Jason Steed Certified Primal Health Coach
Order of the Day: Tackle Stress
My doctor reminded me on Monday how it attacks so many systems. COVID-19 can affect our neurological (taste, smell, moods), gastrointestinal (diarrhea, cramping), central nervous (fever, hormones), respiratory (lungs), and skin (rashes). It’s pretty invasive.
I'm glad to see the science and treatments shifting their mindsets from respiratory to cardiovascular symptoms and treatments. Covid attaches to the insides of blood vessels. This means it affects virtually every organ in the body, specifically organs with high blood vessel counts (i.e. kidneys, gut, and brain). For me this emphasizes the importance to reduce stress. Yeah, I know, easier said than done...especially after reading the above prognosis. But I'll include some ideas below.
Let's please not confuse "Stay at home" with "Stay inside."
July 7, 2020
COVID, Day 5: Let's Get Outside (3:37)
Don't confuse "Stay at home" with "Stay inside."
Many Forms of Stress
I think I mentioned in an earlier post that stress is the biggest culprit in intensifying the symptoms and effects of this virus. I'm certainly not stress-free. I harbor and linger and rehash. I try to multitask. I take on too much, and I'm lousy at unwinding my brain. I stress over typing my thoughts out (yes, I'm stressing right now.) I don't think I get ample rest, etc.
Other stress promoters that I don't struggle with as much are are poor nutrition or improper balance of meds and supplements. Being sick is a major stressor. Being old. Being a minority. Finances, kids, loneliness, being quarantined, politics. And the year 2020! Being outside helps me to decompress, and I'm pretty grateful for that. But wait, it gets better.
Friends, Get Outside!
I've been capturing my daily videos outside. I think it's been a bit subconscious, probably because I'm less intimidated recording myself in my cozy outdoor environment.
I took things a bit too far last night, hoping that sleeping outside would be beneficial. It would've been fine, I just wasn't prepared—battling a mosquito net for the better part of 2 hours.
What's So Great about Outside?
Sunlight is germicidal (yes, that's a good thing), and there is evidence that it can kill viruses. I know that the seasonal flu and COVID-19 are not the same thing, but fresh air is indisputably a powerful disinfectant. Combine that with natural vitamin D from sunlight and you have a much better wellness treatment than the alternative 24/7 hunkering down inside of homes.
Check out Richard Hobday's medium.com article Coronavirus and the Sun: A Lesson from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, pub. March 6. A powerful reminder that we have more wellness options at our disposal than we may think. A good friend of mine, John Dubock, shared this post with me just today. There's compelling evidence that you are safer outdoors than indoors. A study in Japan says chances of getting the virus is 20% higher inside than outside. We talk a lot about droplets. When we exhale we create an invisible mist in the form of droplet clouds. Outdoor wind the breeze can better divert those droplets away from ourselves and others. For sure, many scientists have been saying for months that the Coronavirus lingers in the air indoors. But they say that many practitioners—and even the World Health Organization—have been slow to agree. Source: NY Times, TheDaily
Today's Immune Boosters
Heather prepared a Lemon turmeric ginger tea for me today. I'm keeping up on my probiotics with kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir cultures, full-fat plain yogurt and a probiotic supplement. I got my Omega 3s from Cod Liver Oil capsules and wild-caught tuna. I got my medium chain fats from avocados, almonds and macadamia nuts. I got Omega 6s from brazil nuts, and longer-chain fats from ghee (Heather Instant Potted artichokes for our butter dip) and ground bison meat. Heather made mention of a Melatonin and Vitamin C protocol. I need to look further into that. Other supplements include zinc, MSM, Glucosamine Sulfate, Vitamin B-12, Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Magnesium Glycinate.
I'm always a bit leery to mention diet and supplements since these things are so individualized. And honesty I've not changed much with my diet in the past several months. I think most doctors and specialists would concur that a drastic diet change is another heavy form of stress.
Today's Symptoms
I felt a little weak earlier yesterday, and I attribute it to my lower calorie intake, due in part to my short daily eating window (1pm-7pm) and also to the logistics of poorly delegating my food needs so I can steer clear of the kitchen. I felt some shoulder tightness yesterday, and my sense of smell is still fully checked out. Heather pointed out some rashes on my arms, ha, turns out that’s also a possible symptom. I think I alluded to all the vulnerable body systems earlier. Our skin is definitely a body system. I’m staying hydrated, and nobody else around here seems to have concerning symptoms. Whew!
What does Oura think?
My Oura Ring shows my continued trend of higher overnight body temps, but not to the degree of the start of my symptoms where I was 3.2deg. above average. You can see as well that my respiratory rate remains a bit high but steady. My overall readiness score is also trending well since the 30-point drop on my onset day.
