The Era of COVID: Lifestyle Habits that can Improve Your Body’s Resilience, & Improve Your Immune System
How can we move forward with life more safely?
With the threat of infection from COVID-19 still present, but most of us having a strong desire to move on with “life as normal”, doing things that positively impact our immune system just may be THE most important tactic for not only reducing the chance of infection, but for potentially reducing the severity of and sequelae from infections. Lifestyle factors DO have a big impact on immune function so here at Mint, we try to emphasize the importance of applying these modifiable lifestyle factors in our day to day lives. Below is a wealth of information from the Institute of Functional Medicine which will explain how you can begin improving your immune health with positive lifestyle changes. We witness all the time, positive changes in patients who apply these recommendations; their health improves in numerous measurable ways.
Food/Nutrition, Stress Reduction/Management, Sleep, Exercise and Social Factors/Connection are what we refer to as the roots of health. I encourage you to go to the full article for more detail on understanding how these lifestyle factors scientifically impact the immune system. These suggestions ARE rooted in science, aka evidence-based! This should motivate you even more to begin adjusting areas in your life which are hindering your health.
THE ROOTS OF HEALTH
FOOD/NUTRITION
Overall Recommendations: Research indicates that plant-based foods such as those high in phytonutrients, water- and lipid-soluble vitamins, and other antioxidants, as well as dietary fiber, can help downregulate an overactive immune response.
Specific recommendations for patients:
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Aim for 9-13 servings per day of a variety of types for a wide array of phytonutrients to enhance the gut microbiome.
Consume dietary fiber, a minimum of 28-35 grams daily, preferably from whole foods.
Eat fermented vegetables or other probiotic-containing foods to maintain epithelial health and gut barrier function.
Reduce or avoid immune offenders such as added sugars and salt, high-glycemic foods (including processed carbohydrates), and excessive saturated fat.
Food and nutrition are major daily input for health and well-being. There are three mechanisms that may be involved in the ability of food-derived compounds to reduce viral infection and severity:
Balancing inflammatory pathways.
Reducing oxidative stress and increasing antioxidant levels.
Harmonizing the gut microbiome
STRESS REDUCTION/MANAGEMENT
Overall Recommendations: Both acute and chronic stress can result in dysregulated, suppressed immune function. Under these conditions, susceptibility to illness is more likely. Monitoring stress levels through biofeedback markers such as heart rate variability (HRV) may assist in knowing when to implement stress management strategies and in having a means to assess their efficacy, as well in helping to track resilience-building approaches. Practicing stress-modifying techniques on a regular basis using HRV and other modalities can result in greater resilience when confronted with stressors.
SLEEP
Overall Recommendations: Due to its restorative and regulatory abilities, sleep has a major influence on immune function and inflammatory signals. Therefore, getting good quality, sufficient quantity (seven to eight hours) and adequate deep phasic bouts of sleep is of utmost importance as part of immune maintenance, as well as during times of recovery from illness. It is advised to have patients practice good sleep hygiene and maintain consistent sleep hours by turning off screens, ensuring the room is cool, quiet, and dark, and setting reminders to go to bed on time.
EXERCISE
Overall Recommendations: Moderate, regular physical activity helps immune system function by raising levels of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies, increasing circulation, and decreasing stress hormones. A personalized exercise program can be designed even during homestay by utilizing features in one’s home environment, including apps, the internet, and technology, or by taking the opportunity to experience the calming, immune-supportive effects of being in nature (while, at the same time, social distancing).
SOCIAL FACTORS/CONNECTION
Overall Recommendations: Social connections are important to consider and evaluate with patients as part of their health status. In some cases, interactions with others will be supportive, and in other instances, there may be conflict or stress. For immune health, the focus should be on reducing exposure to interactions perceived as hostile and non-supportive and, at the same time, on emphasizing and encouraging time with others who are positive or affirming. For those people who may be lonely or isolated, such as the elderly, as well as those who may be at increased risk of immune compromise, providing ideas for regular social connection may be helpful for establishing a routine. Ideas might include participating virtually in local community events or in a religious or spiritual group.
Summary
In general, lifestyle interventions can be an effective means to help patients regain their sense of control during times of uncertainty like those experienced in a pandemic. Substantial research indicates that certain dietary patterns and lifestyle patterns offer viable options for improving overall health, especially by reducing inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effects of foods and aspects of how one chooses to live may, in turn, favorably influence and support immune system function as a preventative measure for reducing the risk of illness. Furthermore, in the case of (viral) infection, implementing these changes could significantly offset the severity and sequelae incurred from illness. While this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic may be stressful, we can still effectively use this time as an opportunity to evaluate current lifestyle practices and move to make changes where needed in an effort to reduce the immediate risk from acute viral infection, as well as the long term risk of chronic disease.
[https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/lifestyle-practices-for-strengthening-host-defense/]
Did you know Dr Buchert & Renee Boudreaux NP are both certified Functional Medicine providers through the prestigious Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM)?
IFM certified health care providers are consistently recognized as the most thoroughly trained and tested Functional Medicine clinicians in their fields and the most sought-after by patients. IFM is continually developing content for clinicians to stay up-to-date on the latest scientific advancements in Functional Medicine and to continue to develop skills and competencies to provide the best treatments for their patients with complex, chronic illnesses.
For even more information about this cutting-edge approach to meaningful wellness, and how we, as Functional Medicine practitioners, help people where the conventional system fails, visit Institute of Functional Medicine.
This can be you!!
Real stories, real results. We welcome you to take a look HERE at what some of our patients have to say about their Functional Medicine experience!
We sure did love hearing these messages this week- "I feel like a woman again! I had no idea my body was missing so much" and "Thanks so much for your assistance. I appreciate you more than you know. I love waking up with no pain!"
Disclaimer: This resource is only intended to identify lifestyle practices that may boost your immune system. It is not meant to recommend any treatments, nor have any of these been proven effective against COVID-19. None of these practices are intended to be used in lieu of other recommended treatments. Always consult your physician or healthcare provider prior to initiation. For up-to-date information on COVID-19, please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.