We all aspire to be as healthy as possible. While you can’t control your immune response to every sniffle, you can improve your immune system with vitamins and supplements, read up on the relevant scientific research, as well as which nutrients are right for your unique needs. It is also important to take a long-term approach, as creating the foundation of a healthy lifestyle is the best defense.

As local governments and health authorities look to curb the spread of Covid-19, more and more people throughout the U.S. are being told to stay home and practice social distancing. Likewise, those who are sick or have tested positive for Covid-19 are further limiting their social contact through self-isolation. While such measures may protect our physical health, it’s important to also consider the impact of isolation on our mental health. Being separated from friends, family, and colleagues may trigger feelings of loneliness, anxiety, anger, restlessness, stress, and even depression. But just as we are protecting our immune system, it’s equally important to prioritize self-care at this time. Here’s how you can take care of your mental health while in social isolation:

Zinc, a nutrient found throughout your body, helps your immune system and metabolism function. Zinc is also important to wound healing and your sense of taste and smell. With a varied diet, your body usually gets enough zinc. Food sources of zinc include chicken, red meat and fortified breakfast cereals. People use oral zinc to help treat colds, but it can decrease the effectiveness of certain drugs and cause side effects. The recommended daily amount of zinc is 8 milligrams (mg) for women and 11 mg for adult men.

You may have heard that eating fish is a healthy option. That’s a true statement, but in most cases today, it’s only a partially true statement. The reality of where our fish come from is of paramount importance for our health! There is a vast difference between wild caught fish and farmed fish. Fish farms produce supermarket protein with high concentrations of antibiotics, pesticides and lower levels of healthy nutrients.

The concept of mindfulness and self-compassion has been around for over 2500 years, and is rooted in Eastern traditional Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist meditation. In Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness and compassion is considered to be two wings of one bird, with each concept overlapping one another but producing benefits for wellbeing. The word Mindfulness is the English translation of the word Vipassan, which a combination of two words Vi, meaning in a special way and Passana, to observe, hence implying to observe in a special way.

As we continue our collective battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), you may have come across various claims of foods or supplements that supposedly increase your immunity against the disease. Here, we break down some basic facts about how nutrition plays into having a healthy immune system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has focused attention on the role of the immune system, with “experts” and articles urging people to buy supplements or eat particular foods to “turbocharge” their immune systems. The truth is more subtle. As highlighted recently by the World Health Organization, a healthy lifestyle makes all bodily functions work better, including immunity. Having a healthy diet, including lots of fruits and vegetables, is a key component of a healthy lifestyle and plays a vital role in supporting a well-functioning and effective immune system to help protect against infection and other diseases.

A common question for those who have not visited a naturopathic doctor before, is how ND practice is different from what they might be used to in conventional models. The Therapeutic Order guides how the naturopathic principles are applied, and is based on the idea that the human body possesses an inherent drive to heal itself. It posits that the least amount of force be employed in order to promote gentle, safe and long-lasting health and well-being. The Therapeutic Order characterizes the natural progression of naturopathic therapeutic recommendations to maximize patient benefit and reduce the potential for damage or harm. Naturopathic care ultimately focuses on the individual and what is best for them at that moment in time.

Being disciplined about your coping will make staying at home more successful. Because human beings are social creatures, staying at home due to COVID-19 is challenging and frustrating. Spending almost the entire day inside is not only challenging for your physical health but also for your mental health. The key to coping as well as possible is to stay disciplined and engage positive coping mechanisms. Below, are some tips that will reduce anxiety and stress and improve mood.

Remember a time when we chose ingredients based solely on how they tasted? Now, in the midst of a global pandemic, it’s no surprise you’re looking to fill your virtual grocery cart with anything that gives your immune system an extra kick in the pants. Eating a bunch of superfoods won’t keep COVID-19 away. But filling your diet with immune-boosting foods is a gold star move for your overall health, regardless. What makes an immune-boosting food? A combo of powerful antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein, and plant compounds that help your beautiful bod keep the nasties at bay.

With no approved drugs for the new coronavirus, some people are turning to alternative medicines, often on the advice of their governments. This is most evident in China and India, both densely populated countries with a deep history and tradition of touting such treatments, and where there’s sometimes limited access to conventional medicine. In China, where the pandemic began, officials made unsubstantiated claims that traditional medicine was key to fighting the virus. In India, where a lockdown of its 1.3 billion residents is underway, the government faced criticism after claiming some treatments might help prevent infections. And in Venezuela, where the healthcare system is severely crimped, President Nicolas Maduro pitched drinking an herbal tea.

The aging process often brings about various health issues, including chronic low-grade inflammation, sarcopenia and functional decline. The loss of muscle mass between the ages of 40 and 80 is between 30% and 60% and is associated with disability, illness, and death. It is well known that dietary fiber intake has a positive effect on cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.

Acute respiratory tract infections are a major cause of morbidly and mortality. Viruses cause seasonal outbreaks and, as we are seeing now, a worldwide pandemic that is impacting public health as well as the economy. Most of the attention has been focused on isolation, wearing masks, and proper hygiene which are all important; however, public health discussions have not been focused around nutritional strategies to support optimal immune function. This is essential as poorer outcomes are associated with those with co-morbidities, smoking, and the elderly population.

Red yeast rice (RYR) is neither yeast nor rice, but rather a product of the fermentation of white rice and the yeast, monascus purpureus. It is also a nutraceutical rival to popular statin drugs. The efficacy of RYR as a cholesterol-lowering agent is a function of the constituent monacolin-K, a chemical twin to the popular lovastatin. Like statin drugs, monacolins lower cholesterol by inhibiting HMG COA reductase in the liver, thereby impacting the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis.