Learn about effective actions you can take to find better health during this global crisis. Live WITH this formidable teacher and become the best of you.

For the last few months, the world has been turned upside down, and we have been scrambling for effective ways to stay well. Did you know there are ways to activate your body’s natural viral resistance? What should your New Normal look like? With a few key lifestyle changes, you will find a host of physical and emotional benefits. The best defense is a good offense!

As a society, we’ve consistently deprived our bodies of oxygen over the last several decades. Oxygen is the primary source of life and of healing. However, we’ve depleted the oxygen in our air, water, and soil through pollution. Our food has become way too processed, void of nutrients and life force. We drink dead chlorinated water with traces of hundreds of contaminants. Fine air particulates make our air harder to breathe. And, if things weren’t messed up enough, we’re continuously disrupting our central nervous system and our body’s oxygenation with wifi signals—which will only get stronger as the world transitions to 5G.

If we want our bodies to be able to fight off viruses, increasing our oxygen intake is key.

Oxygen is an important component in each of what I call the “5 Pillars of Well-Being for the New Normal.”

Although we are all different, we all share the same very simple and explicit needs. We cannot survive more than three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, three weeks without food. And we do very poorly without adequate sunlight and sleep. Address these five critical pillars, and you will go a long way toward improving your health and your viral resistance. Plus, make sure you’re paying attention to your emotional needs, too.

Pillar 1: The Air We Breathe

To fight off viruses, it’s important to minimize your exposure to pollution and maximize your oxygen as much as possible. A recent Harvard study found that people who live in areas of the US with high levels of air pollution are more likely to die from viral outbreaks.

Let’s go over some simple yet effective ways to clean up the air we breathe.

Air out your home: Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, where the concentrations of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations,” according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. We bring in dust, mold, and pesticides or herbicides as we come and go.

To clear out your indoor air, open up your home’s windows daily for at least a couple of hours, if possible. If you live in a cold climate, aim for even half an hour daily. Make sure you air out all areas of your house, even closets, basements, and attics. Use air filters and dehumidifiers where needed.

Banish dirt: To further clean up your indoor air, keep moisture or water leaks to a minimum to avoid mold and mildew contamination. Regularly check your gas appliances for slow leaks. Get rid of shaggy and old carpeting, which traps dirt and is a lung hazard.

Finally, diminish dust and pollen by vacuuming daily. People often respond with an “Are you kidding me?” when I tell them to vacuum this often, but they always come back with the same remark: “My vacuum has a full canister every day. I had no idea!”

Get exercise: To improve your much-needed oxygen intake, make exercise a priority. Try for at least one hour three times a week—and several daily walks. And yes, daily exercise can help us fight off aging and live healthier, according to numerous sources. So turn off your devices and get cracking.

Sunlight is also healing (see Pillar 4, below), so exercise outside whenever you can. There is a beautiful world out there, if only you would look up and take time to see it. And above all, breathe it in!

Pillar 2: Our Water

Overall, up to 60% of the human adult body is water. So it should come as no surprise that the good hydration is of utmost importance in keeping our bodies functioning properly and feeling healthy. Water helps us remove toxinsfrom our whole system.

Drinking the appropriate amount of water is also an absolute must to help combat most infections and inflammation.

Aim for about three quarts of water daily. My experience has taught me time and again that half of the health problems of my clients are caused by dehydration due to inadequate liquid intake and/or choice of liquid.

Drink the purest water you can find: no iodine, no chlorine, no fluoride, no pesticides. No sugar, caffeine, colorants, or preservatives in any form. Avoid bottled water: it’s often comparable to tap water in terms of safety.

Pillar 3: Our Food

Everybody knows that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for you, but did you know it’s also anti-viral as well? Fruits and vegetables help boost our immune system.

I always keep it very simple when I counsel clients about changing their diets. Stick to the one-third, one-third, one-third rule: Make every meal one-third vegetables (or more), one-third protein (or less), and one-third starches (or less). Have 3 or 4 pieces of low-glycemic fruit daily.

In practical terms, this means that if you have pasta Bolognese for dinner, you’re eating a meal that’s roughly 20% meat and 80% starches, with a small bit of tomato sauce. People think a sandwich is a good lunch, but that kind of meal is often 70% bread (a.k.a. starch) and 25% meat, with a piece of lettuce or slice of tomato. Both these examples do not adhere to the one-third, one-third, one-third rule. When one third of your plate is filled with fish/steak, one third constitutes a baked potato, or the last third some broccoli or salad, we have created a great meal—as long as we leave the extra gravy, sour cream, butter, and croutons off J. Have a piece of fruit for dessert.

Limit unhealthy foods: Limit starches, fats, sugars, and dairy, as they are the most common “troublemakers” in terms of your health.

Choose the freshest produce: Try to go shopping for fruits and vegetables every two days, to keep them fresher and more alive. Better yet, start a vegetable garden. In addition, eat local and in season whenever possible, and opt for fresh produce over canned, especially avoiding canned foods with added sugars and preservatives.

Pillar 4: The Healing Powers of Sunlight

“Get some sun; it’s good for you.”

There seems to be an abundance of awareness of sun damage in our society, but we have forgotten the incredible healing powers of sunlight. Our emotional and our physical well-being depend on it in a big way. In a 2020 study,Swedish researchers noted that underexposure to sun carried significant health risks, similar to smoking, obesity, and being sedentary. (Other studies are noting sunshine's happy effect on mental health, as well as a link to better aging and cardiovascular benefits.)

Our body produces vitamin D when skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Vitamin D is a crucial ingredient for overall health: it protects against inflammation, lowers high blood pressure, helps muscles, improves brain function, and many other benefits.
An important reminder: we do not make Vitamin D sitting inside, even in front of a window or in a car. So get outside at least three times a day for a minimum of 30 minutes. Better yet, incorporate Pillar 1 and get some exercise while outside! Go for a walk, play vigorously with your dog, etc.

If you struggle with insomnia, watch the sunrise or the sunset. The specific colors emitted seem to remind our body of our true circadian rhythm.

Pillar 5: The Importance of Sleep

Here is another Golden Health Rule for you: “If you are well: rest. If you are sick: rest.” Which brings us to the importance of sleep. There is no way around it: You need to get enough high-quality sleep.

One of the most important things you can do for your physical and emotional well-being is to get about 7.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. It is the “rest, digest, and recover” phase of our body. In a way, it allows us to “de-fragment our hard drive,” replenishing the oxygen in our bodies and allowing time for our systems to repair or update. If you don’t usually get 7.5 hours of sleep at night, try to take a nap later in the day.

To improve your quality of sleep, put your cell phone in airplane mode and, if possible, turn off the wifi in your home at night. Electronic devices emit an artificial blue light that can suppress the release of the body's sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. In turn, this can interfere with the body's natural internal clock that signals when it's time to sleep and wake up, according to the American Sleep Foundation.

Do not have any screen time for at least 1.5 hours before going to sleep. Did you know that when you watch an average movie, your brain goes on and processes it for another 3 days afterwards? So if you want to drag less during the day and feel more refreshed when waking up, be vigilant about your screen time.

Some Important and Often Understated Health Warnings:

Wifi exposure affects our health more than the government and the electronics industry will admit.

While the science is still emerging, a growing body of research is finding evidence of an increase in certain brain cancers linked to cell phone use, and cause for concern that some breast, testicular, and thyroid cancers might be connected to cell phone radiation as well. The World Health Organization has classified wireless radiation as a possible human carcinogen, the same category as lead and jet fuel.

Limit wifi: Please limit your and your children’s direct exposure to wifi, which disrupts the natural rhythms of our bodies. Kids should not be exposed to wifi for more than an hour and a half maximum. Adults should limit their wifi exposure to about 4 hours daily and as much as possible while sleeping.

Keep wireless devices away from your body: As a general rule, distance is your friend. When you’re talking on your phone, use a wired headset or the speakerphone setting. Don’t wear or hold your cell phone directly on the body. Carry your cell phone and other wireless electronics in a purse or bag, with the back of the phone, where the antenna is, facing away from you. Put your cell phone or tablet in airplane mode when you can. The weaker the signal, the harder your phone and other electronics work to connect—and the more radiation they emit. Use wifi rather than cell data for the same reason.

Yes, We Can!

As you consider your body’s physical needs, it’s also important to pay attention to your emotional needs. When we are stressed, we breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to our bodies. So if we get an oxygen-sucking virus, adding stress into the mix can make it even harder to breathe—especially if we already have an issue like asthma or COPD. It’s critical to care for our mental health as well as our bodies. In terms of healing and well-being, the status of our emotions outplays our physical well-being by 3 to 1.

Let’s shift our focus from all we have been told what we can’t do during this crisis, and take a look at what we can. We can relax, rest, and take time to retreat from our go-go-go lifestyle. We can take inventory, regroup, and redirect ourselves toward a life more suited to “me at this point in time.” We can still go for walks and appreciate nature and fresh air. We can cultivate a new appreciation for simple but profound pleasures: talking to friends and spending quality time with family members.

This is the time were we truly need to look at where our “Zen point” or balance lies. If the news scares you too much, then limit your exposure. Find novel ways to stay healthy and happy.

It is what you feel deep down what matters. We are mostly governed by emotions rather than rationale. Research shows that the heart actually responds to stimuli seconds before our brain does. So if we want to be healthy, we have to honor and be aware of our emotions. If the body feels threatened by something, not even a perfect meal or vitamin will heal this fear.

Find Connection

In the same vein, we need to connect in order to survive.

The current chaotic environment begs us to find true connectedness. Staying away from others and wearing a mask is a rational way of combatting the fear of infection, and it is necessary in the initial stages. But then we need to look on a deeper level and see what the heart and soul have been missing: safety and connection. Surround yourself with loved ones. Belong to and believe in something bigger than yourself.

Connecting with friends and loved ones as much as possible has profound health benefits. Okinawa, Japan, has one of the largest number of centenarians in the world. According to the Okinawa Research Center for Longevity Science, “one of the factors that may benefit their health most: consistent and regular social interaction, in the form of tight-knit community networks.”

We need one another.

Start to Live Again

It might be chaotic right now as we are in the midst of a personal, local, and global transformation. However, it is key how we emotionally and physically respond to this moment and find our balance and strength. We’re here to live. Actually, we’re only here to live. So let’s start to live again and create a healthy New Normal.

The last months have shown us clearly that we are not lacking anything important. Everything we truly need is already provided for. We are forging a new life that has the potential to be so much better than we once had.

Let the phoenix rise out of its ashes!

MartineBJuly 15, 2020Comment