How Important is Your Health in Fighting off Disease?
I’m sure many of you have seen the news article that made its rounds around the internet a few weeks back with the title “Can Weight Loss Help Protect Against Covid-19?” If you haven’t, it is essentially an article discussing the dangers of being overweight, or physically inactive when it comes to fighting off Covid.
This article is a great way to inform people on the dangers of Covid, but also can really be implemented to any type of sickness. Our immune systems are designed to help protect us. But are we doing everything in our power to help our immune systems in their fight? The short answer to that is for most people, no.
A goal of mine at the end of this blog is to hopefully help a few people understand the benefits of not only weight loss in the battle against different diseases, but the benefits of many different things in that same topic. Things such as an active lifestyle, or proper sleep, or proper hydration, or getting outside and getting some sun exposure to name a few! The hope is to inform people on how we can all be a little healthier. And if that journey comes with some weight loss as well, then that is just icing on the cake!
According to this study cited by CNN, “People with obesity are 46% more at risk of getting Covid-19, according to a study from August. It found that they are also more at risk of getting really sick, facing a 113% higher chance of being hospitalized, a 74% higher risk of needing to be treated in the ICU and -- perhaps most troubling of all -- a 48% increased risk of death.” Those are some really terrifying numbers for any disease. The one takeaway from this article, and from what we see firsthand, is that losing weight and becoming more active can save lives.
Let’s face it. We are all going to get sick. It may not be from Covid, but the flu still exists, as does the common cold and an array of other things still floating around. What are we doing to make sure we are at optimal health, and can combat any sickness quickly? It shouldn’t take very long to think of many things that we can be doing, every single day to help ourselves out here.
Let me preface this by saying I am not a doctor. You should still consult your physician when you are ill. HOWEVER. If you do speak with your physician, and they prescribe you medicine without first asking about your diet, your sleep, your exercise routine, your water consumption, whether you have any structural issues, OR the stress in your life? Get a new f*cking doctor. If they can’t take the time to get to a route problem, and with that come to a general conclusion of what you should be doing more of, or less of, it’s time to find a new doctor.
The immune system is complex, but things that you can do to help boost it and make it more optimal are not complex at all. We now know that being overweight, or better yet unhealthy puts your immune system at risk. We also know that simply changing some of our lifestyle choices and habits can greatly improve the robustness of our immune system. What’s the catch? A little bit of hard work. People that put in the effort to better themselves, get more physically active, and make a conscious effort to change their lives, will combat any sickness or virus much easier than their previous selves.
So what can be done?
1. First and foremost, admit to yourself that you need help. Denying the truth, or worse lying to ourselves about our health is a negligent thing to do. Sometimes we need to confront our fears and face them head on. It is never easy admitting we have a problem with food, or alcohol, or technology. But once we know that there is a problem, we are one step closer to beating it. Help can come in many forms. It can come in the form of a personal trainer, a nutritionist, a friend or family member that also wants to change their lives. Anyone that you can count on to show up, hold you accountable, and do it with a positive attitude is who you need. Not everyone needs a military officer barking orders in your face. Not everyone reacts well to that. If you do react well to that, then the demons you are running from will one day meet you in therapy (I kid, but seriously, we could all use some therapy)
A personal trainer is a great way to force yourself to have accountability, and forces you to show up! Knowledgeable trainers with a great attitude who can help you when you are frustrated or depressed is one of the most valuable tools you could have in your arsenal. However if you don’t have the funds for that, that is ok! Find a friend, or your spouse, or a family member who will show up for you. Motivation comes in many forms, but we have to enjoy the process. Sometimes the best way to enjoy the process is to do it with someone we care about.
2. Get outside every day. I get it, it’s winter and as I type this next to my fireplace in my heated home it is literally 4 degrees outside. But with that being said, I just took a 20 minute walk outside. Getting outside, getting some fresh air and some actual real sunlight is probably the most important piece of this whole puzzle. If you can get outside and go for a walk in even the coldest conditions, doing it when it is actually nice out will be a treat. We spend so much time on devices, looking at bullshit blue lights, ruining our eyes, and our spines just from how poorly we sit or stand. Why not make it a point to force yourself to get outside and breathe in some of this beautiful world we live in? 20 minutes is what I do every day. If you don’t have 20 minutes, make it 10. If you tell yourself you don’t have 10 minutes to improve your life, that’s like saying you don’t have time to stop for gas because you’re too busy driving. Eventually it will catch up to you. What I mean by that is getting outside isn’t just great for your physical well being, but it truly is amazing for your mental and spiritual well being. Having 10 minutes to focus on your breath, while you are doing even the lightest form of exercise is so great for the body and spirit.
3. Water. Not juice, but water. Not coffee, but water. Just. Drink. Water. The recommended daily amount is 64 ounces. That really isn’t enough. Aim for 100. It really is not that much. Yes, you’re going to pee a lot initially. But you know what else? You’re going to flush some shit out of your system. Your skin is going to feel less dry. You’re going to feel more energy. You won’t be as hungry all of the time. You’re going to finally feel what it feels like to be hydrated!
4. Supplements. Not talking about creatine and protein powder here. Talking about supplementing your diet with proper vitamins and minerals. Again, not a doctor. By all means discuss vitamin intake with your doctor, but in dealing with drastically deficient vitamin D levels in a lot of our clients, I can say first hand that sometimes doctors can give a little too low of a dose in certain vitamins. With that being said, this is what I take on a daily basis, and I can safely say that it has assisted me in only getting sick 3 times over the past 5 years, and each time only being sick for 48-72 hours.
Vitamin D: 5,000 IUs
Vitamin C: 2,000mg
Zinc: 25mg
These, among other things that can be discussed on a different day. Vitamins are crucial, and if we do not have adequate levels in our system, we are not equipping our immune systems with the tools necessary to fight off infection.
5. Sleep. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead. THE GRIND DOESN’T STOP SO WHY SHOULD I?”said the tool who has no friends or any real purpose in life because they’re chasing after something that isn’t going to make the truly happy (if that struck a chord, sorry). Contrary to the beliefs of a lot of people who are working far too hard and burning the candle on both ends, sleep is probably the most important factor in weight loss, as well as overall productivity. Here are just a few of the many benefits of sleep:
BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
Prolonged lack of sleep weakens your immune systems ability to fight off bugs
HELPS YOU IN YOUR ABILITY TO LOSE WEIGHT
It's believed to be because sleep-deprived people have reduced levels of leptin (the chemical that makes you feel full) and increased levels of ghrelin (the hunger-stimulating hormone)
SLEEP WARDS OFF HEART DISEASE
Lack of sleep can cause increases in blood pressure, as well as chemicals linked with inflammation, which may put extra strain on your heart
SLEEP PREVENTS DIABETES
Sleeping less than 5 hours per night increases your chance of diabetes because the way the body now has to process glucose
These are just a few massive benefits to sleep. Sleeping 7-9 hours per night is the recommended amount. If you aren’t hitting those numbers, it could be negatively impacting your health, causing you a more difficult time in losing weight, and adding more stress in your life. If this sounds like you, here are four simple tools to help improve your sleep:
Turn off your devices (tv, laptop, tablet, kindle) by 8:00pm
Get an actual paperback book, and read the sh*t out of it.
If reading isn’t your thing, do an activity that isn’t super stimulating (puzzle, writing, cleaning, etc.)
If all else fails and you’re really bored, take a relaxing bath (without your phone), and focus on your breath. 10-20 minutes of some meditative alone time is great to wind down at the end of a long day. After that, try number 2 or 3 again.
6. Manage your stress. Life can be stressful. People getting sick all around you can be VERY stressful. What do we do to combat the stressors of daily life? One simple thing you can do, is take 2 minutes to yourself. Write down all of the things going on in your life at this current moment. Once you’ve done that, cross off everything that is out of your control. Those do not matter. Stressing over the things we can ‘t control makes us even more stressed out. Crazy right?! We need to learn to manage our stress, and take a deep breath in the face of chaos. When we are anxious, or stressed we tend to eat more, and what we choose to eat in those moments is not exactly what we would call optimal.
So when we are in that mindset, and we are telling ourselves we are hungry and go to reach for the chips, or the ice cream, or the bourbon, stop yourself. Take a deep breath, and ask yourself if this is going to make things any better. The answer is always going to be no, you just have to have the willpower to get past the initial thought of, “Hell yes this is going to help!” Combat those decisions with healthier food options, water, or even go for a walk. Allow yourself to get stressed, come out on the other side and feel so much better about your decisions you’ve made.
So to recap what we’ve discussed, we all need to make better decisions. Better decisions to better ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. Once we get to the point where we see some progress, it is like a snowball rolling downhill. The further down the mountain, the faster it goes, the bigger it gets until everyone starts to notice. Losing weight is a great indicator of our progress, but it shouldn’t be the only factor we consider. Do we feel more energy? Do we wake up each morning feeling driven, like we have a new purpose? Do we notice our clothes fitting differently? Are we sleeping better? Do people now gravitate towards you? That is the big one. When we are doing well, especially in making positive lifestyle changes, we possess a vibe that becomes truly contagious. People want to be around people that make them feel good. People don’t want to be around assholes, who make them feel like trash.
So when you feel good about yourself, you can then help other people get the ball rolling. And that, is the most important piece of all of this. When you start to get to the point where you are now not only helping yourself, but others? That is when you have truly found a new purpose.