THE ROAD TO HEALTH: How to Boost Your Immune System During the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has unexpectedly become our everyday life. Last year, no one would have believed this scenario, and now that’s the main theme we will all associate 2020 with. Remember my March article on boosting immunity? Unfortunately, it is still up to date. Those of you who have not read it yet can do so HERE.

 

Today, in the series: “The Road to Health. Do you know that…?” I wanted to share with you some additional aspects that I’ve begun to pay attention to even more throughout this particular period. However, we shouldn’t take them into account only during the pandemic. I always associate autumn with the exposure of our bodies to a number of bacteria and viruses. How to deal with them to ensure immunity and not go crazy spending more time at home than usual? Today I will tell you how I deal with it and what my thoughts on life during a pandemic look like ?

 

 

Most importantly #stayathome!

We’ve heard this recommendation loads of times for several months. We might have got tired of it, but we must try to take it very seriously all the time. If possible, work from home. If you don’t have to leave the house, stay in. Limit your meetings to reduce the spread of viruses as much as possible. It is also worth remembering about ordering take away meals with home delivery in the form of healthy catering, eg Super Menu or straight from your favorite restaurant. After all, the pandemic doesn’t mean you can’t take a day off from cooking ?

If you have to leave the house, I recommend avoiding public transport if possible, choosing to travel by car, walking or cycling, weather permitting. What’s more, remember about the 2-meter social distancing, just in case ?

 

 

Hygiene

I have already written how important it is to wash your hands HERE. Note, however, that this is not just for the pandemic period. It is a good idea to form the habit of frequent hand washing so that it stays with us much longer. We should also have some antibacterial sprays or wipes to be able to disinfect our hands when we are out. I’ve learned to carry a small bottle of disinfectant gel in my bag and to have on in the car, too. I feel much safer using it. Remember also that overusing these substances can have a negative effect on the skin, so I encourage you to also have a tube of cream to moisturize your hands after each disinfection and prevent cracking of the epidermis.

When you have to leave the house, don’t forget to cover your nose and mouth. This way you protect not only yourself, but also those around you. For everyone’s sake. You should also remember to cover your mouth with your forearm when you need to sneeze or cough – not only outside but also at home. Another tip is to quickly wash the clothes you wore when you were out, especially after meeting other people, e.g. in public transport or in the store.

Don’t forget to disinfect your keys and your phone. We touch them very often, and yet we forget so many pathogens stay on their surface.

 

Sleep

I have to mention how important sleep is for our health. I wrote about my HERE. Remember to try to plan your day so that you have enough hours for sleep. It is the cheapest and easiest method of providing the regeneration our body needs, not only in the context of strengthening immunity and preventing disease, but also during an illness. I will always repeat that sleep is essential!

 

Shopping

Avoiding contacts and leaving home only when necessary are associated with shopping problems. Due to the pandemic, I’ve begun to order various products online much more often than I used to. This applies to food products as well as cosmetics, medicines and home accessories. This way I protect myself and my family, but I also take care of the people who deliver the packages. They also have their families, and they are putting their health at risk for us – we should appreciate them! I also think about them and that’s why I always ask for a contactless delivery and leave the package in front of the door. I also choose non-cash payments – by card or bank transfer. These little things add up eventually mean so much ?

 

Nutrition

I’m sure I don’t have to explain how important nutrition is for immunity. The autumn-winter period in my kitchen is full of warming spices (I wrote about them HERE), definitely more hot dishes, fermented foods (more about them HERE). I also make sure that every meal includes fresh vegetables, and I serve fruit throughout the day – seasonal or those that I managed to freeze in the summer. During this time we also have more hot drinks – water with lemon and ginger is definitely the most common. If you have problems choosing the right ingredients for your menu, my Diet & Training by Ann application or the Super Menu catering can help you ? 

I have described additional ways to improve immunity HERE.. I hope you will find something interesting and helpful for yourself ? Many of them are natural supplements and we should include them in our everyday menu. Let me also remind you about the need to eat vitamin D3 in the autumn and winter period (HERE).

 

 

Physical activity

In addition to proper nutrition, it is very important to maintain an appropriate level of physical activity. As access to sports facilities is very limited, it has now become even more serious. Remember that extra weight is an additional burden on the body that can weaken your immunity. Treat your daily exercise as a way to take care of your mental health and get rid of negative emotions. You can work out with your children – what better way to teach them the right habits than by setting a good example? Moreover, it is a good idea for spending time together, and there are never enough ideas for fun, especially now, when children do not always go to kindergarten or school and you do not have access to a garden where children can run safely and maintain social distance. If you lack ideas for training, Diet & Training by Ann is here to help?

 

The elderly

I would like to draw your attention to one more thing. First of all, look after the elderly, not only in your family but also neighbors. Unfortunately, not everyone has a family to help them, and not everyone uses the Internet and cashless payments to shop online. Offer them help, of course in a safe way. Call them, prepare a shopping list and when doing your shopping, order products for your neighbors. Don’t forget to talk to them a bit. They really need to stay in touch with others!

 

Social life

It goes without saying that maintaining relationships with others during a pandemic is particularly difficult.  The authorities don’t recommend meeting others, but let’s not forget that we are so lucky to have great technology to help us out. I know that it can’t replace direct meetings, but it will help us to stay in touch with our loved ones, it can even be a  kind of therapy when we share our thoughts with friends. I learned how to use video chat due to my husband’s frequent trips and after moving to Germany. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see my family and friends in Poland so often. However, the distance between us could not affect our relationships, so it was the only and best way to maintain them. I highly recommend it!

 

 

Stress

In the above paragraphs, I’ve written it’s worth taking care of your psyche during the pandemic by maintaining relationships with loved ones, getting enough sleep and staying active. These are my tried and tested methods that I can recommend to you. Most importantly, we shouldn’t let fear petrify us. We still have to enjoy life but in different circumstances. Remember that stress weakens your immunity! Also, do not forget about the use of relaxation methods, breathing exercises, yoga. Set yourself various tasks: catching up on film, books, training, cooking and even beauty challenges – I encourage you to take part in the PHLOV challenge, you can read more about it HERE.

 

Recap

The current situation is difficult for all of us. However, we must find ourselves in it and survive. I strongly believe that the situation will change soon and we will be able to meet, travel and work again without any obstacles. Let’s do everything in our power to take care of our immunity as much as possible. I hope that my thoughts and experiences gathered during the pandemic will help you in this difficult time and inspire you to take your own actions. Or maybe you already have your own ideas that you would like to share with others? Please write about them in the comments ? Let’s support each other!