Let's Expand the Conversation on Health - Now is the Time

Let's Expand the Conversation on Health - Now is the Time

As I hear of people worry about the viruses and illnesses of today’s world, I can’t help but get a bit concerned myself.

Should I be stocking up my house and supplies even more than I already have? Should I be as anxious as the media seems to make the situation every time I read a new article?

Of course washing our hands, maintaining good hygiene habits and staying home if you feel ill are all very important preventable measures.

However, in thinking about all of this and what we can do during times such as these, my passion around health and wellness starts to creep in. What I mean by that is, this is the time to start expanding the conversation to include a very key component: taking steps to strengthen and promote our overall health and immune system. After all, our inner environment can be one of our best “super powers” to helping fight off any kind of disease. If anything, now more than ever are times that call for an even more urgent need to really nourish the body that we live in every day.

These are some of the top health habits we can add in to our daily routine to continue to promote a strong and adaptable immune system. 

1.     Hydration

Did you know that 75% of American’s are chronically dehydrated? The problem with this is that dehydration causes fatigue. And guess what fatigue is doing? Putting extra stress on your body that is constantly exposed to various elements every day. Not only that, but think of the fact that every cell, tissue and organ in your system needs water to survive and work properly. When we hydrate appropriately, the body is able to flush out toxins and waste. It can be related to cleaning out a used construction site -- drinking water helps remove all of the junk that is leftover.

The aim for water intake should be half of your body weight in ounces. Also, fun fact--water is the number one diet tip from super trainer Autumn Calabrese! I was slightly surprised myself to hear this… but drinking water actually takes up space in the stomach, helping the body to feel full, thus decreasing the amount of calories you intake at meals. So, turns out that the good ole’ H2O is a magical substance for optimal body function AND it serves as a helpful diet trick. Let’s get to chugging!

2.       Rest (aka: go to bed!)

I love when people say “I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” Ironically, losing sleep makes you FEEL like an apocalyptic zombie for a reason. During sleep, the body is in a state of restoration and repair. This is the time when things really have a chance to heal and relax. During sleep, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are generated. With lack of sleep, these are decreased and thereby making the body more susceptible to diseases. Sleep studies have been continuing to find this evidence, demonstrating that those who sleep less than six hours per night are four times more likely to catch a cold virus than those that catch over seven hours of Z’s. 

Some other fun facts for you: 

  • Losing just an hour of sleep can contribute to reduced daytime alertness by 25%
  • Only 21% of Americans get over seven hours of sleep per night
  • Sleep helps maintain a healthy balance of the hormones that make you feel hungry (ghrelin) and full (leptin). Ever notice that when you’re exceedingly tired, it's so much easier to roll through a drive thru or eat an entire box of cookies? Sleep is another diet tip for this very reason!

Time to get some shut-eye and restore that amazing body of yours.

3.       Nourishment

This could be an entire article in and of itself, so I will spare you, but will touch on it here briefly. Think of your body like a car. Not just any car, but your ONLY car that you get to live in forever. Wouldn’t you want to put the best, highest quality fuel in this car? Would you want to get the highest gas mileage, best efficiency, and longevity from your precious vehicle? 

This applies to what we fuel our bodies with each day. If you took an honest food inventory of what you are feeding your body, what would that inventory look like? This is a crucial piece of immune function. Why? Because diets high in sugar, refined grains and processed fast food actually harm gut bacteria and promote things such as inflammation. The basics: food is medicine. The leafy, green stuff that we know is good for us, IS actually good for us! It is the equivalent of fueling that precious vehicle of yours with the finest, most premium fuel you can get. And don’t our bodies deserve that anyways?

4.       Mindfulness (stress reduction)

Omm… insert zen-like imagery and chanting here. Truth be told, the monks have something figured out. The even better thing—you do NOT have to be a spiritual guru sitting atop a mountain saying “om” in order to get the benefits and incorporate some mindfulness and stress relief in your life! The reality: one of the biggest suppressors of our immune system is STRESS. Unfortunately, the issue right now comes from a stream of news that, instead of helping us feel at ease, shows up everywhere causing panic, anxiety and stress. This is no help to our immune system in the least. This is why it is even MORE important now to develop practices that help protect from cumulative negative stress. Science has shown that when you incorporate even small, positive habits into your routine that there are massive benefits when it comes to resilience. This piece is all within our control, but it takes you deciding to implement new habits to actually see the benefits from this.

One of my absolute favorite ways to incorporate mindfulness is to develop a gratitude practice.

How to do it: Each day, think of (or write down) at least three things you are grateful for. I recommend doing this first thing in the morning to help program the subconscious mind to begin actively looking for things to be grateful throughout the day. If you think of more than three things, keep going! This is like a gratitude snowball. The things you are grateful for can be as small or large as you want. I am often grateful for the warm cup of coffee I indulge in in the morning. Just think of anything that comes to mind, and eventually you will find yourself feeling more grateful throughout your days. 

Note: It is impossible to be grateful and unhappy simultaneously. Gratitude wins.

In conclusion, when there is so much happening in the world at times like this, it is easy to get caught in an anxiety-induced panic. I want all of us to live our healthiest lives we possibly can. The coronavirus is concerning, but I believe this serves as the perfect reminder to truly make sure we are caring for ourselves in the best way we possibly can. While so much in this world is out of our control, we can be empowered to focus on what we can control. 

"Take care of your body. It is the only place you have to live."-Jim Rohn

Please feel free to add your comments or feedback below! Looking forward to connecting with you.


About Valerie:

Valerie is a certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant and is passionate around positive psychology and holistic wellness. She loves finding ways to create programs that can help effectively shift the life of an individual or an organization for the better. She is also an HR professional for a non-profit healthcare organization.

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