The Real Reasons You Might Get Sick During The Pandemic - And What You Can Do About it!
Introduction
There is a new bad boy in town that needs no introduction.
Covid-19 spread faster than wildfire from Wuhan, China, and dictated a new set of terms on how we ought to live.
Early on into the pandemic, a few things were relatively clear:
The elderly group (over 60s), and those with chronic diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and cancer were most affected, while children were the least affected.
The reason for this pattern? Our immune system.
What is the immune system?
Our immune system is a complex network of proteins, cells, and biological substances in the body that defend us against harmful substances, be it bacteria, fungi, viruses, or foreign substances.
It is a known fact that our immune system naturally decreases as we age.
This is one of the reasons the chances of Covid-19 this age group are generally higher, while children with a more robust immune system aren’t as much.
As time went on, obesity was added to the list of risk factors.
It suddenly dawned on some that by simply losing weight they could reduce their risk of contracting the virus.
It was a clarion call, and a turning point in not only understanding the virus a bit more but a stark example of how lifestyle could influence the progression of diseases-Ironically, an acute one at that.
Losing weight was an attainable goal, something people knew they could do. To their mind, it wasn’t an abstract concept-A bit like reversing some chronic disease they had.
So, the question is:
Why do people with chronic diseases have an increased risk of Covid-19?
The answer is a silent potential enemy inside us that goes by the name of inflammation.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is your body’s natural response to infection or injury by your immune system.
I use the word potential because inflammation's primary role is defense.
You would be forgiven if you thought inflammation only applied to musculoskeletal disorders like back pain, arthritis, gout, and related conditions.
However, we have known for a long time that inflammation is the driver of most chronic diseases.
The reason this isn't common knowledge to patients and doctors alike is partly due to the lag between the medical sciences and the practice of medicine.
Moreover, most chronic conditions are traditionally viewed as being progressive. Meaning, an irreversible process that occurs irrespective of what you do.
In other words, if you have it, there is nothing you could do about it.
This fatalistic type of thinking began to change a few years ago when patients started reversing their diabetes by diet and lifestyle alone.
Ironically it would take an acute infection in the way of Covid-19 to reinforce this enlightened way of thinking that the course of diseases could indeed be prevented by a change in lifestyle.
In essence, inflammation leads to immune dysregulation.
In other words, an abnormality in the way the immune system normally responds.
This immune dysregulation is what causes an exaggeration of the immune response, known as the cytokine storm. (Cytokines are protein signalling molecules involved in cell communication and the immune response)
Think of the cytokine storm as a faulty circuit that causes a fuse and appliance to blow.
The cytokine storm is the reason why some affected by the virus occasionally end up in the intensive care unit (ICU) on respirators.
So, inflammation can lead to immune dysregulation, but the big question remains:
What causes inflammation in the first place?
This is an important question that deserves our attention in my opinion, and the answer is our diet and lifestyle.
More specifically, consumption of processed foods high in sugar and refined vegetable oils, high-stress levels, poor sleep, and toxins like air pollution, heavy metals, PCBs, from plastics, and so on.
All these factors have a deleterious effect on our gut and other body systems, leading to a phenomenon called oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress further fuels inflammation, causing further immune dysregulation, and a vicious circle ensues.
This is a huge topic on its own, and I would focus here on food.
Now, let's explore some ideal foods.
You might be tempted to dismiss these as fads, but I would urge you to give them a try first.
13 Healthy Eating Tips To Beat The Pandemic
Eat only when hungry
This is the ideal.
The more time you leave between meals, the better.
This is what forms the basis of Intermittent fasting.
A 12-hour fast is relatively easy to achieve.
Just eat supper at 8 pm the latest and breakfast at 8:00 am at least.
Any food you eat should be proportionally sized, eaten slowly, and not too late.
Whole food plant-based diet
I suggest a predominantly whole food plant-based diet with good quality meats and fish.
Grass-fed meat and small oily fish are preferable.
Leafy green vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are a powerhouse of nutrients and also provide the necessary fibre or prebiotics for your gut bacteria or microbiome.
Eat a rainbow of vegetables
A rainbow of vegetables contains beneficial plant chemicals called phytonutrients.
These phytonutrients are broken down by the gut bacteria into smaller beneficial compounds used by the body.
A subclass of these phytonutrients called polyphenols also acts as antioxidants.
Add in cruciferous vegetables
Also, consider a category of vegetables belonging to the cruciferous family.
Cruciferous vegetables are a varied group of vegetables that include cabbages, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and more. They are packed with phytonutrients called glucosinolates, that breakdown to form products that increase the activity of liver detoxification enzymes.
Liver detoxification is extremely important, and more so when attacked by pathogens.
Try fermented foods
I recommend a dose of fermented foods like sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, tempeh, kombucha and kefir to your diet.
They make great fodder for your gut microbiome.
Avoid processed foods
Cut out all forms of processed foods from your diet like ready-made meals, cereal, bread, crisps, cakes, and biscuits.
Why?
Most processed foods have a high glycaemic index.
The glycaemic index (GI) is a scale that tells us how fast sugar levels rise in the blood.
When the blood sugar level rises, the excess sugar is converted to fat, resulting in the storage of fat around the liver (fatty liver) and your middle section.
Moreover, sugar impedes the proper functioning of the white blood cells, needed for proper immune function.
Ironically during the initial months of the lockdown, many households were stocking up on these very foods.
Did you know two slices of wholemeal bread are equivalent to about four teaspoons of sugar?
If you must have packaged food, opt for full-fat versions of food over the low-fat category that ironically are laden with excess sugar.
Ditch fruit juices
And yes, even those labelled “100% juice”.
Did you know a glass of orange juice contains an almost equivalent amount of sugar compared to a glass of cola?
A can of cola contains about 40g (10 teaspoons) of sugar while a glass, or orange juice about 39!
Grape juice comes quite a lot higher, at about 60g. The only advantage the juice has is the vitamins in them.
Healthy snack options
Consume healthy snacks like carrots, hummus, cucumber, celery sticks, sardines, eggs, seeds, olives, raspberries, blueberries, and pear.
Nuts and seeds also make great snacks and are packed with health-benefiting phytonutrients and antioxidants.
Chocolate is good for you!
Believe it or not, dark chocolate is another great snack. It is packed with magnesium, flavonoids (antioxidants), and the amino acid arginine.
Drink enough water
Hydrate all day with pure filtered water.
Drink green tea
It contains many health-benefiting compounds, including L-theanine, as well as powerful antioxidants called catechins.
Reduce alcohol consumption
Last but not least, reduce your consumption of alcohol.
Chronic consumption leads to a fatty liver which is reversible, but cirrhosis isn’t.
Conclusion
Followed consistently, the above measures would help bring your body into metabolic balance.
The results of this are weight loss, improved blood sugars, improved lipid (fat) profile, and overall wellbeing.
And how do you know if you have achieved this?
Simple. Look at your midline in the mirror😊
Then check your blood pressure with a home monitor if you have one.
Lastly, request the following blood tests from your GP:
HBA1C (Sugar), and a Lipid Profile, that includes cholesterol and triglycerides.
If all these parameters are within the norm, bravo for work well done.
Last but not least, if you are a stressed-out professional at work, you wish to supercharge your health to improve productivity and beyond, you might benefit from my Optimal Health Course.
Please share this article if you found it helpful, as this helps spread the word.
Thank you
Dr Leke
TAGGED: pandemic / covid-19 / Chronic disease / lifestyle modification / healthy eating / lifestyle medicine / functional medicine
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