Did you know that a great way to combat the virus or to avoid getting the virus is to support a healthy immune system through good nutrition.
Nutrition experts agree that keeping yourself healthy through nutrition is a good way to support your immune system. This is important if you do not have the virus yet, or can be as important if you get the virus and are recovering from it.
I have practiced a healthy nutritious lifestyle way of eating for a while now. And I can tell you that my immune system has benefited. I rarely get a virus, and have not been sick for a while now.
“Knock on Wood”.
But there are a few things that I have noticed about eating healthy as this unprecedented virus has made its way through our nation.
First; is that one of the dangerous things you can be when you get the virus is…. obese. According to World Obesity, ” The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be an international public health emergency. Coronaviruses can cause more severe symptoms and complications in people with obesity-related conditions.”
Second is that despite warnings for us to eat better, we seem to ignore that advice and eat the same way we always have. So what can be done? Well as I say on my website all the time, this is up to the individual to search out and decide for themselves.
As for me, I believe in a continued healthy and nutritious eating lifestyle. I also believe in exercising daily with an emphasis on resistance training. I believe the exercise will especially help with those times when you are asked to self quarantine at home. It help ward off all kinds of mental maladies due to social distancing.
Lets go back to the first issue, obesity. The statistics for obesity are ever rising and now it is predicted that more than 70% of us are overweight or obese. And over 37% of us are obese. And it shows no signs of reversing. Even with the reminder of a dangerous virus I fear that many wont listen and heed the advice to bolster their immune system.
Even starting now, will reap great benefits in the future for you immune system. When I started my journey I was obese. I dropped 80 lbs. and have kept it off almost 5 years. I feel like I have given my immune system a fighting chance against deadly viruses. Currently I live in a state that has a lot of hurricanes. And just as you would prepare for a hurricane you can prepare for a virus. Reducing your weight has all kinds of great benefits and can help stave off all kinds of disease. Just ask your doctor.
So what if you want to eat better, what can you do? I am not a nutrition expert or dietitian but what I did was eat more whole foods. Vegetables, meats, and other foods that have only one ingredient. According to eatright.org, ” Good nutrition is essential to a strong immune system, which may offer protection from seasonal illness and other health problem.” And I believe this is what has helped me stave off illness.
Sadly, on a recent trip to a grocery store fully stocked shelves were junk food. The food less nutritious had shelves stripped bare. I viewed the produce section stocked full. While that is great news for me (as this is where I buy most of my stuff) it does not bode well for our outlook on nutrition.
In the end the nature always wins, she takes care of her own. If we do not adapt she will force us. Obesity is not a “fat issue” it is a hyper nutrition issue. For most of history we have been under nourished and now it is quite the opposite. The fight against over nutrition can be won because it is preventable. Lets hope this is the “storm” that finally gets us to prepare. Because life after this virus will be different. How different is up to us…