In the current climate of things, many of us are in self-isolation, tangled in uncertainty over what the future holds. To those I say this: there has never been a better time to focus on optimizing your health.
That is why I have chosen to share 10 ways you can stay healthy during this stressful time.
1. Exercise
Exercise is in many ways the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. It offers more benefits than one can count and is integral to staying healthy at a time when movement is limited. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, it is a boon to mental health, as can be seen by its correlation with happiness.
Benefits
• Increased muscle mass
• Increased energy levels
• Happiness
How to Go About It
• Make a workout plan consisting of weights and cardio without neglecting any body parts
• Prioritize form over weight and feel the targeted muscle with every movement
• Avoid using machines and work with free weights when possible to increase range of motion
Quote
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.” -Jim Rohn
2. Diet
While exercise is as key a factor as any in maintaining fitness, diet is a facet often overlooked when evaluating overall health. Monitoring what goes inside your body is as important as how you use it. You can take a multitude of angles when choosing what foods to eat, though there are some key elements that remain consistent no matter the diet.
Benefits
• Weight control
• Disease prevention
• Longevity
How to Go About It
• Track your food intake on an app – I use MyFitnessPal
• Eat a plant-based diet centered around healthy proteins (lean meat, fatty fish, eggs), healthy carbs (white or brown rice, sweet potato) and healthy fats (avocados, coconut oil, raw nuts)
• Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables and avoid dairy, simple carbs, sugar and unhealthy oils (vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower oil)
Quote
“Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you’ve got a kingdom.” -Jack Lalanne
3. Stay Hydrated
When going through your day, water intake is likely the last thing you’d give thought to. However, by neglecting this, you are doing your overall health a disservice. Staying hydrated is one of the greatest gifts you can give your body, and at a time when essential goods are being priced egregiously high, water is one of the few things you won’t need to race to the shelves for.
Benefits
• Weight loss
• Improved joint health
• Improved skin health
How to Go About It
• Drink 3 litres of water per day (the more you exercise, the more you should drink)
• Track your water intake with an app – I use My Water
• Get a reusable bottle to make it easier to track your intake
Quote
“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” -H. Auden
4. Read
In an age where nearly anything can be accomplished via the use of technology, seldom do people take pleasure in reading books. However, few things are as fulfilling as getting wrapped up in an inspiring read. If nothing else, it will help divert your attention from disconcerting news on to some much-needed positivity.
Benefits
• Mental stimulation (helping prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia)
• Decreased stress levels
• Improved writing skills
How to Go About It
• Read in a relaxing environment such as your balcony or backyard
• Take notes of what you’re reading
• Use a Kindle if you prefer not to manually flip through pages
Quote
“From the reading of ‘good books’ there comes a richness of life that can be obtained in no other way.” -Gordon B. Hinckley
5. Sleep Well
It can be easy to take for granted a good night’s rest, but that does not need to be the case. In fact, I find that there is no better way to start my day than getting up before dawn, a feat most easily accomplished by sleeping at dusk. While difficult to master, establishing such a sleep schedule will pay enormous dividends.
Benefits
• Improved sharpness
• Improved mood
• Increased physical performance
How to Go About It
• Have a consistent sleep schedule
• Limit exposure to blue light at night and don’t use your phone in bed
• Take a hot shower or bath
Quote
“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” -Benjamin Franklin
6. Stay Productive
For those of you who work from home, this may not be as big an issue, but for others, it can be easy to fall down the rabbit hole of letting the days go by. Stay productive and give yourself purpose during this time off. Accomplish things you never had time to when engulfed by the demands of your everyday life, and you will thank yourself down the line.
Benefits
• Decreased stress levels
• Greater sense of fulfillment
• Happiness
How to Go About It
• Every night, get a piece of paper and plan out the following day
• Use a to-do list – I use Toodledo
• Break down your big goals into smaller goals
Quote
“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” -Muhammad Ali
7. Take Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Oregano Oil
If you think of your immune system as the first line of defense line against COVID-19, you want to be giving your troops all the help they can get. Clinical nutrition expert Zoltan Rona says that one of the best ways to do this is by taking your daily dose of vitamin C, vitamin D and oregano oil.
Benefits
• Prevents flus, colds and infections (vitamin C/vitamin D)
• Treats flus, colds and infections (vitamin C/vitamin D)
• Reduction of symptoms for sinus and nasal infections (oregano oil)
How to Go About It
For prevention:
• Consume 3,000 mg of Vitamin C daily
• Consume 5,000-10,000 IU of Vitamin D daily
• Take 2-4 drops of oregano oil 3 times a day
Alternatives to these supplements are:
• Berries, oranges, guava, bell peppers (vitamin C)
• Fatty fish, canned tuna, egg yolks, mushrooms (vitamin D)
Quote
“Most of these will be effective for a large number of people to kill unwanted microbes.” -Zoltan Rona
8. Stay Off The Screens
As tempting as it can be to read about the latest celebrity infected or the crashing stock markets, doing so can be a detriment to your health. The average person spends roughly five hours of their day on their phone, much of it serving very little to their overall wellbeing. Just imagine everything you could accomplish with even a fraction of that extra time.
Benefits
• Improved focus
• Improved sleep
• Decreased neck and back pain
How to Go About It
• Replace the habit of checking your phone with something more positive such as reading or talking with family
• Delete games and social media apps from your phone and turn off notification
• Keep your phone far away from you
Quote
“Before the cell phone and the Internet, you felt a more pure sense of liberty than we do today.” -Tom Green
9. Practice Gratitude
It’s easy to get sucked into the flow of negativity that has come about this pandemic. And it’s inevitable — news breaks and theories are the first thing you see the moment you check your phone. That said, a great way to combat this is to regularly think about what you’re grateful for, and though it may not always seem to be the case, there is a lot to choose from.
Benefits
• Improved psychological health
• Increased self-esteem
• Happiness
How to Go About It
• Every day, write down 3 things you’re grateful for
• Send this to someone you care about
• Share your gratitude with a group to hold yourself accountable
Quote
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” -Cynthia Ozick
10. Meditate
There is no real precedent to what we’re experiencing right now, and that level of uncertainty can be quite unsettling. Thankfully, meditation is one of the most effective antidotes for stress and anxiety, and it is not in short supply.
Benefits
• Decreased stress levels
• Decreased anxiety levels
• Less chronic pain
How to Go About It
• Sit or lie down, close your eyes, breath naturally and focus on your breath
• Start with a small amount of time (1-2 minutes) then work your way up to 5-10 minutes
• Download a meditation app – I use Insight Timer
Quote
“Meditation provides a way of learning how to let go.” -John Welwood
So with this information comes a unique opportunity: the opportunity to create a better and more fulfilling life for yourself at a time when many others are trending in the opposite direction. There are countless ways to achieve this — these are just 10 that I have found work for me.
References
Brooks, A. (2019, July 11). The Top Foods High in Vitamin C — and Why the Nutrient Is So Critical. everydayhealth. https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/top-foods-high-in- vitamin-c.aspx
Brown, E. (2019, April 28). Americans spend far more time on their smartphones than they think. zdnet. https://www.zdnet.com/article/americans-spend-far-more-time-on-their- smartphones-than-they-think/
Cap Cana News. (2016, August 18). 10 Benefits of Reading: Why You Should Read Every Day. capcana. http://capcana.com/news/10-benefits-of-reading-why-you-should-read-every-day/
CareWell Urgent Care. (2018, July 19). The Effects too Much Screen Time has on Your Health. carewellurgentcare. https://www.carewellurgentcare.com/2018/07/19/the-effects-too-much- screen-time-has-on-your-health/
Jones, T. (2019, December 18). 7 Healthy Foods That Are High in Vitamin D. healthline. https:// www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-high-in-vitamin-d#7
Meditation 101: Techniques, Benefits, And A Beginner’s How-To. (n.d.). gaiam. https:// www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/meditation-101-techniques-benefits-and-a-beginner-s-how-to
Morin, A. (2014, November 23). 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/2014/11/23/7- scientifically-proven-benefits-of-gratitude-that-will-motivate-you-to-give-thanks-year-round/ #6c07cb1f183c
Ristic, A. (2018, July 23). 20 Benefits of healthy eating. infobunny. http://infobunny.com/20- benefits-of-healthy-eating/
Rona, Z. (2020, March 4). Coronavirus Protection and Treatment: Top 10 Natural Remedies. vitalitymagazine. https://vitalitymagazine.com/article/coronavirus-protection-and-treatment- top-10-natural-remedies/
Semeco, A. (2017, February 10). The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Exercise. healthline. https:// www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise
Silver, N. (2019, March 19). Why Is Water Important? 16 Reasons to Drink Up. healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/why-is-water-important#dehydration
Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep. (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/sleep- disorders/benefits-sleep-more#1
Thorpe, M. (2017, July 5). 12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation. healthline. https:// www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-benefits-of-meditation#section10
Most of this is good stuff, but there’s no need to avoid dairy, its actually an excellent source of protein (just go with skim milk and low/no fat options). You can even get skim milk with half the carbs removed now.
Thanks Rick. Appreciate that! I’m personally not a fan of dairy. A lot of people have lactose sensitivity. I do use Ghee quite frequently.