COVID19 has the world currently on lockdown in an effort to flatten the curve of the virus spread. The World’s economy appears to be on the brink of financial ruin. The fallout from this pandemic will be unknown for months, possibly years from now, but as long as you stay healthy, nothing else matters. We are all in this together! During this pandemic we seem to have been given very few options thus far. Social distancing and hand washing seem to be the two most talked about options for keeping ourselves somewhat protected against contracting the virus, but no other options are really being given to the public at this time. The real panic appears to be toilet paper or should I say lack thereof.
What we currently know about COVID19: The Virus or Disease, however you want to phrase it, can cause pneumonia like symptoms, has been reported on every continent except Antarctica and in more than 150 countries. Coronaviruses range from some common cold viruses to more severe acute respiratory syndromes (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Initially, the Virus was thought to mainly effect the elderly or immunosuppressed population base; however, we are now discovering that the COVID19 virus has no age discrimination. There are currently over 100,000 cases in the United States and over 600,000 cases worldwide. Deaths currently sit at roughly 2000 in the United States and 28,000 worldwide. As more testing takes place we will undoubtedly see a significant rise in the cases and deaths in the days, weeks, and months ahead. If you like, you can track the COVID19 spread here:
COVID19 will now join Influenza, as well as the host of other common viruses to plague our world moving forward. As Epidemiologists and scientists alike work tirelessly to develop a vaccine and an effective treatment protocol, we must each work diligently to improve our current state of health and bolster our immune systems. Shelter in place orders are in place worldwide and our lives have temporarily become restricted, the likes we have never seen before. We must all take this pandemic seriously and do our part to help our communities successfully navigate the tough times ahead.
Individuals with compromised immune systems, diabetes, heart disease, pulmonary diseases, or any medical condition that weakens the body are at greater risk of contracting the COVID19 virus or any other virus for that matter. Extra precautions should be taken to minimize your exposure if you find yourself in this situation.
The medical community has always preached the importance of exercise and eating right. Now more than ever you are witnessing how maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercise and nutrition can help save your life. You are only as healthy as your immune system allows you to be!
Your immune system is just that, a system. A complex system that has more moving parts than you want to read about, but pray work properly every day of your life. Our bodies are always in a constant state of change, from the moment we are born, until the time of our death. When our immune system has a good balance, we feel healthy and full of energy. We feel alive! When our immune system, let’s say, is out of balance or compromised, we don’t feel our best, and become susceptible to illness. An out of balance immune system sometimes requires us to seek medical intervention to restore that balance. If we take care of our bodies and restore the balance we boost our immune system and restore our health. Good health takes work, especially today with all the processed food choices, and sedentary activities available to us. If we don’t have our health, nothing else matters.
Here are a few tips to improve your health and beef up your immune system:
Exercise should be performed daily and should become part of your lifestyle or better yet, a habit. Exercise comes in many forms and we all should use a combination of exercise types in order to take advantage of all the benefits exercise can have on your health. More on the various types of exercise in another Blog. Exercise has many benefits and under these tough circumstances you will want to definitely get in your daily exercise to help you body with:
- Reducing Stress! Elevating mood! We are all under enormous amounts of stress related to the worldwide COVID19 pandemic, take this time to get your endorphins kicking!
- Improve Bone and Muscle health. Exercise reduces muscle atrophy and increases bone density.
- Good for weight loss and weight management.
- Great for skin and brain health
- Great way to improve cardiovascular fitness and reduce heart disease
- Improves sleep quality and aids in relaxation
- Increased energy
Eat a nutrient dense diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, eat the rainbow. Here are 10 foods that can help boost your immune system:
- Citrus Fruits – Rich in Vitamin C and know to increase white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting off infections and connective tissue health. Your body only stores Vitamins A, E, D, and K; therefore, must replenish all other vitamins and minerals daily.
- Red Bell Peppers – These vegetables pack a punch. Know to have twice as much Vitamin C as Citrus, also help keep your skin and eyes healthy.
- Garlic – Very valuable in fighting infections and also can help lower blood pressure as well as slows down the hardening of arteries. Garlic is used in almost every culture for cooking and for good reason.
- Broccoli – Packed with Vitamins A, C, and E, but in order to keep all the nutrients in tact cook it as little as possible
- Ginger – known for decreasing inflammation throughout the body, possibly has cholesterol lowering properties, and can assist with reducing chronic pain
- Spinach – Packed with antioxidants, beta carotene, and rich in Vitamin C can aid the body in boosting our immune systems
- Yogurt or Kombucha – Living bacteria are the key to gut health. Our gut biome consists of 100’s of trillions of bacteria that keep us health. If our gut biome is out of balance or suppressed because of prescription medications we are susceptible to illness. Keeping your gut biome in check can insure your immune system stays strong.
- Turmeric – a fantastic anti-inflammatory and can help decrease exercise-induced muscle damage.
- Almonds – Packed with Vitamin E and is one of the key vitamins responsible for a healthy immune system
- Green Tea – Packed with flavonoids (antioxidants) which enhance immune function. Also, a very good source of the amino acid L-theanine, which can aid in the production of germ fighting compounds in our T-cells.
- Drink plenty of water. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate, recommended 8-10 glasses of water daily. Add alkaline water in to help keep your body from being too acidic.
- Don’t smoke or chew tobacco products
- Drink responsibly and in moderation, excessive alcohol consumption can weaken your immune system. Always drink responsibly and in moderation
- Meditate or use any other technique to reduce stress. Meditation and breath work can do wonders for reducing stress and clearing your mind of clutter. In our constantly connected lives we have forgotten how beneficial the “sacred silence” can be for our mind, body, and spirit. Being alone with yourself in a meditative state can do wonders not only for your stress, but also for your productivity.
We are all in this together. Keep yourself healthy during these difficulty times and more than anything else, be a good neighbor!
God Bless Everyone!!
In Health and Wellness,
Brian