COVID-19 (aka Coronavirus) is all anyone seems to be able to talk or think about right now. Makes sense. I cannot recall a time of disruption of everyday living at this level….. for the ENTIRE PLANET! Many of us are control freaks and don’t like the idea of something else taking over our lives. What I find helpful during times like this is to focus on the things I can control. For me, that means doubling down on everyday healthy practices.
These practices are how am taking control of my health and my immune system to stay healthy during the pandemic crisis. So, here are my immune boosting practices that I am focussed on right now.
Immue Boosting Practice #1 – Eat Fruits & Veggies
Yeah, yeah, yeah….we ALL know we should be eating fruits and veggies. But let’s face it, we are stressed and stuck at home, bored or binge watching….and what do we reach for? Junk food! Of course we do! They don’t call it comfort food for nothing. I am not going to lie to you, sweets are my comfort food. I may or may not have polished off half a bag of cookies over the weekend. But, I realized two things. First, sugar can actually inhibit your immune system from working. Second, I’m gonna put on 50 lbs. if I keep this up! Eating a diet full of plants (i.e. fruits, veggies, legumes, grains, etc.) is one of my favorite immune boosting practices. So, here is what I am eating these days!
Breakfast
I always start the day with a cup of green tea with lemon. When I do have breakfast, around 9:30-10:00 am, it is typically one of the following:
- Green smoothie with avocado, blueberries, cucumber, celery, spinach or other leafy green, vanilla plant-based protein powder and a couple of sprigs of mint.
- Oatmeal with blueberries, almond butter and chia seeds
- Ezekiel toast with avocado and Everything But the Bagel topping
Most days it’s the green smoothie but on a cold morning I sure do like a hot breakfast. So, I’ll switch things up with one of the other options above. If I am really in a rush, I’ll just have a handful of almonds and a Matcha Latte made with coconut milk.
Lunch
One of the following:
- Broccoli slaw salad
- Ezekiel toast with avocado and Everything But the Bagel topping
- Dinner leftovers (see dinner options below)
Dinner
(sample week’s menu):
- Monday: Beyond Meat burger with salad
- Tuesday: Lentil or chickpea pasta with meatless meatballs
- Wednesday: Vegetable soup (I have a new recipe that my kids love that I’ll be sharing soon)
- Thursday: Veggie stir fry with tofu (or jackfruit cuz TJ’s was out of tofu but there was plenty of jackfruit on the shelves)
- Friday: Veggie sausage with brussel sprouts and rice
Snacks
- Almonds
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds
- Plant-Based Protein Bar
Broccoli Slaw Salad
Trader Joe’s Stir Fry veggie kit with tofu added.
Immume Boosting Practice #2 – Supplements
I preface this by saying these are the supplements that I take, as recommended by a doctor. After my DCIS diagnosis, I went through traditional treatments. But, I also went to an integrative medicine doctor to make sure I was also preventing a relapse of any kind. The doctor ordered extensive bloodwork and nutritional evaluation. She was then able to use this information to recommend the right supplements for me. This is not everything that I take but I will share what I believe to be the most important for my health right now. I recommend talking with a doctor or nutritionist before taking any new supplements.
- Liposomal Vitamin C – Vitamin C may or may not help cure a common cold but it is used to treat things ranging from cancer to sepsis. The difference with Liposomal Vitamin C is that it is thought to have better absorption than standard vitamin C. I take it to boost overall immunity. There are even some reports of it being used in hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients with sepsis.
- B12 – You’ll often hear that vegans can’t get B12 since it comes from animals. There is more to this story. B12 comes from bacteria from animals. But, even non vegans can be low in B12 due to factory farming practices. I actually did not test low in B12, but I take one chewable everyday just to be safe since I do not eat any animal products.
- Vitamin D3 – This vitamin is important for bone health and is also thought to be important in helping to decrease effects of aging and improving hormone imbalances.
- Multivitamin – A multivitamin was recommended by my doctor. I take a vegan multivitamin. The supplements I purchase are made in the US. Even though the FDA does not regulate supplements, I just feel better about purchasing a product made in the US.
- Curcumin – Also known as turmeric, this root is purported to have a number of health claims. Recently, I ran out of my curcumin supplement and didn’t bother to order more. I noticed I was having more joint pain than usual. So, I started taking it again and the joint pain significantly subsided. This could be because It is claimed to be a great anti-inflamatory supplement.
Again, these are the supplements that I consider most important for my health. I am a big fan of the Stuff You Should Know podcast. They did an episode titled, “Do Dietary Supplements Work?” that you might want to check out if you’re skeptical. The hosts also provided some interesting background behind the supplement industry.
So, will these immune boosting practices keep me healthy? I think the chances are pretty good. Why so confident? Because, when I actually looked back to try and figure out the last time I was sick, it was a YEAR AGO! I have not been sick in a year! Ask yourself, when was the last time you were sick? Do you get sick often? Are your eating habits supporting your health or harming it. In my view, food can be poison or it can be medicine. It’s not about eating perfectly all the time (pretty close to impossible IMO). But making good choices most of the time can have a significant impact on your health. What are your recommended immune boosting practices? Drop me a comment and share. I’d love to hear from you!
Also, if you’re game, stay tuned for more vegan recipes coming soon!
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