Staying Healthy During the COVID-19 Lockdown
By: Kimberly Thomas
Tags: Health, Pandemic, Covid 19, Healthy Lifestyle, Stress

Step 1. Get hydrated and replace your nutrients.

We’re often told to drink water, but we also need sodium, potassium, magnesium, and other nutrients to stay healthy. The question becomes: “How do I balance all of the nutrients that my body needs?” I suppose one way is to follow the Federal Dietary Administration (FDA) guidelines. A simple way is to ensure that you’re replacing nutrients as you eliminate them based on either during various activities, sweating, or going to the restroom. I’m a fan of G2, the lower sugar Gatorade drink. This beverage provides electrolytes which also help pH. I don’t drink a lot of it, but I find that it helps when I’m sitting at my computer for hours, attending various online meetings, and haven’t eaten a lot that day. There are also mineral waters and other drinks that may help with nutrient deficiency.

Step 2. Keep your stress levels low by lowering your acid levels and watching your diet.

We’re often told to make sure we stay calm, not to cause tension in our thinking which could cause negative impacts on our bodies. Stress causes headaches, issues with digestion, and even constipation. Of course, having a diet high in processed carbohydrates and sugar and low in lean proteins and fiber will wreak havoc on your body. But, we also have to watch our levels of acidity. Bad diets and stress lead to high acid levels, which can have varying effects of internalized damage to our tissues and organs; it can even affect our skin. Drinking water can help, but we need to watch our pH levels. We can drink certain water that helps with pH, but we can also watch what we eat. Getting enough electrolytes can also help our pH levels.

Some foods are acid-forming, and others are more neutral. I’ve found that eating lower acid-forming foods helps to benefit my digestion and lower my acid reflux and need for antacids which is a definitive sign that my diet is unhealthy. As stress also causes us to have more acid, adding an unhealthy diet makes our bodies work harder. There is also evidence that increasing probiotics in our diets may help to reduce stress and inflammation.

Step 3. Actively engage your body.

Most of us spend lots of time sitting or lying down. Some of us are better at being active: We take walks, go to parks, or cook delicious meals. All of those are necessary activities as we traverse on-going crisis moments within the confines of our often-cramped living spaces. Moreover, I think it’s important not to be passive with our movements. Sitting for long periods can cause back and knee pain, leading to pressure on our joints and cause weakened muscles.

The most basic exercise is aerobic, which means we want to breathe vigorously enough to allow quality airflow in and out of our lungs. We also want to engage our core muscles so that they have some resistance and can stay strong. We know that spinal alignment and reducing pressure on joints are key to sitting or resting comfortably. I think that in terms of basic active moments, even if we don’t formally exercise, involves a few key approaches to be effective: