Many of us are taking the necessary steps to stay healthy and avoid contracting the COVID-19 illness. Below is a series of actions we can implement right now to further boost our chances of staying healthy.
Stay active
Get 30-45 minutes of activity 5 times per week. You don’t need to run or perform strenuous exercise. You can go for a walk. One great suggestion I read this week is walk fast for the length of one song and then walk slower for the next song. These small intervals will help get your heart rate up and then help you recover. Continue these intervals for 30 seconds. If you can’t get outside, do the same thing with the steps in your home. Walk up the steps briskly and walk back down slowly.
Diet
Eat foods high in antioxidants. Foods like berries and leafy vegetables (spinach, kale etc.). Consume green tea or decaf green tea. Consider taking vitamins and supplements. Our good friend, Dr. Doug DiOrio, recommends considering the following:
• Turmeric helps with inflammation which will help your immune system
• Vitamin C, D and Zinc have shown success in fighting viruses
• Omega 3’s help fight inflammation
• Manuka Honey has shown some success in fighting viruses
Relaxation/Mindset
Find daily time to quiet your mind. Many people use meditation. Others use yoga and prayer. Whatever works for you, just find some time to quiet your mind and relax. I have found meditation in the morning to be extremely beneficial. I use the Calm app which you can find in the App Store. YouTube has many free tutorials on meditation and yoga that are very helpful.
Take time to make sure you are focused on positive items. I would suggest you turn off the TV news. It is designed to keep you watching, and many times they use anxiety and fear as a great way to keep us tuned in. Many studies have shown that an outlook of positive expectation has great benefits to our overall health. Sports were a large part of my life. I am forever grateful for some great coaches who taught me to use my mindset to develop a positive outlook. In these current times, we think it is critical you expect to stay healthy and continue to picture yourself in great health.
Other suggestions and random thoughts:
• Get plenty of rest and sleep
• Drink lots of water
• Make sure you continue human interaction. Use skype and facetime to communicate with family and friends.
• Postpone nonessential appointments. If you don’t need to see your doctor for something critical, consider postponing a couple weeks.
• Use a grocery delivery service instead of going to the grocery store.
We would like to thank Dr. Doug DiOrio for his collaboration and help on this piece. Here is a link to some healthy and fairly quick to assemble recipes to prepare during this stay at home time prepared by Jill Guth. Jill is a health coach and has a passion for healthy cooking. We hope you enjoy. quick-and-healthy-meals
If there is anything we can do, please do not hesitate to be in touch.