“Strange times are these in which we live” – Plato
With so much going on world wide, everything shifting and changing, the world attempting to function in a very different and unfamiliar way, so much information and news is can be so very hard to focus on tasks at hand. For those working from home in demanding roles this is particularly challenging. The worries of ones friends and families health swirling in our minds with the concerns economic and social impacts leaves little space for focused and efficient work or ordering of a routine into a life feeling like chaos.
When in times of stress our bodies respond in a similar way whether the stress be mental or physical, we manufacture stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, to enable us enough energy and mobilisation of glucose for physical exertion originally intended for running away or towards something. Now that the majority of people, particularly those in urban environments are unable to move around much we have a lot of “pent up energy” that needs releasing in order for our bodies to return to a state of calm. For this reason I suggest each day at a time that most suits you as an individual you take time to do some physical exercise, perhaps you may even need to do this twice a day like myself. I suggest doing a higher effort form of exercise earlier in the day, a run or fast walk, dance in your living room, join an online exercise program or similar and then later in the day have a lower impact and effort movement session, this might be animal flow, yoga, stretching and breath work, a gentle walk alone or with a member of your household.
My nutritional strategies in times of uncertainly are along these lines:
Regular eating times this is to ensure there are no blood sugar induced adrenaline releases. When blood sugar levels go below a certain point the body releases adrenaline, one of actions of this mechanism is it encourages the consequent release of glucose stored in cells. This fluctuation has a negative impact on sustained and health energy levels as well as poor glucose control being a risk factor for having worse symptoms with Convid-19 infection.
Include plenty of Vegetables Including plenty of different vegetables in your everyday consumption has a multitude of benefits, most are linked to the huge number of much needed micro nutrients for efficient functioning of body systems and IMMUNITY. Specifically I encourage you to include a few different types of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc. you can find a list of these here. These vegetables have sulphur in them, a compound used in metabolism of toxicants and waste molecules in our phase two live detoxification. They also contain a range of compounds that are utilised by our beneficial bacteria in our digestive system, keeping these guys happy ensures better immune response as they don’t allow for damaging bacteria and pathogens to survive, they also produce molecules that we use such at B12 and K2. You can see more about the positive effects of cruciferous vegetables through this study
Cauliflower is an example of a cruciferous vegetable
Keep hydrated This sounds pretty basic, as the action of staying hydrated is, the effects are more complex and good to understand the importance of. Saliva production depends of sufficient water intake. Saliva is a secretion from a number of glands in our mouths that contains digestive enzymes to break down carbohydrates, the constant flow washes the mouth of any unwanted substances or pathogens directing them into the stomach where the very high acid levels work to break down and destroy bacteria and viruses. Saliva also contains elements of the immune system; antibodies as well as white blood cells, which provide a first line of defence against any potential infectious attack.
Avoid nutrient poor foods It is a waste of good stomach space for a start! highly processed and prepared foods do a great deal more damage than good. The reduce the diversity and general numbers of beneficial bacteria, the benefits of these are highlighted above, they also do no provide us with the micro nutrients we need to produce and support healthy cells, enzymes and metabolic molecules for good health and immunity. What they do supply in an excess of chemicals and calories, both of which cause strain on the body and are associated with higher risk of mortality. You can read more in this study in France which highlights a mere 10% increase in ultra processed food consumption is associated with a 14% high risk of all-cause mortality.
Being is the best of health means we are more able to focus on tasks at hand so keeping yourself strong will allow your brain to function properly and you to have peace of mind going into this. Move your body to release stress and support your body with nutrition to ensure your brain function is smooth and unhindered by toxicants and worry about poor health.
If you would like to know more about how to support your immunity and general wellbeing through these times I am offering mini consultations for everyone, those with no income can enjoy this service free of charge. Please click here to learn more.