I am sure you have all been glued to the TV and internet trying to understand the pandemic and what we can do to boost our immune system and stay healthy during our ‘shelter in place’ time.
Apart from the silly notion of buying up mountains of toilet paper and paper towels (which will only contribute to depleting your already stressed bank account and make you even more stressed) there are many better things we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones in resisting this infectious virus.
The best solution during these trying times is to power up your immune system. While it is not a 100% bullet proof solution, all Immunologists, Naturopaths, Nutritionists and Dietitians know that health = a strong immune system. A strong immune system will not only give you more energy but will help you weather the cold/flu season or better resist a viral pathogen like the virus that is easily transmittable from person to person (even from people who show no symptoms).
HERE ARE SOME TIPS AND IDEAS ON HOW TO STAY HEALTHY BY POWERING UP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
- Wash your hands frequently (obviously). When going shopping keep some wipes and sanitizers in the car and after your shopping is done – before touching anything inside the car clean your hands. If you are unable to get any sanitizers or wipes (everyone seems to be sold out) bring a wet cloth or two (or wet paper towels) with a little soap on them in a plastic baggie. After cleaning your hands – slip the cloth back into the baggie and on your return home, wash it thoroughly with soap and water (or you can put it into your laundry).
- Masks– we have been advised to wear a mask or a nose/mouth cover when going out into the public arena – shopping, pharmacy, doctor. While a mask or face cover will not protect you from the virus, the theory is it will create a barrier between your nasal / mouth cavities and catch any droplets that someone standing next to you may exhale/ cough/sneeze. The droplets will attach to the mask and as a result will not immeadiately enter your nose/mouth. The mask (home-made or otherwise) should be used only once and washed when you get home. Leave the N-95 masks for the health care workers on the front line that need them the most.
- Social Distancing does not mean Emotional Distancing. In these trying times kindness and love goes much further psychologically and immunologically than fear, stress and me-centric panic. While we are being asked to distance ourselves from friends and acquaintances due to the unknown element of someone contracting the disease but not knowing they are a carrier – phone calls, Facebook, facetime, Skype chats (whatever social media you use) or just checking on an elderly or infirm neighbor or friend and volunteering to pick up groceries for them next time you go shopping can go a long way. Perhaps this may be a more lonelier time for all of us – it can either divide us or bring us together. While the politics has further divided our country (USA), we do not need to make it our center piece – and we as individuals can reach out to those in need in these scary and difficult times. Crisis always makes us better human beings and is a great leveler where NO ONE regardless of their beliefs is exempt.
- Purchasing Food and Extra’s : California is on lock down (shelter in place) so your shopping trips to the store will become less frequent unless you are prepared to stand in multiple lines. You will need to be intelligent in your purchases.
Think longer term – how can you stretch your budget and eat well for several weeks or a month (before your next trip to the grocery store). The stores everywhere are jammed, supplies in certain area’s are running low and the lines are getting longer as people are panic driven to buy everything in their site. Think smart, be practical and think what is right for your body not your emotional comfort center. What’s the worst that can happen …. we may come out of this healthier, a few pounds lighter and HEY – our high blood pressure may go down, diabetes may be reversed, and the joints will stop aching.
On your next buying trip, skip the junk food ( ok, buy some comfort cookies if you must) but bags of potato chips, corn chips, candy bars, sugary snacks soda’s etc. are empty calories (we call it PORN FOOD – shows you lots of leg, but that’s all you get!)
Stock up on Dry Goods, Foods that keep & what you can freeze (buy only what you eat and enjoy)
Some good options are : dried beans, rice, quinoa, pasta (get whole grain or quinoa/rice pasta), canned foods such as beans and fish, nut milks- if you use them (almond, coconut, hemp milk in cartons – better than milk as these are shelf stable and will last for months) pasta sauce, herbs and spices, canned full fat coconut milk (for curries), ginger, potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bread.
Whole Chickens and chicken parts. A whole chicken goes a longer way than parts. You can bake the whole chicken, use what you don’t eat the next day by putting it into a curry over rice (for several days) and the bones ( along with scraps of celery, carrot peelings and some onion) can be made into a chicken stock broth that can then be used for a soup. Remember Grandma? That is how she stretched her budget and healthily fed a family of 4+.
Ground meat – great for a pasta dinner or in a chili that can last for several days. If you don’t want the leftovers in the next few days – freeze it for later. Same with soup.
Buy both fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables – you can use a ½ cup of defrosted fruit on your yogurt or cottage cheese, vegetables can be used as side dishes, in a hearty soup with some beans or in a chili.
Don’t buy frozen meals as they are expensive, they will only provide you with one meal and may not be very nutritious or may not appeal to your taste buds. They are only useful in certain circumstances such as: if you are in the health care industry, caregiver, or working in an isolated job where nutritious food is not readily available.
- Avoid: Processed, and sugar laden foods. They lower the immune system. Ever notice how around Thanksgiving and Christmas time we catch a cold or the flu. That is your immune system telling you that it has had enough of all the sugars and processed foods you dumped into your body… and it is checking out! You do not want to do this during this pandemic.
WHAT TO BUY AND WHY
Buy nutrient dense foods that will help boost your immune system while tickling the taste buds!
“Let Food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Hippocrates 5th century BC – father of western medicine
- Omega 3 Foods: essential for our brain, nerves and immune system to work efficiently. Under stress, systems become inflamed
Canned tuna, salmon, sardines , mackerel, anchovies (high in EPA/DHA). Walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, seaweed snacks, edamame, kidney beans. Don’t forget the mayonnaise for tuna, salmon.
- Vitamin A Foods: help prevent deficiencies which include low immune function resulting in susceptibility to various infections (esp. lung and sinus) hair loss, skin problems, dry eyes and night blindness.
Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Kabocha Squash, Kale, Spinach (frozen is ok), Broccoli (frozen is ok), Sweet Bell Peppers, Mango, Dried Apricots, Cantaloupe, black eyed peas, butter
You will notice that many of these foods will keep well for long periods in your fridge, freezer or in a cool place
You can also get a Vitamin A supplement and take 10,000 iu every third day (Vit A is a fat soluble vitamin so stays in your system longer) ….. but food tastes a lot better than a pill.
- Vitamin C Foods: Vitamin C is water soluble, so it does not stay in our system long and we need to replenish every day. Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid, is necessary for the growth, development and repair of all body tissues. It’s involved in many body functions, including formation of collagen, absorption of iron, the immune system, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.
Broccoli, cantaloupe, cauliflower, kale, kiwi, oranges, papaya, red, green or yellow pepper, sweet potato, strawberries, lemons, limes, grapes and tomatoes. (Note: forget the orange juice – it is straight sugar, empty calories and you are much better off eating an orange with the fiber)
Apples are easy to store, keep for long periods as do citrus fruits. Juices on the other hand are empty calories – one glass of orange or apple juice will put your glucose and insulin levels through the roof. Stick to water or flavored water (I like lemon and ginger water, or a squeeze of lime in my water).
All fruits & vegetables contain Vitamin C and individually they contain other vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, folic acid etc.
You can also take Vitamin C in capsule form – make sure it has either Vitamin C with bioflavonoids or Rose hips or Acerola. Straight Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) won’t give you the immune boost. 1,000 mg+ per day.
- Zinc Foods: Zinc is a mineral that’s essential for good health. It’s required for the functions of over 300 enzymes and involved in many important processes in your body. It maintains your immune system, metabolizes nutrients, and grows and repairs body tissues.
Meat, legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans), seeds- particularly pumpkin, sesame and hemp. Nuts such as almonds, cashews, pine nuts and peanuts (be careful with peanuts as they attract aflatoxin and can make people very sick), yogurt, cheese, quinoa, rice, oats. Wheat also contains zinc but wheat products in USA can damage our gut microbiome where most of our immune defenses are made. (Wheat has been over hybridized and is nutritionally depleted in the USA/Canada)
Dark Chocolate!!!!!! – contains Zinc and Magnesium (Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body. It plays several important roles in the health of your body and brain). Enjoy!
Almond, cashew or mixed nut butters are also great as they not only contain zinc but are high in protein. Toast with almond butter and a little honey or a bit of jam (if you really need it) is much better than a cookie … and will give you a boost rather than a sugar high/low.
You can also take a zinc supplement of 30 mg once a day after a meal.
- Healthy Fats: Are essential to give your body energy and to support cell growth. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones as well as fueling your brain. Our bodies definitely need the right kinds of fat.
Meat or saturated fats as well as too much cheese are the most dangerous fats as they are the culprits clogging our arteries.
Good fat includes: avocados, nuts and seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, butter or Ghee (clarified butter), yogurts (also has natural probiotics), and some cheese (best is cottage, ricotta – aged cheese will only age you faster).
- Vitamin D: The sunshine vitamin. Most people (esp. northern climates) are depleted in Vitamin D which is critical to our immune system. Vitamin D deficiency can manifest as fatigue but most often deficiency shows up as frequent colds, flu, depleted immune function. Every cell has receptors to vitamin D and it helps balance the immune system.
Get out and get some sunshine. Or if you are one of the unlucky ones that does not convert sunshine to Vitamin D (that’s me) you will need to take 2,000- 5,000 iu of Vitamin D as a supplement. This will boost the immune system. Try to buy a Vitamin D with K2 (if possible) as Vitamin K2 prevents calcium deposits in the soft tissues (such as arteries, kidneys and gall bladder) and helps transport the calcium from your food to your bones.
- Oregano Oil : Research shows oregano oil has antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal properties. In addition, compounds in oregano oil are also potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cancer-suppressor agents.
A few drops (up to 6) in a little warm water will help clear upper respiratory mucus build up and help clear sinuses. During allergy season I use it every night to clear my respiratory track and sinuses. It is strong so it might be a bit of surprise when you down it. Follow with a bit of water to alleviate the surprise factor.
- A Multi-Vitamin: A good multi-vitamin taken once a day will help address any nutritional deficiencies. They usually do not have enough vitamins/minerals to give you enough support by themselves, however with the foods recommended in this document, they will provide an extra boost or provide you with some vitamins/minerals that you may be missing in your diet.
And finally STRESS: Stress will deplete your immune system faster than anything you are eating (processed and sugary food will just take a bit longer than stress to do you in). If you are stressed over what is happening and are fearful it will rapidly deplete your reserves and will weaken your immune system.
Take a deep breath, go for a walk if you can, watch a funny movie, talk to a friend, read an engaging book, pray or meditate, do anything but worry. If we could fix things with worry – I would be the first one in. But all it does is make us unhappy, depressed and sick.
Stay safe, smile, be kind (even when others around you aren’t) and hug a friend (virtually not actually!). Love & compassion heals faster than any drug.
Alla Marinow B.A. N.C. is a certified Nutritionist living in the Bay Area. She has her own practice Be Well! Natural Health & Well-Being and specializes in genetics, and various illnesses from everything as simple as heart burn through to complex auto-immune diseases and cancer.