Cellular Health: Why It Matters & How to Enhance Cellular Energy

This month I wanted to write about a little known supplement with very impressive benefits called PQQ, which is related to the better known nutrient CoQ10 which is most commonly used for its benefits for heart health and cardiovascular function. 

Both of these nutrients help each of the individual cells in our bodies, specifically the energy producing mitochondria in our cells. Now most people don’t spend very much time thinking about the cells in our body, any more than we do the atoms of the chair we may be sitting in, but the importance of our cells, and especially the mitochondria- known as the powerhouse of the cell- impacts every system in the body, particularly the heart and brain.

CoQ10 is a vitamin-like nutrient that is manufactured in the body, but that production decreases with age and is also decreased by certain medications, statin drugs in particular. CoQ10 helps to give energy to the cells to run properly. Without sufficient CoQ10, our cells can be starved for energy. 

CoQ10 is best known as a heart health supplement, and that’s because our heart cells have the most mitochondria per cell, since our heart requires so much constant energy to do its tireless job of keeping us alive. CoQ10 and mitochondria are important for all cells however, especially for proper functioning of brain cells.

I’ve written so far about CoQ10, which we can think of as food for our mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of the cell. PQQ, which stands for pyrroloquinoline quinine, is another nutrient that’s incredibly important for the health of our cells. Like CoQ10, PQQ helps to support the mitochondria in our cells, but it’s a unique supplement in its ability to help to signal the body to create new mitochondria. PQQ can also help the body to clear out defective mitochondria in our cells- damaged, defective mitochondria must be removed from cells and replaced with properly functioning mitochondria for cells to perform as they should. 

The process of removing damaged and defective mitochondria in our cells is called mitophagy. The proper functioning of this process is important for every organ in our body, but research is showing how crucial it is for brain function, specifically degenerative disorders of the brain like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Let me be clear, PQQ is not a cure for degenerative disorders, but the science is pointing to benefits for those conditions, especially preventatively. Mitochondrial function is crucial for brain health, since the brain uses roughly 20% of the energy our body required each day.

Mitochondrial production is impaired in both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and research has suggested that mitophagy- the process of removing damaged mitochondria from cells- is also not functioning correctly in people suffering from those disorders. Since PQQ can enhance the recycling of defective mitochondria and the creation of new, healthy mitochondria, it may be beneficial for those degenerative disorders, especially preventatively.

Also, research has suggested that in people with macular degeneration may have problems with defective mitochondria in eye cells, which reduce the ability of cells in eyes to work properly. Abnormal mitochondrial function is also frequently found in people with glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

So to summarize, CoQ10 and PQQ are very important nutrients that are particularly important for heart, brain, and eye health. They help our cells to have enough energy to work properly and help to give organs like our heart, brain, and eyes the energy they need to do their jobs. PQQ is a great addition to CoQ10, because it’s able to recycle and encourage our body to replace damaged and defective the energy producing mitochondria in our cells with new mitochondria. They really work synergistically.

We don’t give much thought to our cellular health, but our organs are made up of those cells, and the health of our cells translates to the health and functioning of our organs, which is what controls the health and proper functioning of our bodies!

We have a great product that contains both CoQ10 and PQQ by Natural Factors. It’s a one a day formula that we’ve put on every-day-sale for 25% off. We definitely recommend it! Stop by and see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights.

I know that was a bit dry, so if you’ve read this far, you’ve earned a couple of mitochondria memes:

Help for a Happy and Fit New Year!

Happy New Year! I wanted to briefly write about ways for this year to help with the common goals about being happy and fit!

I feel like we're all under so much stress, so supplements like theanine (an amino acid from green tea that helps to reduce stress and anxiety without tiredness) and Solgar’s Stress & Anxiety Relief (a favorite our ours that combines the recommended amounts of ashwagandha and saffron in one pill to help with anxiety and mood). I’ve written about both before, so I’ll link articles below if you’d like to read more about them:

Theanine for Reducing Stress and Increasing Focus

A Great New Supplement for Stress & Anxiety

Whenever the New Year rolls around, many people make resolutions to get in shape. There’s no magic wand, sadly, but there are some supplements that can help. Also, instead of thinking about weight loss, it can be helpful to reframe your thinking into focusing on being more active and eating healthier. Small changes can make a real difference, without making yourself crazy. See our articles below for more information on a few different supplements and ideas that can help with maintaining a healthy weight:

Change Your Thinking About New Year's Resolutions

Natural Weight Loss Supplements that Actually Work

From all of us at Pass Health Foods, we wish you a wonderful 2022!

Event Cancellation & Masks

Due to new vaccination requirements in Cook County for certain activities, we have chosen to cancel our wine tasting that had been planned for Friday, January 7th.

We also wanted to reiterate our mask policy at the store, that everyone shopping at the store will need to wear a mask in accordance with state and local laws. We had relaxed our stance a bit in the past, usually wanting to avoid confrontations with customers not wearing masks, but with increased Covid positivity rates we will be going back to asking each person to please wear a mask while shopping in the store. We have masks available if needed.

Additionally, we will continue to offer curbside pickup for customers who prefer it, just give us a call at the store at 708-448-9114 and we will help you with collecting your order and then will bring it out to your car when you arrive.

We really appreciate your help with this and for supporting us! ❤️

Quercetin for Immune Health

I wanted to briefly write about quercetin, a plant compound found in small amounts in many fruits and vegetables. Quercetin is a potent antioxidant and in the past has been a supplement frequently taken for allergies to reduce histamine levels. Interestingly, quercetin also has potent antiviral benefits, which is why it has recently become quite a popular supplement.

Quercetin is not a new or experimental supplement. It has been used for many years and has an excellent safety profile.

Research has shown that quercetin helps to prevent viruses from being able to enter and infect cells as well as slowing viral replication, and has been studied with a number of different serious viruses with good results (it was even researched with the Ebola virus back in 2016). Even though Covid is what’s foremost on everyone’s radar at the moment, it is not the only respiratory virus going around this year. I know several different people who were quite sick this year, but had negative Covid PCR tests; I only mention that because just like any other year, there are a host of viruses going around this winter, not just Covid, so doing what we can to stay healthy is always a good idea.

Dr. Paul E. Marik, MD, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia spoke about quercetin, saying "If you have something that is potentially beneficial, safe, and cheap, what do you have to lose?"

One of the reasons that quercetin may be beneficial against Covid and other viruses is that it may help to reduce viral load, making illness easier for the body to fight off. Our bodies are constantly fighting off invading viruses that we come in contact with as we go about our daily lives. If our body’s immune system is able to fight off those attacks, we stay healthy; it’s when the body is overwhelmed by those invading viruses that we fall ill. Research has shown that quercetin is able to help prevent viruses from replicating and infecting cells, and those benefits have been shown in both in vitro and in vivo studies for a variety of viruses including the common cold. Let me be clear, quercetin is not a magical cure for anything, but I do believe it can help our immune systems to work better to fight off whatever viruses we may come across.

Interestingly, it’s been found that vitamin C increases the effectiveness of quercetin and vice versa, so it's a smart idea to take those two supplements together.

It’s a supplement with good science behind it, and something that has been shown to be safe to take and has been used for many years, so I’d recommend adding it to your supplement regimen this winter along with Vitamin D, Zinc, and Vitamin C.

Vitamin D is a vitamin that’s made in our skin in response to sunlight, but most people are not getting much sun on their skin in the cold weather, which is why our vitamin D levels are usually a lot lower in the winter. Research on Covid patients has found that people who had the lowest levels of vitamin D levels had much more severe illness, which no one wants, so supplementing is a simple way to keep yourself healthy (it’s a tiny, inexpensive pill). Vitamin D is also helpful for bones and calcium absorption, so it’s always a favorite supplement of ours.

Zinc is a mineral that’s also great for the immune system, and most people aren’t getting nearly enough zinc in their diets. Zinc has been shown in research to have a protective effect against respiratory viruses but it also appears to have a regulating effect on the immune system, helping to prevent inflammation and also helping the body’s response to the Coronavirus and other viruses.

Vitamin C helps to enhance immune cell functioning, and we especially recommend the Ester-C form since it has been shown to stay active in the body longer that regular vitamin C. It’s also a non-acidic form of vitamin C that’s gentle on the stomach. The majority of people who had severe Covid symptoms, including critically ill patients, were low in vitamin C. Vitamin C is easily obtained from fresh fruits and vegetables, but unfortunately most American diets are not getting the recommended amounts of fresh product every day, so supplements can be helpful.

Keep in mind, we are not physicians, but each of these supplements has been used for many years to help with immune health, which is even more important this year.

Staying Healthy in 2022

Staying healthy is something we always think about, but the past few weeks I'd say have everyone a little worried since for many of us the number of people we personally know who have gotten sick is definitely increasing, including people who have been vaccinated. We aren't physicians, but from the research available, we definitely feel like everyone should be taking vitamin D, zinc, vitamin C (in the Ester C form), quercetin, and maybe melatonin. Those are all supplements that have been used and recommended for immune and respiratory health for years, and we'd say it's especially important to keep up on that supplement regimen now.

Vitamin D is a vitamin that’s made in our skin in response to sunlight, but most people are not getting much sun on their skin in the cold weather, which is why our vitamin D levels are usually a lot lower in the winter. Research on Covid patients has found that people who had the lowest levels of vitamin D levels had much more severe illness, which no one wants, so supplementing is a simple way to keep yourself healthy (it’s a tiny, inexpensive pill). Vitamin D is also helpful for bones and calcium absorption, so it’s always a favorite supplement of ours.

Zinc is a mineral that’s also great for the immune system, and most people aren’t getting nearly enough zinc in their diets. Zinc has been shown in research to have a protective effect against respiratory viruses but it also appears to have a regulating effect on the immune system, helping to prevent inflammation and also helping the body’s response to the Coronavirus.

Vitamin C helps to enhance immune cell functioning, and the Ester-C form has been shown to stay active in the body longer than regular vitamin C. It’s also a non-acidic form of vitamin C that’s gentle on the stomach.

Quercetin is a plant compound found in many fruits and vegetables. It’s often used for allergies, but it also has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the body and has been shown to be beneficial against viruses. Part of why it works so well is that it’s been shown to can calm down the body’s overactive inflammatory response to viruses as well as helping to prevent viruses from replicating in the body.

Melatonin is usually known as a sleep supplement, but research has shown that melatonin can help with regulating the immune system and has anti-inflammatory effects. One recent large-scale study found that melatonin significantly reduced the risk of death in Covid patients that had been intubated and has also been recommended as a supplement to reduce the severity of Covid symptoms. For immune health we’d suggest using a time-release form before bed and also starting with a lower dose like 2-3 milligrams a day (sometimes if a person starts taking a higher dose without using melatonin previously, they can have sleep disturbances or strange dreams). Here’s a great study on melatonin and Covid-19.

Things are a bit crazy at the moment, but I think we all need to remember that this won't last forever; we just need to get through it.

Wine Tasting Event Menu

Wine Tasting List  

We will be sampling eight organic and vegan wines at our tasting event on Saturday, December 11th from 11-2. You can read more about our event here:

Organic Wine and Beer Tasting and Ribbon Cutting

The specific wines that will be available to taste are below including descriptions and pricing:

Grüner Veltliner

By Bio Kult, Product of Austria - Organic and Vegan $13.99

Grüner Veltliner is a wine found only in Austria. The flavors are vivid, clean, light and ready to drink with notes of fresh crisp citrus, with a lively acidity. It is often recommended as an exotic alternative to Sauvignon Blanc.

Moscato Dolce

By La Cantina Pizzolato, Product of Italy - Organic and Vegan $13.99

The sweetness and the creaminess of this Moscato and its bubbly texture make ita crowd pleasing and approachable wine with notes of peach nectar, sweet apple, orange marmalade, with a honey finish.

 

Sun & Rain Organic Chardonnay

By Frey, Product of California - Organic, Vegan, & Sulfite-Free   $12.99

A really wonderful chardonnay that’s not too heavy or buttery with notes of fresh-crushed peaches, lemon custard, and a crisp mineral finish. It has a creamy richness that makes this a crowd pleasing white wine.

Monastrell

By Honoro Vera, Product of Spain - Organic and Vegan $10.99

This is a delicious full bodied red that’s rich and spicy with notes of ripe plums and rich red fruit. This Spanish winery is over 100 years old and has the perfect conditions for extremely high quality grapes.

Cabernet Sauvignon

By Pacific Redwood, Product of California - Organic, Vegan, & Sulfite-Free   $12.99

A rich, full-bodied red with notes of cherry, chocolate, and cloves. Pacific Redwood is a third-generation family-owned and operated winery located at the pristine headwaters of the Russian River in Redwood Valley, Mendocino County, California.

Malbec

By Virgen Domaine Bousquet, Product of Argentina - Organic, Vegan, & Sulfite-Free   $17.99

A smooth drinking Malbec from the foothills of the Andes Mountains with rich flavors of berries and floral notes. The unique climate of the vineyard for these grapes produces super-flavorful, fresh-tasting grapes.

Pinotage

By Stellar Organics, Product of South Africa - Organic, Vegan, and Sulfite-Free   $12.99

A grape variety found only in South Africa. This is an earthy, smoky dark red wine with notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate.

Cabernet Franc

By Domaine Bousqet Gaia, Product of Argentina – Organic and Vegan $17.99

Cabernet Franc is the parent grape of both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.  A smooth full bodied red with notes of black pepper and dark red fruits.

Live a Little “Wildly Wicked White”

By Stellar Organics, Product of South Africa - Organic, Vegan, and Sulfite-Free   $11.99

This blend is a combination of 70% Chenin Blanc and 30% Sauvignon Blanc grapes with a soft and smooth texture making it a crisp and juicy wine.

Our New Natural Liquor Section!

We are so excited to announce (drum roll please….) that we have been approved for our liquor license at the store! We’ve gathered a curated selection of organic, vegan, and sulfite-free wines; local organic beer; certified gluten-free beer; and local craft ciders. You can see our entire current collection on our website here. It’s best viewed on a desktop to be able to search through the different categories, but on mobile phones there will be a small plus sign to click to show the different categories and the individual products for each.

Organic Wine & Beer Catalog

Organic, Vegan, & Sulfite-Free Wines

As someone who’s been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years, it’s kind of embarrassing that I’ve only just discovered in the past few weeks that wines could not be vegan (since they’re obviously not made from ham or what have you), but it turns out that most wines use animal products like gelatin, egg whites, the swim bladders of fish, or milk proteins in their production processes. The processing varies from winery to winery, but it’s generally not something that’s advertised (probably because the idea is definitely a turn off). Those animal products are used during something called the “fining” process, which helps to produce a “crystal clear” wine. Those animal products are removed before bottling, but many people (including me) would prefer to choose wines that do not use those animal products in their production. Additionally, people who are Jewish or Muslim may wish to choose a vegan wine since the types of gelatin used in the production are usually unknown.

Another thing we have looked for is for no sulfite-added wines. Sulfites are a type of preservative added to most wines. Some people aren’t bothered by added sulfites, but for others, sulfites can cause headaches. People with asthma can also occasionally have negative effects from sulfites. Everyone’s body is different, but I do feel better after drinking a sulfite-free wine when compared to conventional wines.

Our new wine section has special labels underneath each wine with a short description but also logos that denote if a wine is vegan or sulfite-free (90% of our wines are vegan and sulfite-free). Our wine list on our website (see our red wines here and our white wines here) also lists if a wine is vegan or has sulfites.

Local, Organic Beer

We also have a wonderful local organic line of beer that we’ve brought in called LaGrow that’s made in Chicago. They’re a small, family-owned business and we’re really glad to support them (plus their beer-especially their stout- is absolutely delicious). They were actually the first USDA Certified Organic Brewery in Chicago. We’ve talked to the LaGrow brothers are they are really nice people, so we’re thrilled to have their products at the store!

Gluten Free Beer

Conventional beer is made from wheat and barley, which is fine unless you are sensitive to gluten or have Celiac. There are a number of beers on the market that are called “gluten reduced” which add an enzyme that helps to break down some of the gluten in the beer, but those beers are still made from barley and wheat. The gluten-free beers that we’ve brought in are made from gluten-free ancient grains and have been certified to be gluten-free and safe for people with Celiac or wheat allergies.

I wasn’t sure what gluten-free beer would taste like, but after sampling them, I was impressed by how delicious they were! We will actually be sampling some of our gluten-free beer on Friday, December 3rd at the store from 5-8 and also at our ribbon-cutting event for the new section on Saturday, December 11th from 11-2 (click here for more information on the event and tastings).

Local Craft Cider

We wanted to sell a hard cider as another option for our gluten-free customers, and we found a local Chicago small cidery that we’ve brought in called Right Bee Cider. They have the cutest story:

“Boy meets girl. Boy makes cider to woo girl. Now he's right beside her. Right Bee Cider. What started as a romantic gesture grew into Chicago's FIRST cidery, owned and operated by a local husband and wife team. Small batches, small business, and a ton of love sent your way with every sip.”

Their ciders are absolutely delicious, so we’re really glad that we found them and have been able to connect with them to be able to carry their products!

See our entire catalog of organic and natural wine and beer (including pricing) here.

Note: If you’re on a mobile phone, click on the small “+” in the upper right-hand corner to see the different sections of the catalog.

Stop by to see us at 7228 W. College Drive in Palos Heights

We offer curb-side pickup!

We Love Bees!

This month we have fresh local honey that was harvested just last month in Homer Glen from a local beekeeping family! It’s absolutely delicious, we couldn’t recommend it more!

Also we have new “Bee’s Wraps” in stock that are really unique.  They’re pieces of organic cotton coated with beeswax made in Vermont that are washable and reusable to help to reduce plastic consumption. Bee’s Wraps can replace plastic wrap and plastic bags, you can use them to cover bowls or plates or even fold them over a sandwich or snack. We have one out at the store so you can see what they look like and how they work. We have them available in a three pack of different sizes.  They’re really wonderful and are a great way to reduce waste (not to mention that they’re super cute)! They’ll be on sale for 20% off during the month of October, so please stop by to check them out! 

Natural Help for Menopause [New Research]

I feel like menopause is something that isn’t spoken about that much, even though all women will go through it in their lives. Menopause is caused by a natural reduction in reproductive hormones, which begins in the late 30s for most women. Some time in their 40s, most women experience what is known as perimenopause, where estrogen levels begin to decline dramatically, causing unpredictable menstrual cycles, finally leading to menopause. Every woman is different, but most women experience menopause by their early 50s on average.

The most well-known symptom of menopause is hot flashes, although there are many common symptoms of menopause experienced by women that include sleeping problems, depressed mood, irritability, anxiety, joint and muscle pain, physical and mental exhaustion, bladder issues, and others.

For many years women often underwent hormone replacement therapy to manage symptoms of menopause, though in recent years that is becoming less common due to health risks since hormone replacement therapy has been linked to increases in the risk of cancer and stroke.

There are natural products that can help with managing menopausal symptoms without the risks of hormone replacement therapy, and I wanted to write about a less well-known supplement for menopause known as Siberian rhubarb that I’ve been reading about. It’s less known in the United States, but not elsewhere- it’s been used in European countries like Germany for decades to help with the symptoms of menopause and has extensive clinical and lab studies demonstrating its safety and effectiveness.

Siberian rhubarb has been found to be effective at low doses for menopausal symptoms; the clinical research found that just four milligrams a day helped most women. In research, after just one month the participants had a significant reduction in their hot flashes over that of the placebo group, and then after three months, the women reported a 54% reduction of their overall menopause symptoms beyond just hot flashes.

Another large scale study confirmed those results, and found that the longer women took the supplement, the better of results they had with researchers reporting that the women had an amazing 83% reduction in the severity of their menopause symptoms after one year. Another large study reported that after taking Siberian rhubarb for six months, 56% of women reported major improvements and 13% said they’d experienced a complete absence of menopausal symptoms.

This research is especially important since hot flashes and night sweats affect as many as 50% of perimenopausal women and up to 85% of postmenopausal women, and women typically experience them for five to seven years on average, with some women having them for fifteen years or even longer! Menopausal symptoms can be a real problem for most women, so a simple one capsule a day supplement that has shown to be so effective against the negative symptoms of menopause is pretty amazing.

Siberian rhubarb supplements are not very common in the US, but we have found two different products that contain the recommended dose used in the above studies, one by Life Extention and the other by a company called Solgar. They’re both great products, but we’d probably recommend the Solgar product called Menopause Relief the most because in addition to the recommended 4mg of Siberian Rhubarb, it contains saffron extract, a potent antioxidant that has many benefits confirmed by scientific studies including boosting mood, cancer prevention, and even helping to prevent macular degeneration.

Since we like it so much, we’re going to have the Menopause Relief supplement by Solgar on one of our everyday sales for 25% off, so I’d recommend giving it a try since with the sale it’s less than $20 for a month’s supply and contains the amounts shown to be beneficial in just one capsule a day.

With Siberian rhubarb supplements for menopause, some women experienced relief after just one month, though for others it took longer, so if you try it for a month and don’t feel the relief you’d like, I’d suggest giving it a real trial of about three months, since that’s the most common length of most research studies. It’s not a magic wand, but the research on it is very positive, so I definitely feel confident recommending it.

Physician Recommended Supplements for COVID Prevention

A year ago, by now, I thought Covid would be a thing of the past. With this new Delta variant, it seems we are not out of the woods yet, though I remain hopeful that things will get better. The nasty thing about the Delta variant is that it is much more contagious, and it appears that vaccinated people can also spread the virus and become infected (though generally with a milder case, thankfully). It’s frustrating, because I think we’re all tired of this virus and restrictions and everything else.

I recently read recommendations by a group of physicians who study this virus who have published new supplement regimens that they have deemed as effective for both prevention and mild cases. I’ll mention the relevant recommendations below.

For prevention, they recommend the following: 1,000-3,000mg of vitamin D3 daily, 500-1000mg of vitamin C twice a day, 250mg of quercetin, 30-40mg of zinc, and 6mg of melatonin.

Now, none of these are groundbreaking- they’re the supplements we’d always recommend for the immune system, with the exception of quercetin which is a lesser-known supplement. Still, I just checked on our website (passhealthfoods.com) to check the date, and there’s one of my articles on there from June of 2014 about quercetin. The article goes on to say how great quercetin is for viruses and how it can calm down the inflammatory response to viruses as well as how research has shown it can prevent them from replicating. So as I said, none of these are new supplements, though I’m glad that their benefits are hopefully becoming more well known!

They also recommend taking vitamin C twice a day, which I feel like is kind of a hassle for most people (more the fact of just remembering it two times a day). We have a special type of vitamin C at the store known as Ester-C which has been shown in research to stay active in the body longer than regular vitamin C, so if you use that form we’d say it’s probably comparable to using a regular vitamin C twice a day. It’s also a non-acidic form that’s gentle on the stomach (sometimes high doses of vitamin C can bother people’s stomachs).

Melatonin seems strange to be on the list, since it’s usually known as a sleep supplement, but research has shown that melatonin can help with regulating the immune system and has anti-inflammatory effects. One recent large scale study found that melatonin significantly reduced the risk of death in Covid patients that had been intubated. The Physicians do specifically recommend using a time release formula for maximum effectiveness. Even though melatonin is frequently used for sleep, high doses can sometimes cause sleep disturbances or weird dreams in some people. To prevent those possible side effects, it’s recommended to start with a lower dose and increase gradually.

Zinc and vitamin D3 are of course on the list since they’re both great for the immune system, and we’ve always recommended them during the colder months of the year for staying healthy. Vitamin D has been reported as being incredibly important since the beginning of the pandemic since it has been found that people with low vitamin D levels are much more likely to die from Covid than people with higher levels. Zinc works to help prevent viral replication, which is why it’s often seen as beneficial against any viruses.

The nice thing about the list of supplements that they’re recommending for Covid prevention is that they’re all affordably priced (in fact, I think we have all of them marked down on “every day sale” at our store). Also, all of them are well known vitamins or supplements that have been used safely for many years.

The doses recommended above are for adults, but we do also have children’s supplements available in good tasting natural chewables or gummies for vitamin D3, vitamin C, zinc, and melatonin.

Finally, I’d definitely urge everyone who hasn’t to get vaccinated. I know that sounds strange from a health food store owner, but we do really care about people and don’t want anyone to experience suffering that could be preventable. We had one of our good customers pass away from Covid not that long ago. He was a healthy, vibrant man, and yet when he contracted Covid he became extremely sick and never recovered. I feel like so many people think that since they’re younger or healthy, they’ll be fine, but the thing is, you never know. You don’t know how your body will react to this illness, which is now so easily spread. It breaks my heart to think of the people whose lives have been permanently altered because of this disease. Please take care of yourselves, and do what you can to stay healthy.