A Healthy Perspective
With so much information coming at us so quickly, it may come as no surprise that anxiety is the #1 symptom of the COVID-19 pandemic! So, I invite you to take a deep, cleansing breath…and out.. Now take another…and out… and let’s take a look at what we know, and don’t know, about this novel coronavirus and the illness it can cause.
Your immune system has two strategies to defend your body from foreign invaders: the innate and adaptive immune responses. The innate immune response is generalized and works quickly. It doesn’t care who it destroys as long as it isn’t “self.” It includes physical barriers such as your skin, phagocytic cells (think Pac-Man) and the beneficial bacteria in your gut. That’s why something as simple as washing your hands with soap and water is so effective.
If an infection starts to get out of hand, the innate immune system calls for help from the adaptive immune system. The adaptive immune response is acquired or learned from prior experience. One of the reasons this “novel” or new coronavirus more concerning is because your adaptive immune cells haven’t seen a virus quite like this before.
We love this short, animated video for its easy to understand explanation of the innate and adaptive immune responses.
Immune System: Innate and Adaptive Immunity Explained
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzunOgYHeyg
By now we are all getting accustomed to life while “sheltering-in-place.” Public health measures such as sheltering and wearing face coverings in public are important. They are helping to reduce transmission of the coronavirus, protect the most vulnerable among us, “flatten the curve,” and keep our medical resources from being overwhelmed. All of this saves lives.
Equally important, is supporting your individual immune system. Helping your immune system to do its job can reduce the risk of serious illness or complications if you are infected with the coronavirus, the seasonal flu or the common cold.
Top 4 Lifestyle Recommendations for Immune Support
1. Maintain a healthy diet.
Food is medicine. Now is not the time to indulge in sugary “comfort food.” Do your immune system a favor and feed it what it craves…real food (you know… what mother nature makes).
2. Manage stress effectively.
You’ve got this. Start with some “Belly Breathing.” This is the first “exercise” I teach all my patients. If you want a guided meditation, try an app such as Headspace. Or simply listen to some soothing music or go for a walk outdoors. Set aside time every day to be kind to yourself.
3. Exercise regularly.
What’s the best posture?...the next posture! Your body was made to move. Strenuous workouts can actually be stressful to your immune system, so just do something fun during this time. Take a family walk or play with the kids in the backyard.
4. Get adequate, good quality sleep. Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep per night for optimal health, yet so few get anywhere near that. Make it easier for your brain to shut down at night-time by practicing good sleep hygiene and wake up feeling refreshed!
We can do this.
A few weeks ago, I asked a little 10-year-old patient what he was doing to stay healthy. He told me he washes his hands while singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice, sneezes and coughs into his elbow, eats healthy food (lots of berries), and exercises every day. Well done! Keep up the good work!