Healthy Habits & COVID-19
Many patients and community members are feeling overwhelmed with information on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition to Coronavirus, we’re also entering a change of season, and there’s many general cases of cold and flu going around.
As such, now is a good time to look at implementing and maintaining a range of healthy habits, which contribute to your immunity and wellness. Below are some simple steps you can take, to help your health thrive.
- Eat Well. Make sure you’re fuelling your body with a healthy, balanced diet. This ensures you have sufficient vitamins, minerals, enzymes and micronutrients, for a strong immune system.
- Get Enough Sleep. Make sure you rest your body and recharge it with enough sleep each night. Sleep can be assisted with a reduction in the consumption of tea, coffee and energy drinks, especially in the afternoons.
- Manage Your Stress. Try not to be overwhelmed by the news and events around you. Breathe deeply and take time out for stretching and actively calming your mind.
- Stop Smoking. Just generally, you should stop smoking for your health. Smokers are more likely to suffer the impacts of respiratory ailments.
- Keep Exercising. Now is the time for outdoor exercises. The temperature around Cairns is finally becoming a little cooler, so there’s no better time to get sunshine and fresh air on a walk, bike ride, jog or run. This also improves the efficiency of your lymphatic system, which is an important germ-fighting fluid in your body.
- Increase Water / Decrease Alcohol. By increasing your water consumption, you avoid dehydration which can reduce the effectiveness of your body’s natural defence mechanisms.
- Practice Good Hygiene. Regularly wash your hands, this is particularly important now; it can help to reduce the spread of viruses from human to human contact and human to surface contact.
- Continue Treatments. If your body is out of alignment and in pain, then get that sorted by continuing your chiropractic treatments or booking one as needed.
These are all simple strategies which can help boost your immune system and make your body a less ‘friendly’ host, for germs and viruses. They’re healthy habits which can easily be incorporated into your daily lives.
While they won’t guarantee you’ll avoid illness, they are steps you can take to maximise your health and wellness. The better prepared we all are, the better positioned to fight infection. There’s an interesting study I’d like to share here, which shows the relationship between lifestyle choices, immune function and our tolerance to sickness.
In this study, 394 healthy subjects volunteered to have 1 of 5 different viruses “dropped” into their noses. One of the viruses that was being tested was a Corona virus (not the current one but a Corona virus none the less). Before the drops, each of the subjects were assessed for psychological stress. There were three fascinating outcomes from this:
- Not everyone got sick … even with the virus being put directly into their nose.
- The more stress you had in your life, the more likely you were to get sick.
- Psychological stress was a better predictor of sickness than any other lifestyle factor, including smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, diet and quality of sleep.
More information on the study can be found here.
I hope everyone stays healthy and well over the coming weeks and months and if you need an adjustment, please contact me to make an appointment on 0439 455 743 or email info@stratfordchiropractic.com.au