IMMUNITY: Your Next Three Steps
Fend off bacteria and viruses. Take steps to feel healthier, calmer, and more powerful.
In AA we have a mantra: One day at a time. Why? Because the idea of trying to do better --eat better, drink less, exercise more, be kinder-- for any longer than that --a month, a year, a lifetime-- can feel too overwhelming. Instead, we take little bites; we promise ourselves we will do our best for a time period that feels doable: one single day at a time.
I don’t know about you, but with COVID-19 and rapid-fire news updates and sheltering in place, one day has been feeling like a long, long time to me. That’s ok. As an addict and alcoholic in recovery, I know how to cope with overwhelming feelings: break things down to a size I can manage. Instead of taking it one day at a time, I break my day down into my next three steps. My next three steps are small and concrete: 1. Call my editor. 2. Go shopping for more green veggies 3. Meditate for half an hour before lunch. My next three steps are also big-picture (OK! You got me! I actually have two sets of three steps!): 1. Stay healthy 2. Stay calm 3. Try to help more people.
Right now, it’s easy to feel powerless and afraid. But it’s also easy to take steps to feel healthier, calmer, and more powerful. Make these your next three steps today to boost immunity, calm stress, and feel more grounded:
1. Drown in the C
Vitamin C, that is. Eat broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, parsley, strawberries. Drink rose hip tea and lemon water. But you’ll have to eat 70 lemons a day if you want to consume enough Vitamin C to fend off bacteria and viruses!
The minimum effective dose of Vitamin C is 2 grams per day. I take 6-8 grams per day, mostly in the form of supplements. Recent studies have suggested that Vitamin C may offer protection against coronavirus. You can take up to 20 grams a day, especially if you are immunocompromised, but be aware that large amounts of C (over 10 grams) can cause intestinal distress, so increase your consumption gradually and, if you experience intestinal problems, reduce your dosage by ⅓ to ½, or space the doses an hour further apart.
Can you overdose? Extremely rare. Vitamin C is water soluble, and your body will eliminate whatever it doesn’t need.
2. Sleep Well
I know it’s harder said than done, especially when we’re anxious, but getting a good night’s sleep is the best defense against sickness-- body and soul. To set yourself up for sweet dreams:
Skip the caffeine after noon and nourish yourself with calming foods.
Whole grains at dinner are easy to digest and produce complex-carbohydrate calm. They spur production of melatonin or its precursors tryptophan and serotonin, which help calm the nerves and encourage deep sleep.
And for better sleep, skip the animal protein at dinner. Meat requires a lot of energy to digest, and if we spend the whole night working hard to digest food, we’re not letting the body rest.
For general sleep hygiene, eat no fewer than three hours before bedtime. Some time between dinner and bedtime gives the body time to begin digestion so you can spend more of the night at rest.
Keep your bedroom cool. 60-67 degrees is ideal for deep sleep. You can bundle up in bed but the room should be cold and dark. Think cave! This is what I have gotten used to doing and it increases melatonin release.
Supplements can help with sleep. 1 hour before sleep and at least 90 minutes after your last meal try:
GABA (our natural tranquilizer) - 1 capsule (500-700mg) if you have trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night. Tryptophan (our natural anxiety reducer and sleep promoter) - 1-2 capsules (500-1,000mg).
A cup of chamomile tea before bed is very calming!
I also had a little hard time falling asleep yesterday. I stayed busy working during the day but when I lay down to sleep the fear was there and was keeping me awake. I decided to say hello and breathe with it. So we breathed together until we both fell asleep.
3. Calm Your Fear and Anxiety
Anxiety does not fuel the immune system! To save your energy for fighting germs, calm the limbic system down and get grounded. From calming foods to friendly faces, there are many ways to calm your anxious mind:
Eat calming foods
Hot, whole grain oatmeal has a calming effect and is especially good for people who want to quit smoking. Try it with fresh or frozen berries and nut milk. Skip the sugar and caffeine. You don’t need me to tell you this: they will make you crazy!
Rather than depending on processed and refined foods, try adding naturally sweet foods to your daily diet to satisfy your cravings for sweetness and comfort. Sweet roots (e.g. carrots, parsnip, beets, burdock, turnips, all winter squashes, onions, leeks) soothe our internal organs and energize our minds. In Chinese medicine, we would say they are energetically grounding: They anchor us in our bodies and help us avoid the spaciness we might feel after eating other kinds of sweets and “comfort” foods. Roots:
Balance our mood by increasing our serotonin levels
Support our digestive system and blood sugar by supplying lots of fiber and complex carbohydrates
Provide steady energy for an extended time
Offer the whole profile of nutrients that get drawn from the soil and stored in the root
Get regular, moderate exercise & fresh air
I know you know this, but in case you need a reminder: move regularly, ideally every single day. Just like a healthy diet, exercise is a pillar of health and can improve circulation and contribute to a strong immune system. Good choices include:
Walking or running
Free online yoga and fitness classes, but do get out for fresh air. Sunlight and clean, fresh air strengthen immunity.
Workout apps (search the App store!)
YouTube videos for cardio or resistance training
Calisthenics and body weight-based exercises (like push-ups or planks)
Stay busy
Plan your day. I enter everything in my calendar. Not just meetings and calls with clients, but my meals, meditation, exercise, and reading time. My schedule keeps me on track and provides structure. But don’t let scheduling make you feel like you SHOULD be productive. Start by adding simple routines to your calendar like meal times, or a walk. Do not be hard on yourself and fill up your calendar from 6am to 9pm. Be realistic, yet gently challenging. Structure and schedule give me more freedom.
But not too busy
Just like lack of exercise and lack of work impair immunity, too much mental and physical activity can be just as damaging to our overall health. Stress drives the production of cortisol and epinephrine, which are known to diminish Th1 (which promotes cell-mediated immune responses and is required for host defense against intracellular viral and bacterial pathogens) and natural killer cell populations (they fight the bad guys!). So I also schedule my time to relax and de-stress, whether it’s a nice nap, a walk, or meditation and yoga. You can also:
Take a break from screens and noise
Listen to soothing music
Make time for favorite activities such as writing, painting, or woodworking
Enjoy a warm caffeine-free drink such as herbal tea with adaptogens or warm non-dairy golden turmeric milk
Ask for support
Social distancing doesn’t have to mean social isolation. There’s no better way to calm fear and anxiety than to connect with other people. Whether you’re feeling lonely or bored, find your community on Zoom. There’s AA Zoom --email me for a meeting ID or look up your local meeting info.; there’s yoga zoom; there are free webinars and classes. And you can reach out to me for real, free support. Use my contact form to get in touch and let’s set up a call. I’m here for you!
What are Your Next Three Steps?
Whatever is happening in the world around us, we always have a choice how to respond. These are interesting times. Nevertheless, we have the choice not to be paralyzed by fear and anxiety. Knowing my next three steps helps me keep moving forward. Try these three steps for strong immunity. Then try coming up with three next steps of your own. Let me know what they are on Instagram. Because--don’t forget-- you have the power to inspire other people, too. Together, we’ll get through this.
Enjoy!
I’m Elena Singh, founder of the Sweet Science wellness program. I’m a certified nutrition counselor, science-based health coach, and addiction survivor. I help people in recovery heal their bodies and minds so they can learn to love sober life—not just survive it.