Guest post from Anesthesiologist and Yoga Teacher Dr. Kaya Jeyarajah, BSC MBCHB FRCA
What I’ve learned from COVID-19 is that our staff and teams are what enables our hospitals to look after our patients in such an incredible way. They are working together so well, even when the situation changes rapidly from day-to-day.
I also feel that the strength in thriving through the pandemic comes from finding kindness in your community. Being in a tough situation brings out the best in some people to support each other. Even more now than ever, I chose to be around the “joy makers”, the ones who radiate light even in the dark moments.
The best thing we can all do for ourselves during this time is to boost our immunity, so we can stay healthy. Here is my guide to thrive though COVID-19.
Diet
Eat nourishing food with plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables. Keep hydrated. Avoid excessive caffeine. Blueberries boost levels of Natural Killer Cells & mushrooms boost IgA l, the anti-body blood level (1).
Sleep
Getting enough sleep improves the ability to fight common infections. Less than 6 hours of sleep per night increases the chance of catching the common cold four times (5,6,7).
Gentle Exercise
Systemic reviews of randomized control trials have found positive associations between yoga practice and improvements in diabetes (2), cardiovascular function (3) & mental health (4). If children run around for 6 minutes, they have a 50% increase in immune cells circulating in their blood stream. In a study of elderly and sedentary women, those who took a daily 30-minute walk reduced the risk of getting a respiratory infection from 50% to 20%.
Alcohol
Follow the general medical guidance (no more than 14 units/week). Notice if you are using alcohol as a means to combat stress or boredom and consider other ways to manage this. Alcohol disrupts sleep and immune responses are impaired in high-dose consumers of alcohol. However, the risk of catching the common cold may be reduced in those who enjoy a moderate alcohol intake compared to no alcohol! If you are going to have a drink – red wine appears to be the best choice (7,8).
Supplements
Vitamin D
Unless you already take vitamin D or recently had a winter sun holiday, it is highly likely you are currently deficient in vitamin D (6). A recent meta-analysis in the BMJ showed that daily vitamin D supplementation reduces the risk of upper respiratory tract infections, especially in those who are currently deficient (7). Take 800-2000 IU (20-50mcg) daily.
Vitamin C
A Cochrane Review shows that vitamin C reduces the duration of common cold symptoms. In periods of extreme physical stress, vitamin C halves the common cold risk (cochrane.org). Take 1000mg/day. If you can’t find any vitamin C due to shortages then try this Trinidadian Remedy – squeeze a whole lime and mix with 1 teaspoon of honey. Drink as a shot daily.
Turmeric
Turmeric has been shown to benefit inflammatory conditions (11), metabolic syndrome, pain, and helps in the management of inflammatory conditions. While there appear to be countless therapeutic benefits to curcumin supplementation, most of these benefits are due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects (12).
Probiotics
Supplementing with good bacteria (probiotics) might have immunity enhancing effects. White blood cells and Natural Killer Cells extracted from subjects on a probiotic regimen have significantly enhanced activity. A randomized controlled trial showed that those who take probiotics have significantly fewer colds. Take a high-quality probiotic supplement or increase intake of probiotic foods such as Kefir. Alternatively, increase foods which feed good gut bacteria such as fiber and whole plant foods (1).
Zinc
A Cochrane Review shows that zinc administered within 24hrs of onset of common cold symptoms reduces the duration and severity of illness (cochrane.org). Take 15mg zinc daily and in- crease the dose to 50-75mg.
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To show support to our friend Dr. Jeyarajah please visit her wellness package initiative here and help spread the story! She has created over 250 wellbeing bags to help medical staff take some much needed time for themselves during COVID-19.
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References |
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1) Greger, M. (2015). Chapter 5: How Not To Die From Infections. How Not To Die pp 90-114 |