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Misc / Stress
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Resiliency in Lockdown

With so much going on externally, there’s never been a better time to dial in on how things are working internally. Your strongest offence is a good defence. That saying has never been more true, yet something that is barely spoken about day to day in the media.

This time last year, we spoke about how interesting it was that the goal was to prevent overwhelming the hospitals and protecting the vulnerable. However, did you ever drive past any fast-food joints / “essential services” (how funny is that) and see the snaking line down the road to the drive thru? It seems we missed a great opportunity to create a nation of resilient and adaptable humans and instead used it to continue expanding the already vast population of vulnerable people susceptible to having bad outcomes from this virus. Was the goal to protect the vulnerable, or create them?

What if we encouraged people to strengthen their first line of defence against viruses, bacteria, or even cancers through better sleep, more exercise, better informed food choices, stress reduction and a well-functioning nervous system? Instead, we’re spending more time at night on our devices (less sleep), told to stay inside causing us to move less (and get less Vitamin D), we’re told it’s ok to eat fast food during alert level 3 and the next biggest line is down the booze aisle at alert level 4.  We are inundated with fear on the news every hour and we can’t even see a chiropractor to keep our nervous system firing on all cylinders.

 

 

If you’re still reading this newsletter, you’re one of the many people we look after who look at health differently. You understand you are in control of your health, and the decisions you make today are either pushing you towards vitality and wellness, or towards disease and death. The choice has been and always will be yours.

Below is a list of things we are doing differently right now to strengthen our bodies, nourish our minds, so that we can continue to love our lives. My vision is to inspire our community to be the fence at the top of the cliff, not the ambulance at the bottom, and even by implementing a few of these daily habits you will build a more robust immune system (among other systems) to keep you ahead of the game.

5 Tips to Boost Your Immune System:

  • Sleep
A great read in our front reception is Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. Check out his Ted Talk videos on YouTube. One of the studies he quotes in the book was between a group of healthy people that had less than five hours sleep per night versus a group that had less than seven hours sleep per night for one week. He then squirted a rhinovirus (responsible for the common cold) up their nose and quarantined them for one week and measured how many of them became infected. He found that the sleep deprived group were four times more likely to end up developing the flu than those who had adequate sleep the week before. So, get some sleep folks!!
  • Eat Nutrient Dense Whole Foods
To get the optimal amount of vitamins, nutrients and minerals our bodies need for a robust immune system, it is essential we stick to the outside aisles of the supermarket where we can. Stick to fresh vegetables (organic where possible), fish, nuts/seeds, high quality organic meat, and gluten free whole grains. As James Clear says, “don’t look for things to add, look for things to eliminate.”  This is where avoiding gluten, refined grains and sugars, and throwing away high processed vegetable oils are key! Poor blood sugar control is a huge contributor to having poor outcomes with viruses (especially the one in the news at the moment).
  • Move Your Body
Exercise helps improve sleep which is foundational to your immune function. Simply, you want to get your heart rate up moderately daily for 20-30 minutes. The research suggests a mixture of resistance training 4x per week – this could be two workouts targeting the upper body and two targeting the lower body. On top of that, you want to get outside with sun on skin whether it’s a walk or run daily. Also, if you have a meal which is high in refined carbohydrates, you can go for a brisk 20 minute walk afterwards to help balance your blood sugar levels.
  • Stay Hydrated
Our bodies are made up of 60% water. We’re basically walking talking cucumbers. To transport nutrients around the body, assist digestion and bowel movements, detoxify, reduce fatigue and improve mental acuity it is essential to get enough fluids. If you weigh 50-75kg (2-2.5L), 75-90kg (2.5-3L), 105kg (3L+).
  • Reduce Stress Levels
Our flight/flight response during lockdowns tends to run rampant. Dr Bruce Lipton says “you can’t be in growth and protection at the same time.” What this means is when our bodies are jacked up full of stress hormones in our fight/flight response, it down regulates our rest/digest response. For me personally, a grounding morning routine is essential. I start with a glass of warm lemon water and stretch for 10-15 minutes. If I have time (which I have plenty of at the moment) I’ll include 5-10 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing whilst lying on my back with my eyes closed. Aim to breathe in through your nose filling your belly with air, then release out the mouth slowly getting yourself into a calm rhythm.

Take care everyone,
Dr Hayes, Dr Simon and Mt Eden Chiropractic Team

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