As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe with no vaccine in sight, we must ask ourselves a single question…

What can we do for ourselves, our close friends/relatives and society as a whole?

Feeling helpless and fearful is not part of the game plan, and you don’t need to… by taking action you will immediately eliminate a victim mindset, which in turn will help you and those around you.

What follows are recommendations with links to maximise reducing the chances of being infected and boosting your own immune system in case you are…

• Recommendations to prevent catching or spreading the coronavirus:

NHS recommendations.

– Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze

– Put used tissues in the bin immediately

– Wash your hands with soap and water often

– Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available

– Avoid close contact with people who are unwell

– Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

– If you think you might have coronavirus, have recently been to a high risk area or have been in close contact with someone who has then it is important to stay at home and contact 111.

• Lifestyle recommendations:

– Start taking sleep seriously to maximise your immune system.

I could write all day about why sleep is important to us all… But there is no need, check out the book ‘why we sleep’ for that.

What I will say here is that there is plenty of evidence that shows optimal sleep will enhance your immune system.

My recommendations are:

A. Sleep between the hours of 2200 and 600.

B. No screens after 2000.

C. Dim lights or wear blue light blocking glasses after 2000.

D. Avoid stressful activities including work, after 1900.

E. If well with no infectious signs, stay on top of your fitness levels. It has been shown to decrease mortality with respiratory issues like pneumonia. Performing circuits like this help.

– Nutrition:

Focus on healthy whole foods.

A. Eliminating processed grains and cane sugar helps your immune system and reduces chances of inflammation.

B. Staying optimally hydrated not only helps your entire system but also optimises your immune function. How much water do you drink?
This is a good rule of thumb: times your body weight in kilograms by 0.033, that is how many litres of water you need to drink per day.
An example is me at 90 kg currently, will need about 3L of water per day.

C. Vegetables and fruit consumption is a must due to all the micro nutrients they provide in helping your immune system. A great way to improve your well-being is to start juicing, as long as the majority of the juice is from vegetables (helps with insulin and blood sugar balance).

D. Eat within a 10 to 12 hour window. Eating within a 10 hour window has been shown to increase longevity, immune function and gut health.

– Stress:

Mindset has a huge part to play in this.

A. Watching or reading the news too regularly will increase chronic stress levels in the body. My recommendation given the current situation is to check once in the morning and once in the afternoon… never check right before sleeping.

B. Keep a positive mindset by being grateful for the things in your life. Keeping a journal and writing down three things you are grateful for every morning can help you attain this mindset… this could be anything as simple as being grateful for access to clean water or that your children are healthy!

C. Turn stress into action. This is personally what I do with any stresses in my life… I don’t to turn to alcohol, food or anything else that will accentuate the problem. What I do, is create action steps to combat the situation.

There will always be something within your power.

– Supplements:

I seriously suggest you get some of these to help immune function.

A. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) — Encourages glutathione production, thins mucus, lowers your chances of influenza infection and reduces your risk of developing severe bronchitis.

B. Elderberry extract – Known to shorten influenza duration by two to four days and reduce the severity of the flu.

C. Spirulina – Reduces severity of influenza infection and lowers influenza mortality in animal studies.

D. Zinc – Supports “effective function and proliferation of various immune cells,” lowering mortality in the elderly by 27%

E. Vitamin D – Helps ‘prime’ T cells

F. Echinacea – research shows it increases the number of white blood cells which fight infections.

G. Vitamin C – has been shown to decrease cold and flu symptoms by up to 85%!

H. Glutathione – regulates the balance between innate immunity or leukocyte infiltration at the site of infection to kill bacteria.

– Essential oils:

Essential oils have been used for generations in combating illness and promoting health.

A. Frankincense – can be anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and vulnerary. It is known to help the respiratory system with asthma, bronchitis and coughing. Using a diffuser would be the optimal way.

B. Tea tree – can be anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and anti-bactericidal. It is known to help the respiratory system with asthma, bronchitis and coughs. Using a diffuser here would also be the optimal way.

Finally:

If you would like a focused and dynamic approach to health and well-being during this crisis, feel free to take advantage of our distance coaching at any time from the comfort of your own home.

Here is also one of the best resources on the virus updated regularly at John Hopkins medicine.

Stay well and stay safe,

Rupert Hambly