Did You Learn This #1 Lesson From The Pandemic?

As the months and now years of the Covid pandemic drag on, you may be lulling yourself back into a sense of normalcy. Back to the office, eating out, and nights out with friends are common again. Over the past year plus, you may have thought, "what can I do to make sure I don't get Covid?! I don't want to relive this pandemic!"

Before you can solve the problem of Covid, though, you need to realize that Covid is hitting us hard as a planet because of an epidemic that has been plaguing us for decades: the chronic disease epidemic. Almost all hospitalized cases and deaths have been with people who already had an underlying chronic condition like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. All of these underlying conditions have much in common: the majority of cases are preventable and caused by lifestyle choices. This means that you have significantly more control over your own personal Covid journey than you may have previously thought.

Taking care of yourself before you get sick does not make for very sexy news, so it rarely - if ever - gets front page, headline news. But in the case of many viral and bacterial infections, how healthy a body is before it comes in contact with a microbe or virus is important. You want your immune system, nervous system, and endocrine systems in tip top shape before it has to battle a potential infection.

The bad news is, a healthy body does not come from passivity. You have to actively create health. The good news is, it is relatively basic stuff you have to do in order to create a healthy internal environment for your systems to thrive. Here's what you can do today to decrease your chances of having a bad time with Covid and allow yourself to relax a little bit about the risk:

1. Be active. Everyone knows exercise is good for you. And most people know if you don't workout regularly, you aren't healthy. If you don't know where to start, start with the basics: go for a walk or do a few push ups. Does that constitute a workout? Probably not for most people. But it is better than sitting on your couch watching yet another Netflix show. Once you're ready to do something that will actually make a dent in your health goals, try a fitness class, a youtube workout, or ask a personal trainer what to do. If you are reading this on the internet right now, it means you have access to free online workouts. No excuses. Search for a free bodyweight workout and do it!
2. Eat well. Get enough protein, ideally from an organic, grass-fed animal or organic vegetable source. Preservatives, hormones, and genetically modified ingredients may interrupt your body's ability to function at 100%. So skip the cheap stuff and fuel your body like it deserves to be fueled. If you drove a Porsche, you would never put cheap petrol in it. Your body is the only organic Porsche you'll ever get, so better start fueling it accordingly.
3. Check out the other blogs here for tips on micronutrients and vitamin supplements. Zinc, selenium, vitamins A, B, C, and D are all shown to help immune system function.
4. Spend time outdoors for the fresh, unmasked air and the vitamin D thanks to UV from the sun.