IMMUNITY AND MENTAL HEALTH TIPS TO SUPPORT YOU
This is a beautiful time to take care of ourselves and our health.
The recent events surrounding COVID-19 have disrupted us all, with potentially both negative and positive effects. We’re all spending more time at home, and daily routines, including how you’re feeding yourself and your family, exercising, working, resting, playing and socializing may all have changed. With stay at home orders extended, this is a great moment to reevaluate where you are and check in with yourself. How are you feeling? What are you craving more of during this time? How can you nourish and take care of yourself?
With the potential for increased anxiety around the current events, and an increased interest in protecting ourselves and our loved ones from illness, we want to offer some tips and strategies to support you.
To protect yourself from infection or illness, the best thing you can do (apart from complying with social distancing and hygiene guidelines) is to support your health and immune system. The immune system exists to identify and contain or neutralize foreign invaders, such as viruses or bacteria, so this is a poignant time to nourish and look after this system. Since research is still emerging and ongoing for therapies that are specific to COVID-19 prevention and treatment, the following recommendations are focused on supporting your health and immune system in general. 80% of the immune system resides in the gut, so nutrition and gut health are foundational for our immune health!
Support your health and immunity:
Reduce or eliminate added sugar - Read labels and avoid products with added sugar from high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, agave nectar, etc. To add a little sweetness to foods and drinks, we recommend using organic versions of plant derived stevia or monk fruit.
Reach for organic, whole foods - Eat a majority of organic plant and animal foods to maximize antioxidant and micronutrient intake. Use the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen lists to learn which produce items are essential for choosing organic.
Increase restful sleep - Your immune system is unable to function optimally without adequate sleep. Aim for at least eight hours. Allow more time for sleep by getting ready for bed earlier. Reduce caffeine, sugar, stimulants and screen time (or use blue light blocking glasses) in the evening. Try relaxing your nervous system with a soothing activity before bed, such as listening to music or nature sounds, breathing, meditation, or reading a physical book or magazine.
Increase gentle exercise - You don’t have to do a hardcore exercise routine to improve your health. 20-30 minutes a day of movement with a mat and or weights inside, or a walk, run or play outside, has benefits including stress reduction, stimulating the lymphatic system for detoxification, supporting blood circulation, and improving mood and sleep.
Connect with nature - Walking, running or playing outside for exercise is a great choice, since you get the added, therapeutic benefit of fresh air and sunlight. Touching the earth, a tree or the grass with your bare skin, known as “Earthing,” is associated with decreased free radical damage, stress and inflammation.
Reduce alcohol - While the temptation to have a drink (or three) may have increased with Zoom happy hours and quarantine life in general, don’t let your alcohol consumption creep up too much, since it puts an added burden on your digestive system and liver, and is associated with increased inflammation and anxiety. If you are going to drink, opt for a cleaner choice, such as the high-quality natural wines from Dry Farm Wines. For a mocktail, try sparking water with the juice of half a lemon, a dash of sea salt and stevia, served in a wine glass.
Reduce stress - We all have stressful situations and problems in our lives; the key is how we respond to them. Chronic stress is associated with increased inflammation and blood sugar levels and decreased immune system function. Exercise is a proven way to reduce your stress, along with using techniques such as breathing, meditation and mindfulness to relax your nervous system. Here’s a blog post with additional info on chronic stress. See below for more mindset and mental health tips!
Health and immune boosting foods and supplements:
Ginger - It’s well known that this superfood is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and supportive of digestion and immunity. Make a tea by steeping grated fresh ginger root in hot water (bring to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for 20+ minutes), or add to smoothies, soups or any other dishes - it’s great in Asian inspired meals, such as homemade teriyaki sauce with grassfed beef, cauliflower rice and broccoli!
Garlic - Garlic has anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties and is a powerful immune enhancer. You can chop up and take a few cloves of garlic like a pill for a potent effect, or simply add more garlic to your meals.
Bone broth - Bone broth is loaded with amino acids and nutrients that help to heal the gut and support the digestive system. This is the brand of store-bought bone broth we recommend, or feel free to make your own! Enjoy heated up by itself, add ginger, garlic, turmeric and/or sea salt, or use in soups and stews. Organic chicken or beef soups or stews made with bone broth are wonderful, soothing meal options for this time! You can try this chicken and ginger immunity soup!
Vitamin C - The power of vitamin C to reduce oxidative stress and improve immune health is well documented. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, with especially high amounts found in kiwi, broccoli, bell peppers, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, grapefruit and brussels sprouts. If you’d like to supplement, we recommend Xymogen’s Xcellent C, which you can order here.
Zinc - Zinc is required for the body to produce the white blood cells that attack infections. Zinc rich foods include oysters, organic beef, chicken and turkey, cashews, chickpeas, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Zinc can also be taken as a supplement, typically at 15-30 mg daily. We recommend Xymogen’s Zinc Glycinate which you can order online here.
Probiotics - These beneficial bacteria help to heal leaky gut and create a balanced microbiome to support the digestive and immune systems. Eat probiotic rich foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, and take a supplement - we recommend Megasporebiotic at 2 capsules daily after food.
Vitamin D - Vitamin D deficiency is very common and is associated with an increased susceptibility to infection. Maintaining optimal serum levels (between 50-70 ng/ml) is important for strong immunity. The best way to get vitamin D is to spend time outdoors daily and get some sunlight on your skin, however most people need to supplement with 2,000 - 5,000 IU daily of vitamin D3 to achieve optimal levels.
Mindset and mental health tools:
However you’re responding to this situation and however you’re feeling, have empathy, compassion and patience for yourself.
Set boundaries with the news - We of course want to stay informed about what’s going on, but too much consumption of the news may promote a fear based mindset. Setting guidelines for yourself around how much you’re taking in may help, such as aiming for 20 minutes to check in in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening.
Practice gratitude - It may sound dorky, but a gratitude practice is one of the quickest and easiest ways to lift your energy and transform your mentality from one of “lack” to one of “abundance”. When you wake up, try thinking about or journaling five to ten things in your life that you’re grateful for and appreciate - these can be simple, such as your bed, your family, the food you have, time outdoors, etc.
Send yourself some love - What’s the most loving thing you can do for yourself today? Cheer for and encourage yourself when you see an opportunity to - treat yourself like a friend! Loving yourself gives you the power and ability to spread more love to others.
Make time for stillness - Fear is usually connected to thoughts about the past or the future; being present allows you to relax and feel safe. If you’re resistant to meditation or breathing exercises, simply allowing time to just be and chill (without screens) is really beneficial. Author Gabby Bernstein offers a great resource for strategies to relieve anxiety and a free meditation here.
Find the positives - Give yourself permission to find the positive aspects of this shift for you and those around you. What positive things are coming out of this time for you? For many of our clients, one positive is that they are cooking more! What changes are you making that you want to take with you as we move forward?
We’re here if you’d like support
While Stephanie is returning from maternity leave this summer, Angela is available to support clients via our secure, HIPAA compliant video chat feature. We’re currently seeing all clients virtually and will reevaluate seeing clients in the office as we move forward. For online booking, click here to schedule with Angela now or jump on Stephanie’s waitlist.