4 min read

In 2020 the world was shut down as people locked themselves into their homes for fear of a virus that could take their lives. It generated a feeling of being completely powerless and vulnerable. As time passed, through the collection of data, it became apparent that certain lifestyle habits and maintained health statuses could allow individuals to stack the cards in their favor. With this information, one could cultivate a sense of empowerment by the low hanging fruit of simply maintaining one’s health.

What are some of the things that help to improve the immune system’s potential? There are absolutely some interesting flashy interventions, but here are some inexpensive strategies that you can implement today:

1. Get some sunlight! No, don’t get sunburned, but do get frequent bouts of short duration of sun exposure. Vitamin D has a plethora of immune supporting and signaling functions in the body. Interestingly there is a peptide called LL37 that is produced in response to active vitamin D to exert immunomodulatory effects. If you have the resources, you can buy this peptide for subcutaneous administration, or you can save those precious dollars and take a walk outside.
2. Focus on sleep quality and duration. Even though the importance of sleep is better understood, people regularly work too long, consume too much alcohol, stay up late watching tv, etc. instead of addressing the quality and amount of time in bed. Roughly 30% of one’s life should be spent sleeping, and that time needs to be productive quality sleep. If the duration or quality is affected, a slew of health effects can become apparent. Turn off your phone and tv, dim the lights in the house near sundown, stop munching right before bed time, and commit to hitting the sack early – depending on your chronotype of course.
3. Make intelligent food choices. Poor diet choices done too frequently over long durations of time can measurably affect health. Something as simple as poor food choices and poor sleep can wreck an individual’s blood glucose management, cause high blood pressure, and many other diagnosable health issues. Comorbidities increases the risks associated with acute and chronic health occurrences. You do not need to be a registered dietician to start making intelligent choices, simply shop for whole foods and leave the packaged/processed ones on the shelf. If you need extra help trying to change eating behaviors, you are in the right place.
4. Get moving a little. This doesn’t mean go out and try to run a marathon tomorrow, but simply take a couple 10 minute walks each day, finish some yardwork, or play outside with your kids. Simply moving a little gets blood flowing throughout the body helping to deliver nutrients and oxygen to peripheral tissues, addresses inflammation, supports cardiac health, etc. Movement and/or exercise has more benefits than can be listed here, so find a movement practice that you can adhere to consistently and get started.
5. Cultivate healthy nurturing relationships. The CDC has stated that “Social isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.” While we may not fully understand all of the physiological implications of having healthy relationships, the correlations are convincing enough to help realize the importance. Stop by to see an old friend, hug your family, help a stranger, and fix the bridges that have been burned.

While this list could go one and on, the important thing to see here is that there is a number of tools at everyone’s disposal. Life gave you a set of cards, it’s up to you to stack the deck! If you need some help, figuring out how, let Acuo fine tune the process.