Health has always been a major concern for people throughout the years, resulting in numerous medical approaches which helped enhance the knowledge and technology that we have about medicine today.
But there are some instances when wellness goes beyond medicine and technology. For best results, people are encouraged to focus on other aspects such as their food intake, sleep, and stress levels. Doing so creates a more holistic approach to health.
And at a time when people’s health is at risk due to a global pandemic, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and strong immune system is a must.
Joel Lopez, a globally renowned and sought-after medical professional, offers a solution through the five S’s lifestyle approach which he believes will help boost the immune system against COVID-19 or almost any other virus.
His five S approach to holistic wellness
Before modern medicine became prevalent, people from around the world had their take of traditional or alternative medicine, which solved many common illnesses. But according to Lopez, early Chinese scholars or doctors would focus instead on making a person healthy by improving his constitution or immune system. So when these people get hit with a disease or ailment, their body is strong enough to handle and impede the spread of infection.
This ideology is what Lopez practices in his medicine today. And to further help people understand holistic wellness and its benefits, he developed the five S’s which stand for supplement, sunshine, sleep, smile, and sex.
For the first S, Lopez explains that aside from proper food intake, people should also start taking supplements to augment the number of minerals and nutrients that they’re currently consuming.
“It’s really important to have supplements nowadays. The reason for this is that our food is not as nutritious as it used to be. With conventional farming, we find that the minerals in our food are not that optimal,” the doctor said.
He added that when it comes to battling COVID-19, the best supplements to take are vitamin C, vitamin D3, and zinc.
Sunlight is another requirement in Lopez’s holistic approach. Nutrients such as vitamin D come from the sun and can help in promoting overall optimal health in the human body. But since not everyone has access to the early morning rays for about 15 to 30 minutes, the doctor re-emphasizes the need to take supplements.
“But you have to take the right dose because if you don’t, it probably won’t do you any good,” Lopez said.
The third S stands for sleep. According to Lopez, sleep promotes the secretion of hormones that help regenerate and repair the cells of a human body including the immune system. Among these hormones is melatonin which, aside from helping induce better sleep, manages immune function, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. It also functions as an antioxidant.
Another part of Lopez’s approach that also releases hormones beneficial for the immune system is smiling.
“When smiling, or laughter in general, we secrete endorphins or enkephalins which are natural opioid-like substances that our body produces. They make us feel good and when we feel good, we’re helping our immune system,” the doctor said.
He added that what people think affects various bodily functions such as the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, thus making positive thinking a key factor in maintaining optimal health.
Lastly, and although a bit controversial to some, Lopez also names sex as a way for people to achieve holistic wellness and boost their immune systems.
“Sex hormones are important for regeneration and repair. But as we age, the levels of our sex hormones begin to decline so when the levels begin to decline, that’s when we feel the signs and symptoms of aging,” Lopez said.
One of these symptoms includes immune-system aging, which makes people prone to infections and tumors as they age. Lopez advises people in this age group to work on optimizing their health for the best results.
The globally renowned doctor has used this approach on several of his clients. One of them was a family of five who contracted the COVID-19 virus. Without having to leave their home, Lopez was able to cure the family by boosting their immune system thus increasing their chances against the virus.
Finding his niche in the trade
Born and raised in Manila, Joel Lopez, popularly known as Doctor JLo, is a US-trained integrative medicine physician and certified nutrition specialist. His field of expertise ranges from biological, preventative, age management, and regenerative medicine. He is also knowledgeable in holistic treatments of chronic degenerative diseases and age-related disorders.
He took up medical technology as a prerequisite before entering medical school at the Far Eastern University in Manila. To further his education, the young Lopez moved to the United States.
In his time abroad, Lopez did his residency program in internal medicine at the Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. While there, Lopez would begin to realize that merely treating the patients and giving them medicine to manage their symptoms was a repetitive cycle that could have negative effects.
He would then study complementary and alternative medicine after completing his residency. Lopez would later receive a board certification in nutrition, anti-aging, and regenerative medicine.
Presently, Lopez is extending his knowledge and expertise through his new clinic in Centuria Medical Makati that will offer a wide range of services that aim to transform, boost, and maintain overall wellness for his patients.
And he also continues his advocacy to help and educate more people about the science of holistic medicine and its benefits by training other doctors, leading roadshows and health talks, as well as guesting in TV and Radio programs among others.