As previously mentioned, Barb and I had COVID-19 back in March.

Since that time, I have been suffering symptoms of Long Haul COVID (LHC). In my case, it has been two things 1) joint pain, particularly my right knee and 2) sensitivity to gluten.

I could function OK but I limped around a lot and spent a lot of time in the bathroom. I figured out the gluten thing after binging on bread and pasta a couple of times. I felt like crap.

Long Haul Covid is big business these days and there are clinics specializing in the treatment popping up all over. But I wasn’t gonna pay no clinic. Like everything else I do, this was going to be DIY.

I found a great article online regarding the problems with Long Haul COVID and some potential treatments available. In my own words (I encourage you to read the article) the body’s immune response ramps up so much to fight COVID, that it starts attacking the body itself. This causes inflammation.

Where the inflammation appears can be different for everyone. In my case, it was inflammation of my knee and my gut that caused the most discomfort. I know the problems were related to COVID as I did nothing to damage my knee and both symptoms came on right after I recovered.

So to fight LHC, I heeded the recommendations in the article.

I lightened up exercising the knee. My exercise is pain-free. No pushing through the pain. Stretching/yoga were extremely beneficial for me.

With nutrition, I made several changes:

• Intermittent Fasting
• Eliminated unhealthy carbs, gluten and added sugar.
• Targeted 12 servings of phytonutrients (fruits & vegetables) per day.
• Supplements: Glutathione, Zinc, Vitamin D, Resveratrol, and Quercetin
• Promote good “gut health” with probiotics such as yogurt and sauerkraut.

I started out my dietary changes with not eating at all for a day. I felt so much better! I suspected gluten was being inflammatory for me, so I cut that out completely. This was relatively easy, as Barb is nearly gluten-free anyways.

I found a Gluten Free beer at Wegmans that I really like: Redbridge by Anhauser Busch.

The Result

Nothing less than dramatic.

My gut was back to normal in a few days. This I attribute to the cutting out of the carbs and particularly gluten. I lost about 5 lbs in the first few weeks just by cutting out all the crap along with Intermittent Fasting on a 16/8 cycle. To date, I’m down about 10 lbs.

The knee pain has been incrementally getting better. I still notice it during Yoga when I’m doing a pose with a tight knee bend like Child Pose. When I don’t feel this pain, I’ll be 100%.

Overall, I feel fantastic.

Staying the Course

If I’ve learned anything in the past 10 years, it’s that healing takes time. I’m committed to staying the course for a month or two. I’m in the ‘Zone’ now where I don’t crave sweets or carbs so sticking to the program feels good.

Ron