I read a meme the other day that said, “So far 2020 is like looking both ways before crossing the street and then getting hit by an airplane.” Can we have a moment to take a breath please? 

I saw on the news today that since states have started to reopen, Coronavirus cases have begun to rise. We hear a lot of talk about a vaccine but what we don’t hear about is what you can do to protect yourself. 

Your first line of defense for Coronavirus is your immune system. I am shocked and puzzled as to why we are not hearing doctors and other health professionals talk about what you can do to boost your immune system. 

We are all under huge levels of stress right now. Stress weakens our immune system. Here are a few things you can do to combat stress and strengthen your immune system.

Breathe

How often do you stop to notice your breath? Most people don’t spend much, if any, time noticing their breath. When our bodies are under stress our breath is usually short and shallow. This kind of breath will activate your sympathetic nervous system, your fight or flight response. In order to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, your rest and digest response, you need to slow your breathing down. Sit down, close your eyes and take a deep breath while counting to 4. Then begin to exhale to a count of 4. Sit and breathe for 5 minutes or more if you can. Continually bring your attention back to your breath. As you continue to do the breathing exercises you will feel your heart rate slow down and your body relax. Set reminders in your phone throughout the day to take breaks and pay attention to your breath.

Drink Water

Drinking water is essential to your health. We hear lots of talk about why we should drink water but, do you know what happens to your body when you are dehydrated? Did you know that 80% of the time when you think you are hungry it is actually your body trying to get you to drink water? When you are dehydrated you can experience more headaches, muscle cramps, heart palpitations, food cravings (especially for sweets), dry skin, and bad breath. Research shows that as little as 1 percent dehydration negatively affects your mood, attention, memory, and motor coordination. If you notice that you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water daily.

Eat the Rainbow

To keep your immune system functioning well make sure you are eating all the colors of the rainbow. Colorful foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory properties. Try to cook food at home as often as possible but definitely avoid packaged and processed foods. These foods are often lacking in nutritional value but also contain lots of sugar, chemicals, and preservatives. Sugar, chemicals, and preservatives trigger an inflammatory response in our immune system. We are aiming to lower inflammation in our body so our immune system is not in a weakened state. Eat your fruits and veggies!

Get Outside & Move

We all know how exercise keeps us healthy and benefits our immune system. Exercise reduces stress and reduces your risk of chronic diseases. Did you know how important it is to also be outside regularly? Scientists believe that being outside and breathing in phytoncides, airborne chemicals produced by plants, increases our levels of white blood cells, helping us to fight off infections and diseases. Both exercise and being outside improve not only our physical health but our mental health as well. You don’t have to go for a run on the beach or a hike in the mountains. Just step outside your door and go for a walk or jump rope in your backyard. Aim for at least 30 minutes of outside activity daily.

Sleep

Sleep is essential to keep your immune system functioning at its best. While you are sleeping, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation in the body. If you aren’t sleeping enough your body decreases production of these proteins. You may also notice that when you don’t sleep well you don’t do a lot of other things well either, like eat, drink water, exercise, etc. The amount of sleep you need will vary from person to person but 7 to 8 hours a night is a good place to start. 

Your Thoughts

The thoughts in your head directly affect your stress levels and, in turn, your immune system. Anxiety and stress can trigger your fight or flight response and release a flood of chemicals, like adrenaline, into your system. This is typically not an issue unless your stress levels are elevated for long periods, for instance, in a pandemic. This weakens your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to viral infections and other illnesses. It is hard not to get caught up in all the negativity going on in the world. Take time each day to write down three things you are grateful for. This will remind you to focus on the positive things in your life and help protect your immune system.

Vitamin D and C

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, gets absorbed directly from the sun though our skin. High pollution areas, sunscreen, being inside more often, and having darker skin all can lead to vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D boosts weight loss, reduces depression, and fights disease. Researchers have begun exploring vitamin D deficiency as an important risk factor for acute respiratory tract infections and for Covid-19. This does not mean that you cannot get Covid-19 if you take vitamin D, but there could be some benefits for your immune system if you do. 

Vitamin C has immuno-protective, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. Vitamin C can reduce chronic inflammation, neutralize and remove environmental pollutants from the body, and helps you to have glowing skin, healthy hair and nails, supple joints, and strong bones and muscles. Vitamin C and D work as a team to help support your immune system. 

You get to be in charge of boosting your immune system. Other than possibly grabbing a few vitamins, these are all things you can start doing today. If you need any help navigating these changes I am here to support you in any way I can. I am an email or phone call away!