Build your Immunity COVID-19

The truth about the Corona Virus …

The robust and healthy may not even get a sniffle with COVID-19. Many will see the power of wellbeing when testing is available and we see we have antibodies to this virus but may have only felt mild signs or symptoms.

But Who is at Risk?

Nearly 50% of our population has blood glucose dysfunction, insulin resilience or diabetes type 2. These sobering facts mean that these individuals are at a greater risk for COVID-19 and all diseases. What makes this super scary is that our hospitals are overwhelmed and there is no vaccine yet. Over 66 % of Australians are overweight or obese, nearly 40% of COVID-19 patients are between the ages of 20 to 54-years, and many in this category are obese with obesity increasing the risk of death almost 3 fold.
People with chronic diseases (autoimmune diseases, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.)—affecting approximately 6 in 10 Americans (and Aussies are close behind!) —are at the greatest risk with mortality rates of five to ten times that of healthy COVID-19 patients.

 The Good News

But here is the good news. I have seen clients transform their lives in days simply by incorporating small lifestyle & nutritional hacks. Take Chris, a 46-year-old lawyer, a client featured in my book, Eat, Drink & Still Shrink, who was suffering not only a ‘Dad Bod” but his blood work showed he was pre-diabetic, his blood pressure was skyrocketing, and his cholesterol was climbing. His doctor was about to put him on three medications. But, within 4 weeks of eating well, sleeping better and moving more, he, like millions of people, harnessed the power of nutritional transformation. This is not white witchcraft… this is science and we have the research to back it.

Let’s discuss the following:

1. How to Eat to Boost Your Metabolism
2. Immune Boosting Lifestyle Interventions
3. What Supplements Should I Take
4. How do I create a Low Sugar Lifestyle
5. Personal Nutrition Plan for you and your family

1. Eat to Boost Your Immune function- one bite at a time.

• Just eat real, whole food- unpackaged as often as possible. All of my books, Beating Sugar Addictions for Dummies, The Healthy Hormone Diet, and Eat, Drink & Still Shrink have the same message…. real foods do not contain added sugar, have an abundance of natural fibre, naturally contain pre and probiotic in your food and are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. BOOM... winner! /eat-drink-and-still-shrink/
• Minimise foods that have ingredients we cannot pronounce! These are often heavily processed with preservatives, trans fats, and who the heck knows what else. These things suppress our immune system.
• Adopt a Low Sugar Lifestyle. This is not ‘fake news’. The research is clear. Sugar and junk foods suppress your immune system, worsen viral infections and impact your mental wellbeing. https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/smiles-trial/
• Limit alcohol. No more than two glasses of wine, beer or alcohol a few nights a week. Give your body a least two nights of no alcohol. Your liver likes a break. Alcohol may also suppress immunity and depletes key nutrients.

What specific foods should I include and why?

Try to include in your daily meal planning a focus on nutrient-dense, flavonoids foods that have anti-viral properties. We have hundreds of free ‘Rona Recipes’ and cooking from the panty recipes on our blogs and social media, as well the super tasty 28-day meal plans in all of my books.

• Kaempferol - a natural flavonoid or an antioxidant found in fruit and vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, dill)
• Quercetin-plant flavonol from the flavonoid group of polyphenols. (red onion, kale, dill, onion, oregano, chili pepper, apples, leafy green vegetables, broccoli)
• Hesperidin is a bioflavonoid, a type of plant pigment with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects found primarily in unripe citrus fruit. (Oranges, grapefruit, lemon, and tangerines)
• Oleuropein- activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial activity, antiviral activity, hypoglycemic effect. (olives and extra virgin olive oil)
• Catechins and epicatechin gallate - increase the antioxidant capacity of human plasma, (green, white, oolong, and black teas, cranberries, strawberries, blackberries, kiwis, cherries, pears, peaches, apples, and avocados, pecans, pistachios, and hazelnuts)

SPICE UP and become a Herb Addict. Besides enhancing the taste of your food, they have high antioxidant properties.

• Ginger
• Garlic
• Turmeric
• Rosemary
• Chili pepper
• Oregano

Protein for Immunity (and weight gain prevention!)

Protein is critical for immune function as well as good skin, blood sugar regulation, weight control and more. Eat approximately one gram/kg or about half your body weight in grams of protein. For example, if you weigh 60 kilos, try to consume about 30 grams per day. This would be higher if you were doing heavy sports training (but extreme exercise is not something I would recommend at the moment for anyone). Plant-based proteins (legumes, nuts/seeds) are adequate if consumed in enough quantity. Consider tofu, natto, and tempeh from non-GMO soy for the highest protein concentrations.

Protein contains amino acids that are essential for your immune systems. The most important are taurine, carnosine, anserine, and creatine from beef and lamb. Adequate amounts are not found in plant proteins. This is why for some vegetarians a good, clean pea protein powder is considered.

Strengthen Your Microbiome:

Getting your gut health is critical for regulating inflammation and most of us have an inflammatory microbiome.
60% of our immune system lies in our gut. This is why it is imperative to focus on this now. We can control what we eat!
Prebiotic foods feed our good bacteria. Dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus, artichokes, bananas, apples, konjac root (try shirataki noodles), cocoa, burdock root, flax seeds, jicama root, and seaweed.

Consume probiotic in your foods daily. You can take a supplement but why not think about sheep, cow, or coconut yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, miso, natto, kimchi, pickles.

Chicken Soup from The Healthy Hormone Diet Book

Chicken soup is good for the soul and the waistline. Celery is a wonderful diuretic with an abundance of fibre.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Serving: 4–6

1 x 1.2–1.8 kg chicken
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, white part only, halved lengthways, washed and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large carrot, peeled if necessary, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 turnip, peeled and diced
2 litres chicken stock
(ideally homemade, but if store-bought ensure itis MSG free)
2 cups cold water sea salt and freshly ground black pepper chilli flakes and chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

• Wash the chicken and pat dry with paper towel.
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan large enough to hold the chicken over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Add the carrot, celery, zucchini and turnip and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add the chicken, stock and cold water, ensuring the chicken is covered with liquid (add more water if needed). Increase the heat to high and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through and nearly falling off the bone, stirring occasionally.
• Carefully remove the chicken from the soup and allow to cool slightly. Skim away any skin or froth that may have settled on the surface of the soup. Remove the meat from the bones and roughly chop, then return it to the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, scatter over the chilli flakes and parsley, and serve.

2. Lifestyle & Immune Boosting Hacks

Prioritise your Sleep. Without proper sleep, we tend to eat poorly, think poorly and not exercise as often. Without adequate sleep, your optimal immune function really does struggle. Right now, try for 7-9 hours. Set a bed routine like bathing or showering, no blue lights zapping your natural melatonin production, and listening to a guided mediation to wind down.

Move, simply move! Avoid excessive exercise which will cause oxidative stress and add to your cortisol overload. Mild to moderate exercise helps boost the immune system. Avoid overexertion such as training for endurance events when you are feeling run down. This will lower your immune defences.

Practise meditation and yoga. The data is clear. Increased levels of stress increase susceptibility to viral infections. In one study, volunteers had cold viruses injected into their nasal passages. Only the subjects who scored high on the stress questionnaire succumbed. Now is the time to learn meditation, double down on your practice, do yoga, take hot baths, do deep breathing, practise home massage with your loved ones.

Become a gardener. My Dad loves his garden. He gets to plant, nurture and then eat some food. He loves to share his basil, mint and delicious tomatoes and this makes him feel connected. He gets sunshine and moves as well. There is a whole lot of good in becoming a gardener right now.

Power of Connection. This is not a warm and fuzzy recommendation. We know being connected to others helps with our mental wellbeing. Use FaceTime and Zoom to have virtual dinner parties, evening cocktails, and WhatsApp groups to connect with friends and family. Make sure you have daily engagement with others.

Fresh Air. With respect to our government guidelines go on walks, get fresh air, but be safe and practise social distancing. 

3. What Supplements Should I Take?

Yes, there is a time and a place for these now.

I always recommend getting your food right before I recommend supplements. However, right now, why not have that extra protection. Below are evidence-based supplements that improve or protect your immune function. With all supplements, you should check with your health care practitioner (See below)

• A multivitamin and mineral.- one per day
• Vitamin C: 1000 mg - 1- 2 separate doses per day. Our body likes small doses of Vitamin C throughout the day.
• Vitamin D3: 1000-4000 IU a day
• Vitamin L- multiple doses of love & gratitude throughout the day
• Zinc: 20 mg a day
• Melatonin: 1-3 mg at night, sustained release, one hour before bed- blue light is a melatonin vampire
• Probiotics- in your good and supplement 
  
  

4. Low Sugar Lifestyle- how do I create this in my home?

I am a mother of three kids - I understand going cold turkey on sugar is difficult at any time let alone right now! But I do believe the single best thing we can begin with today is to reduce our inflammation, boost our immune system, improve our sleep, and protect our mental wellbeing. That can all be done by embracing a Low Sugar Lifestyle. If you are on blood sugar lowering medicine, insulin, or blood pressure medication, be sure to consult your doctor because your blood sugar and blood pressure may drop quickly (for the best) when you change your diet and you will need to adjust your medication as you become healthier. If you are overweight, suffer from binge eating, sugar cravings, poor concentration, “tired but wired” syndrome, then we are here to help! This is a perfect time to get your ‘house’ right- your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing back in order! Small micro-changes in your lifestyle and learning what easy, tasty, healthy foods to eat is the key to your long term wellbeing …long past when Corona flattens and we go back to some level of normality.

5. How can we help You, Your Kids, Family or Business?

1. Free recipes and nutritional advice- A Healthy View social media, FB, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

2. Personal Nutrition & Wellbeing Consults anywhere in the world. Our qualified nutritionists have over 10 years of experience with 100’s of patients per week with autoimmune diseases, chronic illness, weight loss to mental wellbeing. Email michele@ahealthyview.com for an appointment or more information.

3. Remote Wellbeing & Nutritional Zoom Webinars. Corporate & School wellness programs for staff, students and teams.
'In the past week, we have moved 80% of our corporate wellness programs to an online platform which includes live webinars, view anytime Zoom sessions, closed Facebook groups where employees can ask questions and receive responses in real-time via live video.’ Employees are enjoying and welcoming nutritional advice on how to build immunity, consume brain-boosting foods, meals to cope with stress, and guides to stock and cook from the pantry.

4. Low Sugar Lifestyle - A 28 day, nutritionist designed, kid-approved online program. $49 for the best, most realistic approach you will get anywhere on how to create a long term low sugar lifestyle. Daily emails, videos, and live yes live interaction daily with a qualified nutritionist in a closed Facebook group. So successful, we offer a money-back guarantee! /low-sugar-lifestyle/