Coronavirus Prevention:  Boost Immune System

 

 

As you know, our country is going through an enormous health, financial and emotional shock that we haven’t seen in our lifetimes.  As a coronavirus prevention from spreading further, the California government is recommending quarantine and social distancing.  Essentially, social distancing is if you do go out of your home, standing about 6 feet away from someone when out and about.  Looking at the outcome in China, this could last for 8 to 12 weeks, or maybe even longer.  Los Angeles County is still recommending practicing health and some level of activity to keep the body strong and healthy.  The primary methods of prevention that the CDC are recommending are:

1. Quarantine (stay home)
2. Social Distancing (if you do go out in public, distance yourself from others up to 6 feet away)
3. Frequent hand washing and try not to touch your face

The next method or approach to is to stay healthy and to take good care of yourself.  This is a great time for self-care and to focus on health and fitness, fortifying the body as much as possible.  This is not a time to eat junk food, gain weight and to be sedentary and depressed.  This is an opportunity to focus on your own health and well-being.  We can all come together and rise to the occasion.

Throughout history, people have endured numerous challenges when it comes to global diseases. In 2003 we had SARS, and in 2009 we had H1N1. In 2014 we had Ebola, and in 2015 we had the Zika virus.

We are now faced with a new strain discovered in 2019 called Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). This virus is now a global pandemic, but there are things we can do to boost our immune systems to fight this virus off. Let’s learn how to prevent coronavirus, read below.

 

 

 

Prevent Coronavirus – The Basics of Boosting the Immune System

A virus is not a bacteria, so taking antibiotics will not work. The best way to combat a virus is to strengthen the immune system.  There are five main things to focus on to boost your body’s immune system.

1. Movement and Exercise 

• • • When you exercise, you increase your body’s internal temperature, which may help the body fight the infection better, similar to when you get a fever.
    • According to the U.S. National Library of medicine, exercise alters the body’s antibodies and white blood cells to help fight off diseases and infections.
    • Tip to incorporate more movement and exercise into your daily routine:
      • Don’t let the gym being closed stop you from getting your exercise!
      • Walk around your neighborhood, go on a hike, or go to the park.
      • If you are talking on the phone, walk around while doing that and try doing some squats while watching television.

2. Meditation and Stress 

• • • • Keeping stress to a minimum may sound challenging at this time, but remember, if you get stressed, the stress hormones such as cortisol come into play, which can wreak havoc on your immune system.
      • The mind is the “motherboard” of our bodies, so meditating and calming your body down is vital to keeping the immune system in balance.
      • Tip to incorporate meditation into your daily routine:
        • Download a free meditation app on your phone and set aside at least five minutes each day; it’s that simple!

3.Sleep 

• • • Studies have shown that when you don’t get enough sleep, 8-10 hours of sleep, which should be high-quality sleep, you increase your chance of getting sick after being exposed to a virus.
    • While you are sleeping, the immune system releases proteins called cytokines.
    • Some cytokines increase when there is an infection or inflammation
    • When you don’t get enough sleep, the production of cytokines is decreased, leaving your immune system vulnerable.
    • Tip to incorporate more quality sleep into your nightly routine:
      • Turn off all lights, including blue light devices such as the television and cell phones, at least two hours before going to bed.

4. Food  

• • • Garlic
      • Research acknowledges that consuming garlic helps maintain and balance the immune system
      • Enhanced T-cell proliferation was noted with the intake of garlic to empower the immune response further when faced with a viral encounter.

• • • Mushrooms
      • In a recent study, it was shown that when people consumed cooked Shitake mushrooms every day for four weeks, it increased their immunity.
      • This study also showed that the gamma delta T-cells of the immune system were functioning better as well as having a reduction in the inflammatory proteins.
    • Vegetables that contain Quercetin.  Quercetin is a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables that contain anti-inflammatory and more importantly, anti-viral properties.
      • Quercetin prevents viral entry as well as inhibiting the components required for viral replication.
      • Some of the fruits and vegetables that are high in quercetin are:
        1. 1. Apples
           2. Berries
           3. Onions
           4. Tomatoes
           5. Nuts and seeds
    • Bone Broth 
      • Bone broth is considered a super-food when it comes to the immune system because of its amino acid contents:
        1. 1. Arginine is essential to the immune system and liver function
           2. Glycine aids in glutathione production as well as the quality of sleep
           3. The bone marrow in the bone broth itself contains alkylglycerols, which are vital for the production of white blood cells.

5. Supplements   

• • • Fish oil – Jenifer Fenton, Ph.D., M.P.H., a researcher from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, states, “Fish oil may have immune-enhancing properties that could benefit immunocompromised individuals.”
      • Fish oil enhances B-cell (white blood cell) activity, which boosts the immune system.
    • Zinc – Zinc balances the immune response by gently tapping the breaks on the immune response keeping it from spiraling out of control.
      • If you are low or deficient in zinc, then your defense system is amplified, causing you to be at a disadvantage.
      • According to  Daren Knoell, senior author of the study and a professor of pharmacy and internal medicine at Ohio State. “Without zinc on board, to begin with, could increase vulnerability to infection.”
    • Lysine – Lysine (also known as L-lysine) is an amino acid that evidence has shown when combined with vitamin C, and zinc helps suppress the herpes virus, hailing it as an anti-viral aid.
      • Lysine helps regulate the immune system by interacting directly with the IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies, which are the most abundant in the human body.
    • Vitamin C – A big part of our immune system consists of phagocytes and T-cells, both of which need vitamin C to perform their task of keeping the immune system healthy.
    • Magnesium – Not only does magnesium help support a healthy immune system, but it also helps strengthen muscles and bones.  

Make sure that the supplements are bio-available and are not synthetic.  One of the companies that I really like for bioavailbe supplements is Perque.

As for food, if you are worried about a food shortage, you can stock up on:

1. 1. Canned Seafood
   2. Tons of Fat (coconut oil, butter, olive oil) – this is high calories and will sustain you in the case of an emergency
   3. Canned Beans
   4. Rice
   5. Protein Powders 

 

Summary

Over the past 100 years, America has gone through two world wars, the Spanish flu, polio, the great depression, and the great recession.  As Americans, we know how to mobilize.  We are on a war footing with an enemy that we can’t see.  Our mobilization will be in the form of social distancing, washing our hands, taking care of our body, and not touching our face.  Our economy will suffer, but as in the past, we have gotten through many stressful periods throughout our history.  Stay strong!

An Online Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach will offer more flexibility during this challenging time. Beyond fitness training, I also provide a holistic approach for long-term results. For more health and wellness information, visit my website because our bodies need to be extra healthy and impenetrable, especially now! So, boost your immune system naturally to be virulent and virus-free today!
Biography: Shawn Phillips is a well-known Holistic Personal Trainer in Los Angeles and Certified Nutrition Coach specializing in body sculpting, nutrition, lab testing, and exercise coaching. For a FREE consultation call him at (310) 720-8125.