- beyond washing your hands and not touching your face -
(Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and none of this should replace the advice of a qualified medical professional)
1. Kick processed foods & added sugar out of your diet and eat a rainbow of REAL, nutrient dense foods instead.
Yep, trade the deep fried chicken nuggets and candy bars for things like spinach, kale, carrots, blueberries, bananas, avocado, ginger, eggs, olive oil, and lean grass-fed meats and dairy. Your immune system (and body) needs to absorb all the nutrients and antioxidants it can get right now to stay healthy – and the best place to get these are from real, natural, whole foods.
And one more thing – make sure to eat a healthy fat (olive oil, ghee, avocado, etc) with your veggies to help your body absorb all of the vitamins they contain.
2. Go to bed and prioritize sleep! So many of us prioritize rest when we’re sick, but not before then. But getting enough sleep will help prevent us from getting sick in the first place! So start to make sure you’re getting at least 7-8 hours a night NOW while you’re healthy. And make it non-negotiable.
3. Manage your stress levels with meditation It’s no secret that when you’re stressed out your immune system suffers. There’s a lot of science now backing up that meditation offers a lot of stress resilience and an immune system boost. So instead of panicking about the coronavirus, meditate on inner peace and your natural health state instead!
4. Eat some Manuka honey Manuka honey is a unique honey native to New Zealand with scientifically proven antibacterial, anti-microbial and antiviral properties.
When I get a hint of a scratchy throat or minor congestion I’ll start to down a teaspoon once or twice a day. Don’t want to eat it straight? Try sweetening your green smoothies!
5. Sage your space Clear the energy & bacteria from your space with sage. Science says that sage has antimicrobial and antibacterial powers. It removes an incredible 94% of bacteria from the air!
6. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate Staying hydrated is vital for your body to maintain optimal health. So get rid of that Coke and opt for good ole’ H2O instead. Water will help you flush out the toxins and bacteria and boost all of your body’s functions.
One tip – keep bottles of it everywhere. Seeing it works as a psychological trigger to remember to drink it. When you notice it, take a sip.
7. Wash your hands and then make sure you’re using moisturizer and eating some probiotic rich foods!
Okay, I know we said this was about going beyond washing your hands to stay healthy, but this one matters way too much to skip it. It’s the best thing all of us can do to prevent the spread of Coronavirus… BUT also make sure you keep those hands moisturized. Over washing and over sanitizing can lead to cracking (which may allow other germs into your body – oops)
There’s also a lot of evidence that over washing and sanitizing can be really bad for our gut microbiome (which is important for our immune system function) because hand washing gets rid of the good bacteria (probiotics) we’re exposed to, too. So while you’re doing all this extra hand washing make sure to also eat and drink probiotic rich foods and beverages (things like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha and cottage cheese). You can also take a probiotic supplement to help with this. And you may want to go play in the dirt to get some healthy microbes for your gut, too!
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