CoronaVirus—Fortify Your Immune System

There is lots of fear and angst about the Corona Virus spreading through out the world. You can read/watch all about the disease, its spread, and projections on its length of stay in our midst in many places. Most of us, especially in the US are sheltering in place to minimize the spread—we are in our fourth week in North-East California. 

Many health officials refer to "underlying conditions" as reasons why many get very sick and some succumb to the virus as a result. Senior citizens are often in that category, at least they likely have a weaker immune system just because of age.

We're urged to stay at home and if we go out, stay 6 feet away from anyone plus wash our hands and sanitize everywhere we touch.

BUT—Here's the BIGGY that none of our leaders are talking about. Fortify Your Immune System!

Check this article to learn about the immune system.

No matter the age, we can have a robust immune system that gets us through an illness or helps us completely avoid it. That's what a healthy immune system does. That's how our bodies were designed.

It takes an investment in time and effort. We've got time now so make the effort.

If you stocked up on junk food for your isolation time, you are not going to be prepared to handle the virus. While we're fighting an invader to our body, we need nutrition (and a few other things) to fortify the immune system

Steps to Fortify Your Immune System

• Eat a diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains and beans. If you've been following me, you know I eat Whole-Food, Plant-Based (WFPB). No processed food, dairy and meat. I notice that the produce section is very well stocked in the grocery stores. No empty shelves there. Also the vegan food section is fully stocked. Good for me and my fellow WFPB eaters, but a dire picture of a populace making bad food choices.

Time to eat food that nourishes our body. Here's a great post from an investment group I belong to. It lays out the specifics of a healthy diet: How to Beat the Coronavirus.

There is evidence-based science galore on the matter of whole food, plant-based nutrition and its effect on health. Time to get on the bandwagon. It WILL save your life!

• Get plenty of sleep. It's nonsense that you can get away with 6 hours a night of sleep. Sleep is a necessary requirement for a healthy immune system. I call it Body Repair. While you sleep your cells are going through repair mode. That cannot happen while we're awake because the body is busy creating energy for activity, digestion, addressing stress and other functions in the body. Get 8 to 9 hours of sleep. You need it!

• Take targeted supplements that enhance your immune system. Here are the main ones in adult dosages—reduce dose for children based on weight:
• Vitamin C—I take 2,000 milligrams of Vitamin C everyday. Vitamin C has been used for treatment of many diseases including respiratory virus infections. You might take 3,000 milligrams daily in divided doses.
• Zinc—This mineral has shown to help your body fight viruses, bacteria and disease. See The Role of Zinc in Antiviral Immunity. 20 mg daily is a helpful dose.
• Vitamin D—You can take 3,000 International Units daily.
• Selenium—You can take 100 micrograms daily. Or as I do, eat two organic Brazil Nuts daily because they are rich in selenium.
• Magnesium—You can take 400mg daily in citrate, malate, chelate or chloride form.

• Get exercise. Outside is best. During our Shelter in Place (SIP) order, I've seen lots of people out walking the trails in the area where I live. Great! Fresh air, elevated heart rate and being immersed in nature is good for your body. Exercise will cause immune cells to muster to  regions that are susceptible to infection (e.g., lungs and guts) for a few hours after exercise.

• Avoid sugar. It is death to the body. It weakens the immune system and causes so much other damage. 

• Be grateful, practice kindness, offer grace, keep your amends list small, think positive and live in the moment. Pray for the world, our country and the healing of people with the virus. These practices will keep your stress levels down. Increased stress takes a toll on our immune system. Attitude is everything.

If you Get Sick...

If you do get the CoronaVirus, take care of yourself by continuing to do all of the above. Increase your rest and sleep so your body can tackle the virus.

Embrace the fever unless it reaches 103º F (39.4º C) or higher). Fever is your innate immune response attacking the invader. The high heat helps kill the invading virus or bacteria. Following the theme that heat kills disease, there is evidence that using saunas (17.25 minutes into video) can help kill the virus. Similarly, you can use a hot tub/spa.

Drink lots of water—filtered of course.

Keep in mind that most who succumb to the CoronaVirus have underlying conditions particularly obesity. 70% of those admitted to intensive care are obese and 61% of those die. This video covers the latest numbers and demographics.

Bottom Line 

If you take care of your body it will get you through this pandemic with no or minimal effects.

Tell me what you are doing to prevent the CoronaVirus from infecting you.

Stay safe and be cautious. Follow the President's Guidelines and we'll #GetThroughThisTogether.

Original Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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6 Tips to Lose Weight

If you're resolved to lose weight, get back energy and feel better, there are several things you should know to help you succeed.

#1 Don't Count Calories
Do yourself a favor and forget the stress of counting calories. It will only make you crazy. Besides not all calories are alike—50 calories of sugar is a whole lot different than 50 calories of veggies. It's not the calories that count—it's the content of the calories.

Instead, take a serious look at the food you want to eat and ask, "Is this something that will give my body good health?" You know you shouldn't be eating a candy bar when you're hungry. It's full of artificial and GMO ingredients and sugar (corn syrup most likely). You might be satisfied, but you won't feel good.

#2 Don't Skip Breakfast

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6 Steps to Avoiding Holiday Temptation

Here you are at the edge of the holiday season—staring down piles of leftover halloween candy or worse, sneaking pieces of your son or daughter's stash, while telling yourself you're saving them from eating too much candy.

You’ve told yourself you’re making the switch to healthier eating, but you see food all around you—tempting holiday food that you know isn’t good for you. What can you do to deal with the temptation?

You need a plan.

Start with your home—that will be the hardest—especially if your house is full of hungry grouches (I say this endearingly) who don’t see eye-to-eye with you on eating healthy.

Here are things you can do to make things go smoother.

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Death By Sugar—6 Ways Sugar Damages Your Body

Sugar Will Kill You

Sugar can be as addictive as cocaine. It activates the brain’s reward system causing pleasure-inducing chemicals (dopamine) to flood the body. The result is a craving for more… and more.

Sugar damages your health on several levels. For starters we now know that fructose/sugar elevates blood pressure and potentially damages your kidneys. It increases uric acid which leads to chronic, low-level inflammation—the foundation for most disease. For example, chronically inflamed blood vessels can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Let's look at the what happens in the body when you consume a 20 oz soda:

Within 20 minutes— Your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar (17 teaspoons full on average) into fat.

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8 Tips to Lose Your Gut

Rock Man at Tamarack Lake, CA

Rather than show you an ugly picture of belly fat or the flat stomach of a twenty-year-old... I bring you Rock Man. He spouts wisdom to help you lose that gut you're tired of feeling around your middle. Maybe you're not interested in getting a rock-hard stomach (although it's easy to attain... right, Rock Man?), but you'd like to get rid of that roll. Read on.

Building muscle, losing fat, and improving overall health is dependent on one very important hormone—insulin. Follow these tips to control your insulin and lose that fat!

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8 Tips To Lose Your Gut

Rock Man at Tamarack Lake, CA

Rather than show you an ugly picture of belly fat or the flat stomach of a twenty-year-old... I bring you Rock Man. He spouts wisdom to help you lose that gut you're tired of feeling around your middle. Maybe you're not interested in getting a rock-hard stomach (although it's easy to attain... right, Rock Man?), but you'd like to get rid of that roll. Read on.

Building muscle, losing fat, and improving overall health is dependent on one very important hormone—insulin. Follow these tips to control your insulin and lose that fat!

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Dealing with Temptation

You’ve told yourself you’re making the switch to healthier eating, but you see food all around you (on TV, in your mailbox and email box, in the store, on the menu) that you know isn’t good for you. What can you do to deal with the temptation?

You need a plan.

Start with your home—that will be the hardest—especially if your house is full of hungry grouches (I say this endearingly) who don’t see eye-to-eye with you on eating healthy.

Here are things you can do to make things go smoother.

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A Diet That Works

By now any diet you embarked on at the beginning of the year has been relegated to one of three categories: it's working, it's too hard, or it's on to the next thing.

Let's talk about a change in thinking—what is diet? I will always refer to diet as the sum of food consumed by a person, not the restriction of food. Really, if you eat a healthy diet as I outlined in The Road to Health Comes Down to Diet, you won't need to restrict the amount you eat.

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