kind of lifestyle that you have taken onboard? I’m yet to see it.
Once they prioritise healthy choices and outlaw the out right unhealthy- I may too consider a vaccine because all other options and ways forward (that don’t involve billions of dollars for corporate conglomerates) have been exhausted
Yes, there would still be a need for the vaccine because eating healthy and supplementing does not prevent covid. You can still contract covid even with these measures, it’s just likely that the severity would be lessened. Furthermore, people are poor. There are millions of people, mostly people of color, that have been legally segregated into poor neighborhoods with little access to jobs, education and even food. Many people only have access to corner stores that sell junk food, not grocery stores. So even if the government came out and said: eat well, take these supplements! Only wealthier people can afford to do that. Millions of people in the US alone don’t even have access to healthy food.
Vaccinated people are still getting Covid. So does it mean if you’re vaccinated you won’t get Covid brain or the other long term side effects? Don’t come for me. ? Genuine question
That is being explored in studies right now! It’s a great question and one I have been asking since the beginning of the vaccine roll out. From preliminary data, my hope is that the vaccine trains the immune system and introduces the covid spike protein in a way that prepares the body not just to fight covid, but to avoid brain inflammation as well.
What do you think about the covid vaccine while pregnant? I have pcos and endometriosis and spent over a year overhauling my diet (even though I previously ate mostly paleo I went more hard core) , started a whole supplement regiment , acupuncture, reiki, etc to get more successful results with Ivf. I am finally pregnant but now getting pressured to get the vaccine and that worries me!
That is so tough! I’m just really not sure. I think it would be best to discuss with your doctor.
Thank you for sharing your honest and very well researched decision to get vaccinated. I wish more people would do as much research and recognize the difference between medical stats/facts vs. those who are out to make money by speaking out against this vaccine. Your doctor also sounds amazing! There need to be more doctors who utilize both Eastern and Western medicine in their practice to treat the whole patient.
Absolutely! I do wish more doctors were as passionate, caring and well educated in conventional and holistic medicine as mine. And yes, so many people speaking out against the vaccine are getting huge followings which honestly just translates into dollars for them. It’s sick.
Thank you very much for this article. I appreciate the information and your honesty. I was like you – very hesitant to get the vaccine but did some research and decided to go ahead with it. I prepared my body before and took care after. I unfortunately had to get moderna (it was the only one available before seeing my parents) and now after reading your article I am more worried about having had it. Any information you can give as to why it is worse than Pfizer and if there is anything I can do now?
Oh don’t worry! I need to edit this. My doc just said he sees more side effects (still mild) in Moderna. You’re obviously fine so don’t worry about it! And thank you for getting it, we’re all in this together!
Since you are a researcher, maybe you could provide the studies proving that covid even exists? The tests they are using does not even have a validation study. So how can they then say that they are testing for what they say they are testing for? If the tests is not valid, how is a covid death even determined? Has anyone ever died of covid? These are genuine questions, and I really would like to know. Nothing makes any sense when trying to dig trough the research around this. You say you have seen no valid arguments from doctors questioning these shots. Then my question is, are there any studies showing the shots are good for anything? I would really like to know what pubmed or other publications you based your choice on. I know this is a sensitive topic, and this is not an attack at all. I am just curious, since all the research I’ve put into this since the beginning of this “pandemic” have made me come to a completely different conclusion than you it seems.
Thanks a lot for sharing this. I was afraid to take the covid-19 vaccine but after reading your post I prepared myself and took the dose a week ago.
This article absolutely threw me through a tailspin for weeks. Do you realize the power you have as an influencer? I was sure in my spirit that the vaccine wasn’t for me. I didn’t realize how much I’ve been relying on other people’s opinions. Respectfully, I have unsubscribed from your blog. You have become a mouthpiece for a certain line of thinking.
Robert Malone calls this mass formation psychosis. I will say that I have noticed something similar with all the unvaxxed convoy pushers too. There are two sides gearing up to fight each other. Well, I have made my decision. No vaccine, but no fight either. My battle is not of this world, but a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12
What are your thoughts on the new boosters?