Best Practices for Better Health in the COVID-19 Era

The data is pretty conclusive – healthier people are less likely to die from coronavirus. There are no guarantees, but the science points to a simple fundamental concept – when you are healthier overall, your chances of surviving COVID-19 are much greater.

So what are some of the best practices, habits and behaviors that build health to safeguard yourself in times like these?

We always need certain foundational stones in place – for example, it should be obvious that every machine needs fuel, and a sophisticated machine like your body needs top quality fuel to run properly.

A diet consisting of plant foods, proteins and healthy fats, with less sugar, salt and processed food is a solid starting point. Fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, lean meats and oily fish provide a rich nutritional pool in which your cells and organs can thrive.

And, there are a few extra tips you can include to support your immune system. Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and zinc have all been researched for their effect on immune system function. While some foods do contain these vital nutrients, you’ll probably get a stronger dosage if you take them as supplements to your meals.

We always need sufficient sleep, but in times of adversity like this, we need extra sleep. Your brain recharges, maintains and heals itself while you sleep, so give yourself some additional sleep time now, so your “equipment” works that much better when you need it.

So many of us have limited our environment to our homes and a few other places — most of us are exercising less, not just the exercise in a gym, but the regular moving around we do as part of daily life. Many of us have radically altered our work styles, and if that doesn’t integrate movement, we need to go out of our way to get our bodies into motion.

You’ve heard that “if you don’t use it, you lose it,” and to have your body working as well as possible, choose specific exercise or movement, like dance, or picking a parking spot that gives you a bit of a distance to walk. And if you are spending more time sitting, plan periodic stretching breaks, or do a little yoga to get your blood flowing and your nerves awakened.

It’s wise to have stress relaxation techniques built into your lifestyle in general, and many people already meditate, receive massage and apply other habits that reduce stress. Now more than ever, we need to minimize the emotional duress, since it is a time of great fear and anxiety.

If you don’t already have a daily routine that de-stresses you, that’s the place to start. If you’ve never been trained in formal meditation, you can easily get some free instruction on YouTube or from one of the many apps you can download into your phone. Ask us about BrainTap in the office or the 15-day free gift we can give you!

If you don’t have easy access to such technology, no problem – learning to sit quietly and ease your mind is organic, and anyone can do it even without any training. Just get into a comfortable position, put your mind in neutral or focus on something that makes you relax, and you’ll see, it’s easy to get into a calmer, happier place. Walking outside communing with nature is, for many, a shortcut to this meditative state.

Anything you can do to get your brain working better makes you healthier overall, and that influences immune function as well, since the brain and immune system are in constant communication. The latest research shows that chiropractic care is good for your brain, but that concept dates back to the work of Dr. Roger Sperry, who won the 1981 Nobel Prize for his advances in brain science, when he called the spine “the motor that drives the brain,” declaring that “90% of stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by spinal movement.”

So, a healthy spine helps you keep a healthy brain, and there’s no better way to improve the coordination and power of your spine than with chiropractic care. Your doctor of chiropractic is an expert in the proper care and maintenance of your spine, so for that extra winner’s edge, especially now in times of such great danger, do something more for yourself and your family. You’re worth it.