staying strong against Covid-19
Cases of Corona virus infections are on the rise in states across America. Uncertainty continues to grow amongst us and few know what the do about protecting themselves against potential infection; government agencies are inconsistent in their recommendations.
In the initial wave of infection, our primary goal was defend ourselves from possible infection:
wash your hands
don't touch your face
sanitize everything
stay at home
don't have contact with others
As we began to open up and have more contact, the recommendations adjusted to include:
The top three recommendations (wash hands, face touching and sanitizing)
social distancing- minimum six feet apart
wear face coverings when in contact with someone less than 6 feet
But these are all defensive postures. How can we be on the offense? How can we set ourselves up for success fighting the virus rather than just avoiding exposure?
GET STRONG
Getting strong has four basic elements:
Eat right
Get moving
Adequate rest
Appropriate supplements
Eating "right"
In times of stress, your digestive system doesn't work well. (see previous post: tummy)
So rather than just talking about foods that are "good for you," I wanted to discuss the idea of ancestral foods.
My pet theory is that we have an affinity to and improved absorption of foods that we culturally were born into. I am Korean. I grew up in the States but our home cuisine was Korean. My comfort foods are not pizza or mashed potatoes, it's kimchi jigae or curry rice. Despite all the Korean Barbeque restaurants out there, Korean cuisine is primarily vegetarian because meat was expensive and historically, Korea was a poor country. I feel better and digest Korean food better than other foods. (probably totally psychological but what's wrong with that?).
So, in times where stressors are high due to uncertainty and anxiety, lean on your ancestral foods. Trust me, most of them have very healthy components like vegetables, organ meats, fermented components, herbs and spices. All these components help build up strong barriers and protection against viral attack (mucus membranes, skin, hair, etc) but also enhances your bodies natural immune response to attack the viruses as soon as they try to enter your system.
Get moving
I don't care if you are super obese or an elite athlete, literally thousands of studies talk about the importance of exercise. What is the best? If you ask me, it's WALKING. Walking helps with insulin sensitivity so you don't get that after lunch drag, improves your immune function, increases muscle development, reduces fat accumulation; the list goes on and on. The benefits of walking sets your body up to take on any immune challenge and invader that might come your way.
Commit to walking at least 5k steps per day (about 2.5 miles) and just feel how much more energetic, light and youthful you feel. Try walking in different environments and times of day. You will be treated to different scenes, smells and awarenesses.
Adequate rest
One unintended consequence of working from home during this pandemic is 24 hours access and availability expectations. Many people have complained that since they are working from home, the lines between personal and professional life have significantly blurred. Employees are expected to get on meetings much earlier in the mornings and later into the evenings. This makes getting proper sleep more challenging but it is important to set sleep as a priority. This graphic shows you some of the negative effects of sleep loss:
Get adequate rest. Be your best to take on the viral challenge.
Appropriate supplements*
Getting strong to resist an infection:
Support cell membrane:
Tuna Omega 3
Cardio plus (natural CoQ10)
Immune support:
Viranon (anti-microbial)
Epimune Complex
Immuplex
Thymex- thymus support
Cataplex D- vitamin D
Anti-microbial foods:
Garlic
Ginger
All supplements are from Standard Process.
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Stay healthy. Be kind. Take care of each other.
*Usual disclaimer:
Be advised that any nutritional program suggestion is not intended as a treatment for any disease. The intent of any nutritional recommendation is to support the physiological and biochemical processes of the human body, and not to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent any disease or condition. Always work with a qualified medical professional before making changes to your diet, prescription medication, lifestyle or exercise activities.
References
Garlic- antimicrobial
Ginger- antiviral properties
Omega-3 - cell membrane
CoQ10- cell membrane
Vitamin D- anti-viral
Thymus gland- immune function
Thuja (viranon)- immune/ antiviral
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