By Donna LaBelle
Corona virus, also known as COVID 19, has a wide variety of symptoms. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) they include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, shaking, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, loss of taste and smell. There has even been found on the front lines purple, blue or red lesions on feet and toes, fizzing sensation on the skin, pink eye and confusion. 1 All of these as well as no symptoms at all! With the whole world shut down and singularly focused on this virus, fear has understandably run rampant along with the invisible enemy, as some have called it.
Here are some basic facts about defending yourself against viruses in general and COVID 19 specifically, plus a few suggestions on what to do about it.
Who's At Risk?
Studies show that men*, minorities*, people with compromised immune systems, the elderly, the obese and those with diabetes are hit harder than average. But logic indicates that what's at the center of this last sentence is also at the center of the issue of who is affected most: compromised immune systems, because all of these people have immune systems that are not working in an optimal way. Regardless of your position on extending or ending the shutdown, on masks, or six-feet gaps and disinfectants we can all agree that a healthy immune system is important!
What Helps Strengthen Our Immune Systems?
Stay Healthy!
A Simple Basic List:
• good nutrition
• good sleep
• stress reduction (did you know that not only stress, but fear, anger, worry and other negative emotions lower the immune system?) 2
• drinking lots of pure water
• exercise
• sunshine
• animals
• friends
• laughter
• optimism
• healthy habits such as minimal alcohol drinking and not smoking
• gardening – more specifically hands in the dirt! 3
Most of these things are free and don't need an explanation except to say that they work with your body to provide building blocks and circumstances for your immune system to be strong. If your life is not filled with the good stuff but with stress and fear, it can be a downward spiral – you grab a cigarette or a candy bar, you get tired, you pull back from people, you start over-thinking, imagining, worrying, blaming – you can start anywhere on this list and like most of us know, it is easy to roll downhill.
A few tips to break out of that cycle:
• before you watch another show, sit in the sun for 5 minutes
• think of a friend who is struggling and text them a few reasons why they are special
• pick out some flowers to plant (the sun, fresh air, dirt and beauty make an impact)
• spend five or ten minutes thinking about things for which you are thankful
• start an exercise habit with SMALL goals – run 1 block, 10 squats, 10 curls; if you are a 'list' person, decide on the small habit (the 1 block) and check things off. If you are a 'rewards' person, plan small rewards for small goals and bigger ones for big goals
• take deep slow breaths 4
Are Food and Vitamins Important?
Absolutely! If you seriously want good health and a strong immune system what you eat and put into your body is very important. What to eat:
• good protein for white blood cells such as meat, nuts, dairy and eggs
• good fats such as olive and coconut oil and avocados
• vitamins such as beta carotene, vitamins C, D, E and zinc and selenium or
• food forms of beta carotene – sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, spinach, peppers
• for vitamin C – citrus fruits, red bell peppers, papaya, strawberries and tomatoes
• for vitamin E – sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts and peanut butter
• for zinc – lean mean, poultry, seafood, milk, whole grain products, bean, seed, nuts
• for selenium – tuna, beef, Brazil nuts
• certain foods such as garlic, kale, navy beans, reishi mushrooms, blueberries and raspberries help raise your immune strength
• one particularly good mushroom is Chaga, full of antioxidants! 5
• other herbal teas blends like matcha, tulsi, echinacea, ginseng, aloe vera and green tea 6
Slowing Down
Many people have taken advantage of the gift of slowing down and having more free time. Not everyone was given these great opportunities, but truly many lives have been changed in big and small ways because of the times we are going through. “Unprecedented” is a word I hear often to describe it. No one has been unaffected and no matter where you fall on the spectrum, it really is a great time to evaluate your life. Are you happy with your career, your relationships, your health? Use this viral shake-up as a catalyst to make the changes you have always wanted to make. One of the most important factors in establishing new habits and lifestyles is how deeply you desire them and sometimes you just need a good push to take the dive!
*Men and minorities may have lower immune systems on average due to many factors which we will not cover in this article.
Photo: Frepik