Your immune system is the system that protects the body from foreign substances, cells, and tissues by producing the immune response and that includes especially the thymus, spleen, lymph nodes, special deposits of lymphoid tissue (as in the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow), macrophages, lymphocytes including the B cells and T cells, and antibodies. (Merriam Webster dictionary). It essentially is a network within the body that offers protection from foreign invaders like germs, bacteria and viruses.
During the age of Covid, it’s often noted that the effectiveness of the immune system weakens as we grow older. Do you think that is true for everyone, or perhaps it is related to the lifestyle habits and health history of a person? We know now that of the 800,000 people in the US who succumbed to Covid as of a few months ago, 600,000 of them were over 65. But what is more significant is that of the 600,000 deceased 94% of them had two or more health conditions that were mostly lifestyle related, with obesity a universal factor. This suggests it is not age as much as it is lifestyle that raises risk for serious illness.
A major source of stress throughout the pandemic has been the worry of becoming a statistic. But you can protect yourself in many ways, even if you get the virus, simply by preparing your body in the best possible way to lessen the risk of serious illness or death. Look at the large numbers, and then look at your lifestyle. We can all make improvements there to lower our risk of serious illness.
You Need Information
If you are obese or have risk factors like high blood pressure or Type II diabetes, it’s not enough to be told to diet and exercise. What does that mean? Calorie restriction and walking a treadmill? Not really. You can restrict calories and still eat food that provides no nutrients to support your immune system. You need to become knowledgeable about the foods that give you energy, fuel your immune system, taste good, and allow you to reach a better weight. As you learn how to eat in this way, you will have the energy to exercise more in whatever way you enjoy, and in turn your weight and other risk factors will be reduced.
A Starting Point
General Food Recommendations
buy, cook and eat fresh whole foods, organic as much as possible
hydrate - 6 glasses of filtered water or herbal tea per day
avoid all meat and dairy containing added growth hormones and antibiotics
add fermented foods like sauerkraut, miso, kombucha
include onions, garlic, turmeric and mushrooms
avoid packaged food with additives and chemicals
limit sugar, avoid artificial sugar and all sodas and fast food outlets
Supplements
Don’t view supplements as replacements for nutrients in quality foods but do add quality supplements including Vitamins C and D3 and Zinc as needed during the pandemic. I recommend metagenics products but there are several other quality manufacturers as well.
Lifestyle
Do whatever you love as much as you can.
Laugh, cry, feel your feelings and connect with those you love.
Move in the way you love - yoga, walking, biking, swimming etc.
Create - sing, paint, journal, design, write
Touch your spirituality - walk in Nature, pray, meditate, congregate
Rest - that’s when your body restores. Give it time.
Learn - be a lifelong learner on staying healthy and about all of your interests