We have had months of isolation, fear and worry. Almost a year of this now and we still do not know what our new normal will look like.   A fun time it has not been! 

The main thing I focused on from the beginning was good nutrition

Having had COVID I have had more time to think about what I have done during the past 12 months, how I have prepared myself, my body, and my home for this pandemic.

Possibly even boring people close to me talking about vitamins, nutrients in foods, quality of foods, etc, etc.

But what if including these in my life has helped me to beat the virus and to not fall prey to the harsher effects the virus has manifested in many people. My biggest fear was that I would be hospitalised at a time when the NHS was and is so overwhelmed and struggling, adequate care would be difficult.

We are the host

Our body is host to these viruses. When we look after our bodies and make them as strong as they can be, then the host is not as attractive to the virus. The fight starts with the response from our bodies, not with the medicines that the GP will have to give us to treat the symptoms once the virus takes hold.

Food heals us

My husband has often joked or become annoyed with me for buying certain things that cost more because of an ingredient, or because it had the word organic in it. Adding organic or grass-fed foods into the family shop is possible for many families. This is not always about privilege, which is a common misconception.

We all have a choice - choose wisely

If organic isn't attainable for your family, try to make healthier choices. As an example: choose the fresh green broccoli or the multipack of satsumas, instead of a packaged meal or fruit juice.  It’s best not to sacrifice fresh foods for the pre-prepared meal. Mass-produced foods with added preservatives will never give you the same level of vitamins as eating fresh whole foods.

I once had financial struggles as a new mum, so I am aware how hard it is to choose the higher priced item when there is a cheaper alternative. Back then my options were limited, as was my knowledge and understanding of the best food options that would benefit my family. 

These days I shop based on knowledge; most of the time! I occasionally get caught in the misleading food advertisements only to later realise, looks can be deceiving!

Mix It Up

I buy some organic food on most of my weekly shops. My choice is to not buy 5 packets of biscuits and big bags of crisps every week. Multipacks of fizzy drinks or even Ribena. I don't buy organic food every single day and I don't buy the same organic food every single week. I try the best I can to make the right choices for my family, and to choose some organic foods.

Eat the Rainbow

When it comes to our immunity, the topic of vegetables, fruits, and good quality foods is very relevant. This is because it matters at a cellular level, this determines how our immune systems reacts to the inflammatory response of any infection.

Eating more wholesome, healthy, natural foods that are not depleted of nutrients from our soils or over processed will in turn determine the body's ability to utilise antioxidants and lower inflammation around the body. Strengthening our immunity and preparing for the immune response when a virus attacks. 

Improve your chances of overcoming the coronavirus or any other infections.

Do not wait – Eat well now, there is no point in waiting for a sickness to make you realise your body needs nutritious help from good foods, a strong mind and restful sleep. If illness strikes you hard it is unlikely you will be getting out of bed let alone cooking a vegetable stir fry. Your immunity needs to be strong before the virus takes hold.

Make improvements today by adding these tips into your life now:

1) Eating good amounts of fruit and vegetables: Forget the 5 a day rule that’s a minimal guide. You should be consuming a larger variety of vegetables every single day, then add some fruit on top of that.

2) Hydration: it is very important to keep your body hydrated with water, black tea and coffee does not count! Your minimum should be 6-8 glasses a day before you add in any other kind of drink. However, if you become ill with the virus, you will need to be drinking around 2 litres of water throughout your day to help your body’s functions do their job.

3) Sleep: your body needs sleep we all know this, but it is the quality that matters most. Your body is repairing when you sleep well, and you need this now more than ever. If illness strikes, your body will make you sleep. Don’t fight it, get the sleep you need to help the healing.

4) Mind and Soul: I wanted to write stress here but, I can feel the eye rolling! We’re all stressed out right now, there is no point me saying ‘don’t stress!’ Instead, I would like you to become more aware of what that stress is doing to you. There will be changes, and the only way to notice these changes is to sit still for a few minutes in your day and think about what you are feeling.

If the things that are bothering you are going round in your head, are making your heart thump, or your stomach chur, this is the flight or fight response happening in your body. This is chronic stress. This level of stress will deplete your immune system allowing those viruses to get in and attack with ease.

Let’s be realistic, you can’t remove these stresses just by thinking about them for 5 minutes. But once you are aware of how you are feeling you have choices; you can choose to change your thoughts. Write a list of the main stresses on paper, look at these – maybe there is nothing on your list that you have control over, things you cannot change, bring these acceptance.

Other concerns, that you do have control over, may be top of your list. Can you get one done once you see it on paper? Maybe it can be delegated, once it’s gone it will reduce your stress and empower you to move on to the next item on your list. Accept what cannot be changed right now. This will bring your soul some peace and improve your wellbeing.

5) Protect your gut: New research is starting to show the importance of a healthy microbiome in fighting the COVID infection and the severity of how people are affected. Microbiome is the quality and quantity of the good bugs in your gut. To get a good variety of these, include pro and prebiotics into your daily diet. This could be a drink of kombucha or adding sauerkraut to your salad.

For further advice I have created a Free E-Book called 7 days to Better Health. This will give you more tips on good foods and habits you can incorporate into your lifestyle.