Reports out of Columbia in South America state that the highly contagious COVID-19 Mu variant (B.1.621) is resistant to immunity provided by vaccines and antibodies. The Delta variant is running rampant across the United States. People - vaccinated and unvaccinated - are getting sick at an increasing rate. This is happening in summer when most people are at their healthiest from more vitamin D exposure (sunshine) and outdoor activity (social distancing). So what’s the problem?
For the past 18 months, the prevailing discussions have centered around the vaccination rates and the mask/no mask debate. In other words, prevention protocol. Is it possible that the focus has been on the wrong details? Clearly Mother Nature is not deterred the prevention options. It is highly likely that most people are going to get COVID eventually. What if vaccines and masks were removed from the discussion? What if the discussion focused on what can be done to put people in the best position to fight off the virus when it is contracted?
Healthy people get sick. The difference is in the Frequency, Intensity, and Time (F.I.T.). If the average person gets sick with a cold, flu, or infection three times a year; the healthy person might get sick once a year. The average person may may get sick and be bed-ridden for three days; the health person might be in bed for one day. The average person may get sick and feel unwell for 7-10 days; the healthy person might feel miserable for 3-5 days.
Is the healthy person going to avoid COVID and its’ numerous variants? No! The difference is that the healthy person will be better equipped physically to fight off a virus and recover quickly. The question that needs to be discussed is: what can be done to build a healthy body? The answer is recovery, movement, and nutrition.
Mighty Oak Athletic calls this The Circles of Life. Recovery, movement, and nutrition, that is what it takes to live a long and healthy life. This is not groundbreaking information. Most people intuitively know this to be true. The challenge arises in defining how often, how much, when, where, and what “healthy” rest, activity, and food look like.
RECOVERY
On the health underrated list is the power of consistent, deep sleep. Many people spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about the overrated components of health like exercise and supplements. Meanwhile, the facets of health that truly move the needle in an impactful way - proper nutrition from real food and sleeping habits - are often an after thought.
An overwhelming amount of current research shows that sleep is essential to physical and mental health. The harsh reality is that most people are sabotaging their sleep and missing out on all of the health benefits a sound night of zzz’s has to offer.
Here are a few ways to improve sleep quality and overall health. Do not try to implement all of these improvements at once. Choose a single habit to change, and make that the keystone habit (the small change that carries over into other aspects of health) to build upon. This incremental progress is less-challenging to maintain for longer periods of time.
No screens before bed
That means turn down the harsh LED house lights and power off cell phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, backlit eReaders, and the TV one hour before bed.
LED screens and lights emit blue wavelengths that mess with the body’s internal clock and natural rhythms - the circadian rhythm. Screen time and exposure to the now ubiquitous LED lights makes it difficult for the body to begin shutting down after sunset.
Opt for a traditional, non-backlit eReader or print books and magazines when reading for bed.
Be consistent
Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. It is best to allow the body to dictate this, as opposed to an alarm clock.
Following a consistent sleep pattern will set the body’s internal clock and condition the mind to expect sleep at the same times each night. A key success factor in achieving this is maintaining the same sleep routine on weekends, as well as during the week. While most people cannot go to sleep and wake up at exactly the same time everyday, the goal is to stick to the routine most days.
Trust the body
How many hours should someone sleep each night? It depends. Some people can thrive on 5-1/2 hours of sound sleep. Others need a solid 9 hours of shut eye. Listen to the body and acknowledge the feedback it provides.
While it is easy with a quick internet search to find data that will support a range of required sleep anywhere from 4 to 12 hours per night, 8 hours seems to be the most agreed upon middle ground. Allowing the body and mind to recharge for one third of the day is a reasonable and attainable number for most people. Think of hours of sleep as deposits into a proverbial Health Savings Account.
Dark and cool
It’s not just screens and LED lights that disrupt sound sleep. Light pollution coming in through windows, or lights from clocks and lamps can have similar negative effects.
Invest in quality blinds or drapes for the bedroom that will block out street lights, passing car lights, and early morning sunlight. On a budget? Block external light with tinfoil “blinds” and cover with inexpensive window dressing.
Have the bedroom comfortably cold before sleep. The external body temperature will adjust under the covers and the internal temperature will set to become comfortably cool - not hot and sweaty.
Keep it clean
Eliminate clutter in the bed. Sleeping in minimal clothing and blankets will limit tangles and subsequent tossing and turning. Minimize the number of pillows to create space to move freely. And NO PETS IN BED! The true magic is in deep, undisturbed sleep - not how many hours are spent in bed. Uncertain about the quality of sleep? Check out one of the dozens of sleep tools available to track sleep quality. The results might be eye opening!
Sex and rest
Only use the bedroom for sex, sleep, and light reading. That means no digging into textbooks or work decks - keep the desk outside of the bedroom. Do not chat or text on the phone in bed. Avoid the bedroom when arguing with a partner. Keep the bedroom sacred!
Some people have smaller living spaces or studio apartments. The confined spaces make this maxim challenging to achieve. Make an effort to address these non-sex/rest activities at an alternative location. For anyone with a larger living space - no excuses! - make an effort to compartmentalize activities into the appropriate rooms in the house.
Say no to drugs
Alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine destroy a good night sleep. While it may seem like passing out is a deep sleep, it is not restorative. This lack of restorative sleep leads to physical and mental fatigue the next day. This begins the sleep-sapping cycle of caffeine to “wake up”, not being able to sleep well from ingesting stimulants throughout the day, waking up groggy, and taking more stimulants. Break the cycle!
Make it a ritual
Have a bedtime routine that signals to the brain it is time to start shutting down. This might be taking a warm shower or bath, brushing the hair and teeth, applying lotions and potions, and then reading non-work or non-school related books. Find the individual habits that work best and make them a ritual.
Say sayonara to siestas
Avoid naps during the day. If a nap is necessary, keep it short - 20 minutes - and in the early part of the day.
Postpone pee pee
Stop consuming fluids at least one hour before bed time. This will reduce or eliminate night time trips to the bathroom.
No sweat sesh
Keep strenuous physical activity in the evening - including vigorous sex! - to a minimum. An elevated heart rate and excessive hormones that make the body energetic can make it challenging to relax and fall asleep.
MOVEMENT
An inability to move is one of the biggest indicators of poor health and leads to a shortened health span and lifespan. The less someone moves, the quicker the body and mind deteriorate. Make movement throughout the day - mostly walking - a priority.
Be strong to be useful; and to be able to move the body through the various activities of daily living. Strong legs can get the body in and out of chairs (and off toilets!). A strong core will keep the body stable and free from falls. Strong muscles in the chest and shoulders can place bags in the airplane’s overhead storage compartment. A strong back and rump can lift grocery bags and laundry baskets with ease. Make strength a priority.
Walk
Take a walk. Around the house, around the block, or around the park. Walking is one of the most basic of all human movements. A person’s overall health can often be predicted simply by looking at how freely and easily they are able to walk.
Walking is an activity that should be done throughout the day, everyday, without exception. Humans are built to walk. The current trend is to track steps. This can be a great way to bring awareness to movement, but a walking practice does not need to be that complicated. Just stand up and walk around!
Be consistent, not constant. Walking a little bit everyday will have a larger return on overall health than walking for longer stretches in more sporadic bursts throughout the month.
In addition to the physical benefits of walking, getting up and moving is a great way to clear the mind and give the brain the space it needs to relax and solve complex problems.
Walking in nature also serves to calm the mind and alleviate stress in the brain by eliminating many of the man-made distractions that act as stressors for the head. Leave the phone at home, take out the ear buds, and get immersed in the sights and sounds of the natural world.
Lift
Be strong to be useful. Strength is achieved by moving progressively heavier resistance. This can be bodyweight or an object. The weight is generally lifted by pushing or pulling. Pushing and pulling can take on various forms.
Pulling with the upper body can be as simple as opening a door, or as challenging as a pull up. Pushing can be closing a door, or pressing the body up off of the ground.
Lower body pulls are basic toe touches or lifting an object like a laundry basket off the ground. Lower body pushing motions get the body off of the toilet when moving from seated to standing, or when squatting down and up to grab something on the floor.
These are the basic human movements required for the activities of daily living. When these basic movements deteriorate, people become dependent on others or assistance tools (grab bars, automatic doors). This leads to even less movement and a downward health spiral. It also erodes a person’s independence and self-reliance.
Take time everyday to do some basic push and pull lifts. Start gradual and build up to more advanced movements and heavier weights as the body builds strength and coordination. The future person in the mirror will be thankful!
NUTRITION
Eat more fruits and vegetables. If there is one message to take away from this post, that is it. Most people eat too few fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. By simply increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed, and subsequently decreasing the amount of other foods eaten, a person can make significant improvements to their health.
Fruits and vegetables fall into the macronutrient category of carbohydrates. This does not mean that they have the same nutritional properties as pasta, bread, grains, and rice. These foods are also carbohydrates, but have a different effect on the body due to processing that strips out the dietary fiber and nutrients. What is left is a starchy food that spikes blood sugar levels and lacks any sort of nutritional punch.
Eat carbohydrates. Just make sure they are in the form of whole fruits, vegetables, and minimally processed grains. Choose foods that are high in fiber (4-5 grams per serving), have not been significantly altered from their natural state, and consume them in appropriate portions (enough to fill one cupped hand).
Eat fat. Fat is not the enemy. Unhealthy fat is what causes negative effects in the body. Fats occurring naturally in plants and animals are healthy in appropriate portions (healthy = meat from grass-fed or pasture-raised animals and fatty fruit like avocado; portions should be about the size of the palm). Avoid fatty foods that are highly processed; they often have added fat or fat made in a lab.
Protein is the building block of muscle, bones, cartilage, skin and blood. Protein is also used by the body to make hormones and and other body chemicals. It comes from a variety of sources. Consume protein from a variety of sources, including meat, poultry, seafood, beans, eggs, nuts and seeds.
BEAT COVID
Stop living in fear of COVID and trying to out smart Mother Nature. Most people will get COVID. Uncertainty and fear come from not knowing how the body will respond to an illness. Build a body that is strong and resilient. Do that through proper recovery, movement, and nutrition. A healthy body can handle COVID, regardless of the variant Mother Nature throws at it!