The things I have been doing to keep healthy in the age of Coronavirus
Seems to crazy that the word coronavirus was something most of us never really used before January doesn't it? Now it seems to be on every app, TV channel and just about everywhere you look. Some of you may not know, but I have been a bit of a health fanatic for quite some time. Because of this, I thought I'd share the things I have been doing to keep healthy in the age of the coronavirus.
I've had to be extra careful myself for quite a while due to auto-immune issues, so the coronavirus just meant that I had to be a little more mindful. I've been wearing masks for several years whether I am sick, or am around people who are ill. At my salon in Boston I have always given a mask to clients who come in coughing. Although I'd rather they stay home (and thankfully will be able to enforce that in the future) when they wear masks it protects everyone else much more. At the beginning of the coronavirus saga I thought that it was very strange when people were saying that face masks didn't help...of course they do. Nothing is perfect, but a bit of protection is better than nothing.
I supplement with Vitamin D as it is a common deficiency in most people. For those of us who don't get at least 20 minutes of sunshine a day, a lack of vitamin D is extremely common. It is essential to the immune system as well as general energy levels in our bodies. A few years ago I developed pneumonia after catching a cold that my husband had. I'm sure it was no coincidence that my vitaman D levels were quite low. I just read this article which discusses the various levels of vitamin D levels in Covid patients. A bit oversimplified, but severe cases of Coronavirus were more common in patients who were deficient in Vitaman D.
I'm also supplementing with vitamin C, zinc and quercetin. I was on quercetin for some of it's other benefits, but it is also being studied for having possible anti- coronavirus effects. Read the article here
Most importantly I am sleeping (or trying to) sleep is the most essential thing that we have to fortify against all that ails us, yet most of us don't tend to do it enough. Studies have shown that people who don't get enough sleep are more likely to get a virus than those that don't AND to take longer to recover. Read more here In the US 40 percent of Americans don't get enough sleep. The average amount of sleep is a paltry 6.8 hours a night. This sets us up for obesity, increased heart rate, lowered immune systems and more. If there is one thing that you can do to take care of your body, it would be to get in your bed for 9 hours. Yes, you heard me....9 hours. Since almost none of us (other than my husband!) can fall asleep and stay asleep the second our head hits the pillow, a bit of extra time in our comfy beds could mean actually getting 8 hours.
The last thing that I have been doing (and always do) is to take my shoes off at the door of our home. I remember rebelling against my godmother when I was a teenager, and I feel so bad about it now, Shoes carry so many germs and dirt. There is no reason to track that into your home.
I hope that my tips are helpful to you. There is nothing in my list of the things I have been doing to keep healthy in the age of Coronavirus that is difficult or costly to do, but I believe that an ounce of prevention is especially helpful now.
Stay healthy and beautiful,
Megan
