Stop hurting yourself: the advice you most need right now (and aren’t getting)

The Centers for Disease Control is giving us good tips about social distancing and hand washing during the Coronavirus outbreak. But it may be missing the most important advice when it comes to taking care of ourselves.

We all have a little extra time on our hands right now, and, yes, I’ll admit to diving into “Tiger King” to distract myself from the flood of advice on everything from whether I’m allowed to touch a doorknob without gloves to whether I should wear a mask in the grocery store. 

I’m not a scientist and can’t offer a valid opinion on those matters. But here’s what I do know: PEOPLE ARE ASSAULTING THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS at a time when they most need to be strengthening them. They’re doing this by: 

• Eating junk food
• Watching too much news 
• Drinking too much alcohol 
• Not hydrating 
• Staying inside 
• Living a sedentary lifestyle 

At the same time many of us are taking fewer steps as we work from home, the New York Times is reporting that “processed foods are making a pandemic comeback” as shoppers seek comfort in cookies and pasta instead of organic greens and whole grains. It’s a tempting trend, but a dangerous one.

The good news is you don’t have to give in and in fact YOU CAN QUICKLY TAKE STEPS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM right now. Here’s how:

Eat a balanced diet of real food. Food is either feeding disease or fighting it. The immune system needs to be properly nourished to go into battle on your behalf.

Eat more fruits and vegetables, which are rich in nutrients like vitamins C and E, plus beta-carotene and zinc.

To go the extra mile in ensuring you do have a strong immune system, research suggests that eating garlic and foods high in vitamin C helps ward off infection The next time you reach for junk food, realize that you not only are affecting your weight, but you may be letting down your resistance to bacteria, viruses, and parasites. 

Drink water. Then drink more water. Water helps carry oxygen to your cells. It also works in removing toxins from the body, so drinking more of it could help prevent toxins from building up and having a negative impact on your immune system. Did I mention you should drink more water? And maybe less alcohol. Alcohol is a coping mechanism for some. But it affects the way healthy gut microbes interact with the immune system and disrupts the gut barrier, allowing more bacteria to pass into the blood. Excessive alcohol consumption interferes with the immune system, weakening your lines of defense. And it disrupts your airways. 

As for soft drinks? Consuming too much sugar can suppress your  immune system, making you more susceptible to bacteria. This effect lasts for at least a few hours after downing a couple of sugary drinks. 

Exercise. Physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This can reduce your chance of getting a cold, flu, or other illness. Exercise causes change in antibodies and white blood cells, the body's immune system disease fighters. 

Watch your stress levels. Get plenty of rest, and give yourself permission to step away from the TV news. When we're stressed, the immune system's ability to fight off antigens is reduced, making us more susceptible to infections. Stress can also be a factor in high blood pressure, fatigue and depression. 

Spend time in nature (while social distancing, of course). Vitamin D (the sun is its best provider) supports your immune system, and deficiency of it increases susceptibility to infection.

Probiotics are also your friend. They may help give your immune system a boost and inhibit the growth of harmful gut bacteria. Some probiotics have been shown to promote the production of natural antibodies in the body. They can be found in certain foods but also in supplements.

It’s easy to give in to fear right now, and to feed anxiety. But if you let go of the things you can’t control, you can focus on the things you can, creating an opportunity to be your healthiest self.

And you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to me at [email protected] to find out how you can stop playing defense and take your health into your own hands.