Building Your Immune System For the Future

What is life now? Everything is closed except for essential business; grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants for take out and delivery only. All due to a virus that seems to be all over the world at present. I am a bit baffled at the severity of info that is driving everyone to quarantine, keep social distance, wash hands continuously and avoid any type of germs. I wonder what will be the takeaways from all of this. Will we learn to take better care of ourselves and our health to have stronger immune systems, or will we just continue to be germaphobes, worrying about everyone and everything. The tone and mood is stressful and strange. Now more than ever we must practice mindful meditation, yoga, exercise, deep breathing, and any other kind of activity that increases our endorphins and brings some peace to our lives.  Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key to having a strong immune system. I feel that this has not been publicized enough. We continue to hear about cases and deaths. What they don't talk about is the other underlying conditions that are driving these deaths and continuous respiratory problems, not to mention how many older adults are affected due to other health issues. This happens everyday, even before this virus. There are many reasons people get very sick and to continue to only blame this virus is ridiculous.

I want to focus on building your immune system so it is strong and you have a better ability to fight off these illnesses, and germs. We were raised playing in the dirt and swimming in lakes with fish and turtles. The exposures to dirt is what built our immunities. Now we are dirt and germ free which is not a great recipe for the latter. I know this is just for now and due to this virus but I also wonder how will we continue after this is over. Please focus on keeping yourself healthy and strong by eating lots of veggies, fruits, wild caught fish, grass fed and organic meat and poultry, gluten free grains such as quinoa, millet, kasha, brown rice, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, goat cheese, hummus, just to name a few things. Stay away or limit dairy such as cheese, milk, yogurt, as it causes inflammation which causes illness and disease. There are great substitutes such as almond, rice, or soy milk and dairy free options. We also need to sleep 7-9 hours each night, stay active during the day and try some intermittent fasting. I have been able to do this by not eating after dinner by 7pm until the next morning around 9. That's a good 14 hours to detox without you even realizing it. I have been doing this since the beginning of January, along with cutting most of my sugar and I feel so much better and lighter.  Dealing with the everyday stress these days is a concern and we must all find ways to handle this. As I said earlier, mindful meditation, relaxation exercises, physical activity, yoga and deep breathing. Also whatever you need as an escape to take your mind off the present situation; limit your news exposure, listen to good music, watch something funny, work on puzzles and games, give back and help others.

My best line of defense is the veggie, fruit, grape and berry, and omegas that I take everyday. This  whole food nutrition has been boosting my immune system, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and contributing to my overall health and wellness for the last 7 years. It is my best insurance policy. I also drink a plant based chocolate shake several times a week which is low glycemic and a great snack and meal replacement.  Please watch the video below for more info and let me know if you would be interested in getting started with these amazing healthy whole food gems. We also have a hydroponic growing system called the Tower Garden and you can grow your own produce at home. It's nice to know where your food comes from.

Please take care of yourself and your body so you have the defenses you need to fight anything that may be lurking out there. Try to relax and not stress during this very strange time in our lives and focus on the positives as things will go back to a new normal soon.

Keeping it Happy and Healthy
Your Nutrition Coach
Susan G
www.sgeers.juiceplus.com

Enjoy Your Exercise; Realize Your Limitations

Wow, it's been a while since I have been here, but I am ready to get back to it. So sorry it's taken me so long but here goes. A few articles back I started talking about trying new forms of exercise in an effort to branch out of my comfort zone. I went to a Zumba class at the Y that I thought was for beginners. WRONG!! It was actually a regular Zumba class, but the instructor was so nice and really made me feel comfortable. It was a blast!! I am not the most coordinated, so the steps were my main focus, and I probably did not experience the exercise portion of the hour as much as I had hoped. I still had sooo much fun as it was like going to a dance for an hour. The different types of music (latin, carribean, indian/bollywood), along with the different moves, and steps were amazing, and I kept up better than I thought. I knew this would be something I would continue, and if I wanted to really get the benefits I would have to keep coming to get used to the steps and be able to experience the whole process. The ladies in the class were so supportive and friendly, and they assured me that it would get easier each time. It was a wonderful experience. A couple of weeks later my daughter came home from her cruise job and she convinced me to go back with her as she had been going to classes on the ship, and was interested in becoming an instructor. She started going everyday to different Y locations in our area that the girls recommended. They could see that she was good at it, and really enjoyed it. I went a couple of times a week and started getting more familiar with the steps, which enabled me to really let go and feel the music. I felt great after every class, and couldn't wait to go back.

I was also interested in trying hot yoga but was a little concerned about the heat being too much. My hot flashes are pretty much under control but extreme heat still brings them on. I bought a groupon for 10 sessions at Chesapeake Hot Yoga. They have a light and warm class so I decided to start there and see how I fared with that level of heat before jumping in full force. It was hot but bearable. The yoga itself was more difficult than I thought it would be due to the extreme stretching that I was totally not used to. I had been to a yoga class at the Hindu temple which was more meditation and yoga. This was all yoga stretches. I felt good afterwards, and was a bit sore the next day or so but was determined to go back and push thru the pain. I went to 3 classes in a week and a half. It was not getting any easier, and each time there was a different instructor so the workout was constantly changing. I was also doing Zumba in between, and racquetball on the weekend. By the next week my sciatic nerve was KILLING me. Constant hip pain going down my leg. I realized that I had overdone my exercise and would have to stop some activities. I should have stopped everything but no, not me. I am invincible, or so I thought. This had to be a result of taking 3 yoga classes in a week and a half and not taking a day off from everything here and there. What was I thinking!! I finally decided to stop all activity other than walking, to let things heal and get back to normal. It has now been about 3 weeks and the pain is not going down my leg anymore but I still have hip pain when sitting and laying. I went to the doctor last week and he put me on a steroid pack for a week which I will start today, as I was in Myrtle Beach for the weekend playing golf, and didn't want to deal with the possible side effects. I am fine standing, walking, and playing golf, of course. I will slowly add my activities back this week to get back to a normal routine but I have learned, once again, that I need a break in between heavy exercise for at least a day to let my body recover. I am not 20 anymore, even though I think I am.

The point of this article: let your body rest and recover when trying new things, and realize your limitations. I always feel great after my heavier exercising, but I always feel the pain the next day. Your body needs time to recover and rebuild, and constant pounding and pushing on your  muscles is not the answer, especially if you are older. I realize that racquetball has taken a big toll on my body for the last 16 years, and now I must let myself heal when trying new things. Listen to your body, and it will tell you what you should or shouldn't do. Never stop exercising, but like I always say: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION!!

Still Recovering