Stay Sane During the New Normal

“This is an unprecedented time, a once in a one hundred year pandemic. A time for us to be level-headed, open-hearted, and focus on what we can do to protect ourselves, our families, our communities and our country and be kind to each other. A time to hunker down with family, to take care of ourselves, to cook and cherish the people and things we love. The more we can face the threat with calm and kindness, the better able we will be to survive and thrive.” Dr. Mark Hyman

This is a difficult blog to write, but I need to write it. Writing helps me sort things out. And I need to connect with you all at this scary time. By now we all know about social distancing, practicing good hygiene, staying home and protecting those at risk. I turned to the experts to see what else we can be doing to protect ourselves and to remain sane during this pandemic.

Dr. Mark Hyman in an article “How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19 discusses the importance of supporting your immune system when you may need it most. He reminds us that to support your immune system, let food be your medicine.

1. Eat a whole foods, nutrient dense diet. Visit drhyman.com/blog/category/recipes for some of his favorites. Check out his suggestions for companies with healthy options if you would like to order food: thrivemarket.com, butcherbox.com, vitalchoice.com, grassrootscoop.com.

2. Limit sugars and refined starches to help your immune system function better and your health improve. (He said cut out sugars which I changed to limit–we need to eat Edie’s French Silk Ice Cream and homemade baked brownies to stay sane in isolation!!!!!) Dr. Hyman has a free download 10 Day Reset. Go to www.getfarmacy.com/free.

3. Eat adequate amounts of protein–critical for immune function. Eat two four ounce servings of organic animal protein. I have been eating Fage plain Greek yogurt with blueberries for breakfast. Find recipes on line or on Pinterest for egg muffins made in muffin tins with eggs, ham, cheese, spinach and whatever else you have in the refrigerator.

4. Add garlic, onions, ginger and spices (oregano, turmeric, rosemary) to your meals. They offer a wide spectrum of antimicrobial properties.

5. Eat multiple servings of colorful fruits and veggies high in Vitamin C, A, and phytonutrients that support your immune system. (two servings of fruit and eight servings of fruits and vegetables).

6. Eat fermented foods to support your microbiome and immunity–sauerkraut, kimchi, plain yogurt and kefir.

7. Drink plenty of fluids, especially warmer fluids. Make soups and broths from scratch with fresh vegetables. This is the perfect time to try all those Pinterest recipes like veggie loaded minestrone soup, lemony kale and white bean soup and healthy barley soup that I have saved, but never cooked! Drink herbal teas like ginger and turmeric tea.

8. Get enough sleep–without adequate sleep, optimal immune functions is not possible.

9. Alkalize your body. Sugar and processed foods tend to make your body more acidic and more receptive to COVID-19. Eating lots of whole plant foods (5 to 8 cups daily).

10. Get regular exercise. 30 to 45 minutes daily helps boost your immune system. Exercise outside in less populated areas or find workouts and yoga on line. Zumba Ana is broadcasted her fabulous Zumba workouts on Facebook for her loyal fans. For those of us who have dogs, this is easy. I have continued to walk an hour every morning with Linus and a half hour in the afternoon, while squirrel hunting. Or my friend Emily and her husband have been walking on the beach every day. (In New York, our beaches are not crowded now).

11. Practice meditation and yoga to keep stress down. We know that increased levels of stress increases susceptibility to viral infections. The Open Heart Project is hosting four live meditation gatherings per day for free. There will be a twenty minute guided meditation at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. (ET).

12. Take a multivitamin, Vitamin D3 (start with 2,000 IUs for adults or up to 5,000 in winter), buffered Vitamin C to support your immune system (500-1,000 mg throughout the day with meals and snacks). Zinc citrate (30 mg per day is also a powerful immune supporting nutrient.

How do we stay sane during this period of “sheltering in place”? Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut who spent almost a year on the International Space Station provides tips for living in isolation in an opinion piece in the “New York Times”.

First, follow a schedule. This is one I came up with on my own. This will help you and your family adjust to a different work and home life environment. For me, stretch, walk dog, breakfast, shower, write book or blog, walk dog, lunch, read a book, dinner, play Wordscapes on the computer and watch tv. As retirees, we have become adept at this type of scheduling. We are lucky that we do not have to entertain young children at home from school. At least, there are online school activities now for my grandson Jesse, which give my daughter Jamie somewhat of a break. It is difficult for the kids to be home from school all day and they need a schedule as well.

Next, pace yourself….don’t let work take over everything. Take time for fun–binge watch movies complete with snacks. Kelly binge watched Game of Thrones twice in space! I plan to watch Grace and Frankie.

Have a consistent bed time–quality of sleep relates to mood, and interpersonal relations (your family!!!!)

Go outside. Nature is good for your immune system.

Find a hobby. Read books, practice an instrument, try a craft, learn a language (Learn French with Alexa, on line). If shopping is your hobby, request a clean out bag from thredup.com, clean out your closet and sell your new or gently used women or children’s clothes and make money while at home. They pay shipping for the bag. I recently sold some designer handbags I was not using. It’s good for the environment and your pocketbook. You can also buy clothes on that website. (I purchased an almost new leather jacket for $40.00)

Keep a journal. Try describing what you are experiencing with your five senses or write about memories of better times, vacations to take your mind off the present situation.

Take time to connect. Isolation is harmful for our mental health and physical health, especially our immune system. Technology makes it easy to connect with friends and family every day–it might help you fight off the virus.

Listen to the experts. Seek out reputable sources like the World Health Organization and the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Remember we are all connected. All people are inescapably interconnected and the more we can come together to solve our problems the better off we will be.

“This pandemic can bring out the best in us or the worst. It is a time for kindness, for calling friends, for FaceTime with family or hunkering down with loved ones and family in your home, cooking meals from scratch and for finding ways to help those in need.” Dr. Mark Hyman

Stay safe, healthy and sane, my friends. Talk soon. XO Penny