April 20, 2020

Controlling What you Can During COVID 19

Susan Dopart Anti-inflammatory Diet, Clean Eating, Clean Recipes to Try, Environment, Great Idea!, Health and Lifestyle, Immunity, Importance of Omega-3's, Inflammation, Life Style Solutions, Metabolism, Mindful Eating, Rethink This!, Vitamins, Weight Management, Wellness Blog, What's New in Research?

Since the world is basically closed for business, how do you control what you can during this world pandemic? You’re not allowed to go to work, out for dinner or to a friend’s house for a visit. And even if you want to go to the store you have to follow strict guidelines – facemasks, limited entry, not reusing bags, etc. So WHAT can you control during COVID-19?

Control what you can – you’ve heard of “clean eating” but this time it’s more than essential to your health. An unhealthy gut can TURN ON the inflammatory process in your body which can make the virus much more likely to take hold in your system. Therefore, optimizing your diet as best you can, taking your supplements regularly (most essential are Vitamin D, omega 3’s (fish oil, flax seed), zinc and quercetin), and getting your sleep (take melatonin to help) can quench the fire of inflammation.
Use what you can – it’s your opportunity to be creative with your cooking, using things in your pantry in unusual ways and trying new combinations of taste with what you have on hand. For example, Jeffrey and I had vegetarian gluten-free refried beans with melted cheese, salsa, green chilis and olives. It was surprisingly delicious and filling and is something I would now regularly eat…and it took only 10 minutes to prepare.

Do what you can – why not use this time to call friends, write a handwritten note to someone you’ve lost contact with, clean out your drawers and cabinets, etc. Read a book you’ve putting on hold, and take the time to just “be” which is a hard thing to do given the fast pace we normally life in.

Why not use this quarantine time as a cleansing of old things so when the world opens up again you are ready to dive in and reclaim life in a fresh new way? Although there are more unknowns than knowns right now you can control your lifestyle!

Victor E. Frankl, the famous psychiatrist and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, who was in 3 different concentration camps during WW II quotes:

“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”

So, choose wisely – this virus shall pass, and we can be healthier on the other side!