COVID19 – A case for less sugar, more spice and everything nice….for your body
With the corona virus COVID-19 pandemic, you are likely experiencing some anxiety over how to protect yourself, your family, your friends and your community. While there is a lot of emphasis on reducing exposure to the virus, little is being said for how to help your body fight off the virus if you are exposed. Even though there is no vaccine yet available that does not mean you are helpless to protect yourself and to minimize health impacts if you are exposed.
From a Functional Nutrition, Integrative Medicine and Ayurvedic perspective, there are practices you can employ and behaviors you can modify to reduce the effects of viral infections.
Your immune system is your body’s amazing line of defense against all life threatening invaders. So while you continue to follow the CDC guidance for mitigating your risk of exposure, here are some things you can do to boost your immune system so that you have the best chance of remaining well during this pandemic.
Stop behaviors that increase risk of immune system imbalance. These include:
Excessive sugar consumption
Consuming alcohol
Eating foods to which you are allergic or sensitive
Practice behaviors that boost your immune system and keep it in balance. These include:
Eating foods and spices that are rich in nutrients and anti-viral properties
Managing stress with meditation, nature, and yoga
Healing your gut
Supporting your Liver function
Over the next few days I will post more details on each of these actions that you can take to put you in a better position to protect your wellness during this challenging time. To get you started on an empowered immune boosting path here is a quick tip you can implement right away:
Eat foods high in life
Eat foods that are local, organic and sustainably raised or sourced. Why does this matter? Foods that are full of life like fresh vegetables and herbs that have been harvested and put on your plate in a short amount of time means that you benefit from more of the life force energy and nutrients of that food. Food that is picked fresh and prepared in simple ways allows your body to absorb key nutrients that boost your immune system. The more a food is processed, the less life it has, so opt for local, organic, farm-to-table or as close to that as you can get in your community.
One super food is cilantro! Cilantro has great anti-viral qualities. Add it to soups, salads, stir-frys and smoothies. Combine a handful of washed cilantro with lemon, avocado, a pinch of sea salt, and ginger for an immune boosting smoothie that the virus will hate and your body will love!
Yours in wellness,
Hester Morrissey
