Ann Arbor health coach and author Liza Baker talks with WEMU’s Lisa Barry about an overall health strategy to boost your immune system as we all do what we can to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic.
As they say, "It's complicated." There's still debate about whether it's even possible: some say it's not possible, others say it's entirely doable. The truth—as usual—lies somewhere in the middle.
- We have an immune SYSTEM, not a simple immune organ. And having the strongest immune system possible is the result of making the better choices over time—in food and in lifestyle.
- There is no "silver bullet"—no diet or detox, supplement or smoothie, workout or woo practice that will build immunity overnight.
- The good news: every step you take starting today—no matter how small—will help you!
- The trick is to not get overwhelmed and trying to do too much at once!
Better food choices
- My business tagline is: It's the food. And it's more than the food. If we want to start somewhere, maybe our food choices are a good place to do so.
- Stick with whole foods cooked from scratch—no need to megadose, especially not on foods that make a health claim—and avoid highly processed foods
- Focus on micronutrients > macros
- Best choices: nutrient dense foods—I have a list of these
Better lifestyle choices
- As for the second part of the tagline, "It's more than the food:" Everything else in our lives—career, finances, time in nature, relationships, physical environment, etc.—can nourish or toxify us just as much as our food does. Whether we're trying to lose weight or stay healthy during the pandemic, it's vital to not ignore these other sources of nourishment.
- Follow CDC recommendations (which comes down to "Listen to your mother!")
- Don't smoke
- Drink alcohol in moderation
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Sleep: this is when the body repairs itself
- Stress reduction
- Physical activity
- Sun exposure
- Laughter + positive mindset
I really want to emphasize that most of the suggestions are super-simple and in most cases, they come down to reducing our body's stress response, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Nothing listed above needs to be expensive or complicated—especially not our food choices.
Now is the time to simplify—and if we're in a position to do so, to take note of what is going on around us and lend a hand as we can.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
