Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is in full swing, businesses and schools are shutting down for a bit, social distancing is in effect, and people are taking extra precautions for their health. This is having a dramatic impact on the world, and the effects are being felt both physically and psychologically.
Infrequent times such as these are a reminder of what we should be doing on a daily basis to keep ourselves healthy, strong, and resilient to what life throws at us. Certainly, there are best practices that we all can adhere to, and make part of our identities as health-conscious people. Let’s take advantage of these trying times and start prioritizing our health using some simple strategies. The following are some of my best practices that you can begin to implement right now! Let’s go through them:
1. Increase the intake of fruits and vegetables
Ok, this is a given, right? Everyone knows they should eat more vegetables and fruits to stay healthy and keep their immune systems strong. However, many people do not know how to make these foods taste good enough for them to eat on a regular basis! Let me give you a couple of ideas.
First off, start simple. Get yourself some easy-to-make stir-fry veggies like zucchini squash, bell peppers, white or yellow onions, and broccoli. Dice these veggies up and put them into your frying pan with ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Let them cook, and stir them frequently while you apply seasonings (to taste) such as chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, marjoram, basil, salt, and pepper. This is a great start and a combination of amazing flavors that will help your veggies taste delicious! Throw some tomato sauce or butternut squash-based sauce on top and you’ve got an amazingly healthy and delicious side dish.
With the fruits, besides eating them whole as a desert (oranges, honey crisp apples, kiwis, and pineapples are amazing by themselves) you can also experiment by making chips out of them! Try using apples or pears, slice them thin (using a mandoline helps), and throw them in the oven or air fryer for a bit (at 300 degrees), checking them regularly until crispy. This was my fiance’s idea and it’s been a game-changer, especially the air fryer. We even made some sweet potato chips recently!
2. Reduce alcohol consumption
Ok, I know what you’re thinking: “This guy wants me to stop drinking completely, and that’s no fun”. Actually, not entirely true. If you like to have a drink occasionally once or twice a week, go for it, but if you’re drinking 3 or more servings every day or the majority of the week, I would vehemently suggest that you reduce that down to one or two. Excessive alcohol consumption does indeed suppress the immune system and make you more susceptible to infections, specifically within the respiratory system.
Just be a little more conscious of how much alcohol you’re putting into your body and the potential adverse impacts that this may have on your health. Also, consider the situation you find yourself in. If you’re already mostly sedentary, get sick often, and are very stressed most of the time, you may be more susceptible to infection, and should take this suggestion a little more seriously.
3. Consider a multivitamin supplement
Supplements are taken for a variety of reasons. Athletes may take them for extra performance support and recovery from training. The general population may take them to support their health. The word “supplement” should be taken literally. It is not a replacement for smart food choices, nor is it an excuse to eat poorly, thinking that your supplement will just cancel out your poor decisions. A supplement should be taken to support, reinforce, and fill any gaps in your already-optimized nutrition plan. Here are a few suggestions for supplements that can help with immunity:
Garlic – If you cannot stand the taste of garlic, nor tolerate “garlic breath,” supplementing with 600-800 mg of aged garlic extract per day for prevention of colds and infections.
Vitamin C – Take 1-2 g in the form of ascorbic acid in equal doses throughout the day for prevention of colds and infections.
Echinacea Purpurea – Take 300-500mg, three times per day for a total of 900-1,500mg (powder form), or 2.5-10mL three times a day for a total of 7.5-30mL (tincture form). It may help reduce the risk of developing a cold or infection, and possible complications due to them. Speak to your physician before supplementing if you are taking pharmaceuticals.
4. Exercise and recover
Not only is regular resistance and endurance exercise important in strengthening our cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems, it also has a hugely beneficial impact on our immune systems. If you’re hesitant about going to the gym at a time like this, let me put your mind at ease by telling you that there are plenty of smaller gyms in your area, which are not as dense with members, that have owners and trainers who are doing their due diligence in keeping their facilities clean and their members healthy.
One of those gyms is Camp Rhino, in Las Vegas, NV. Check out the video link below to see how they are mitigating the risks of spreading COVID-19! If you live outside of Las Vegas, find yourself a gym like this. If you do live in Las Vegas, schedule a time to come in here!
Even if you are confined to your home, this is no reason you can’t exercise.
Camp Rhino and WolfFit Coaching both provide online workouts for their clients! WolfFit Coaching provides remote fitness training to people outside of Las Vegas. There is no better time than now to begin taking charge of your health and fitness by using a service like this. So contact Coach Adrian today to get started!
Equally important is recovery from exercise. As the adage goes, “even too much a good thing can be bad for you”. If you are already exercising and training for competitions at a high level, it’s even more important to focus on proper recovery and quality sleep. You can easily become overtrained and more susceptible to illness if you do not rest your body appropriately. Believe me, I’ve been there. A wonderful product that I’ve been using this year for tracking recovery is called Morpheus. Visit the link to learn more about how it works.
5. Actively reduce your stress levels
The best way I have found to instantly reduce the stress associated with our lifestyles these days is to incorporate a breathwork practice into your evening routine. You can instantly take back control of your mental and physical state and put yourself back into relaxation mode by consciously controlling your breathing. The respiratory system is the only system of the body that is both automatic and under our conscious control at any point in time. Click the video link below to learn a very simple breathing technique that you can practice before bed:
I sincerely hope this post has been valuable to you during this difficult time. Stay optimistic, exercise, eat well, relax, de-stress, and prevail!
Please leave me a comment below and let me know how these strategies have worked for you!
Follow me on Instagram at @wolffit_coaching and @coach.adrian35 for nutrition tips, health tips, and workouts!
In good health,
Coach Adrian from WolfFit Coaching
