Supporting Health & Wellbeing During and Post Covid-19

As we head towards the middle of 2021, it is more than a year since the emergence of Covid-19 and the first lockdown. It has impacted all our lives in some way or another and taught us much about resilience and adapting. With talk of a third wave in our country as well as the national rollout of vaccinations, there are still many unknowns as this pandemic is unprecedented in our lifetime.

It is important for us to focus on what is within in our control and to do what we can to support our mental, emotional, and physical health and wellbeing. We can do this by making positive small sustainable changes, that benefit our daily lives.

A few ideas to think about:

1. Apply some focus to what you are eating:

• Drink 1 less cup of coffee or tea per day and replace it with a glass of filtered water with lemon in it, which will help reduce acidity and help eliminate toxins.
• Have one less portion of sugar per day. For example, cut out 1 portion of dried fruit, juice, fizzy drink or chocolate and replace it with a few nuts. Sugar and artificial sweeteners contribute to inflammation.
• Eat one extra portion of green vegetables per day to support your immunity with key nutrients.

2. If you have not done any exercise recently, look to do some daily physical activity:

• Go for a 20-minute walk or do some stretching, preferably outside.

3.  Ensure you are getting enough sleep and rest:

• Finish watching television, working on your laptop, or spending time on social media 1 hour before bed and go to bed that little bit earlier. Aim to get 7 hours sleep per night.
• Seek help if you have a sleep disorder or are struggling to sleep. Lack of sleep and rest is linked to many health concerns.

4. Wake up 10 mins earlier to have a few minutes to be quiet, pray or meditate, to assist in managing stress, which negatively impacts our immune response.

5. Take a buffered vitamin C and probiotic supplement daily to support the core of your immune health.

6. If you have a current chronic health concern, such as diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, or carrying extra weight, seek the help of a healthcare practitioner that can assist you to manage the condition and improve these concerns. Cardiometabolic health plays a role in managing the risk of viral infection.

By implementing some or all these changes you will support a healthier immune response as we head into winter, reduce the risk of illness, and have a positive impact on your health and wellbeing.