Coronavirus (the infection) and COVID-19 (the disease it causes) are uppermost in the nation’s psyche and the ONS has stated that only 4% of the population have been infected (as of 1st week in May 2020). Most people (95%) make an uneventful recovery but around 5% get seriously ill and the death rate is estimated to be 1-2% (10 or 20 times higher than seasonal flu). Catching COVID-19 at some point seems inevitable, The virus may be with us for a very long time as a lockdown ends and social distancing rules are relaxed, with no vaccine as yet available beefing up our immune systems is uppermost in our minds. So how can we minimise our risk of a serious infection?
In a word? “immunity”. The better your immune system, the lower your chance of getting COVID-19 and the higher your chance of making an uneventful recovery. If you incorporate these elements you will also make significant improvements in reducing your weight and the risks associated with obesity! So here are our top tips to help you beat the bug
- SLEEP: it’s free, with no need for a prescription, but totally ignored. Getting your 8-hour sleep religiously is the best way to prep your immune system and it’s effective within a day or two. See our blog for more: https://www.prolongevity.co.uk/blog/sleep
- EXERCISE: also free! With all this isolation we need to keep moving for the sake of our sanity as well as physical wellbeing. Walking is healthy and helps with immunity. If you can do a few minutes of brisk walking (get properly puffed) so-much the better
- DIET: Eat the Rainbow! Key to our immunity is the microbiome – the bugs in our gut that do so much for us, including manufacturing our vitamins as well as helping control our weight and blood sugar. Look after your bugs and they’ll look after you! So no more Mcdonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Doritos… Instead, aim for lots of colors and lots of variety. A rich and varied diet will support a diverse and varied, and therefore resilient, microbiome. Aim to eat 30-40 different plants (veg/salad/fruit) each week
- We are what we eat – so ditch the sugars, carbs, and processed foods. Remember in combination these foods conspire to raise your blood sugar which forces your body to raise insulin in an attempt to maintain normal levels. Raised insulin is the root cause of type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, and much more besides. More here: https://www.prolongevity.co.uk/blog/everything-prediabetes
- STRESS: It has been shown that dog owners live longer! In part because they walk more but equally because our canine friends are great stress-busters. Stress raises cortisol which in turn raises blood sugar and blood pressure. None of this helps our immunity or general well-being. Humans are social species yet we’re been told to isolate ourselves to avoid infection. Don’t ignore stress – focus on whatever stressbuster works best for you
- VITAMINS: Supplements are no substitute for a healthy diet. We are not believers in expensive supplements which end up as expensive urine! That said we believe almost anyone will benefit from supplementing Vitamin D and Vitamin C in high doses. Both Magnesium and Selenium and worth considering. Drop us a line if you have any queries
- KEEP TAKING the TABLETS. Ignore the social media scare stories about paracetamol, ibuprofen, and some blood-pressure medicines. In particular, if your GP prescribes medication for a long-term condition don’t miss doses. Do discuss any concerns with your pharmacist
And finally: The whole point of our ProLongevity program is to help you to “Live Healthy for Longer”. That has never been more relevant than now. Those at highest risk are the elderly and those with long-term conditions (especially diabetes and hypertension) If you are interested in knowing more and reducing your own risk we offer a free, no-obligation consultation. Just fill out our risk calculator here and we’ll be in touch. https://www.prolongevity.co.uk/diabetes-risk-assessment