July is Nutrition Month. It is time for us to remember the importance of keeping a healthy diet to have a healthy body. A healthy body will boost our immune system to give us better protection, particularly from Covid-19.
Recently, my cousin was not feeling well and was eventually brought to the hospital because she could no longer breathe properly. The doctors suspected her to have caught Covid-19, and true enough, she tested positive! How did she catch the virus? Has she done anything outside of her routine? My cousin’s daily routine was mundane; she goes to the office, the grocery and the bank. Has she been careless with safety protocols? My cousin is a very sensible and meticulous person. She changes her face mask every four hours and avoids touching her used face mask. She washes her hands like clockwork, especially when she removes her face mask. You can find alcohol and disinfectant in her purse.
So where and how had she been infected? As her family traced back her activities, they found out that a week before she felt unwell, for three straight days, she had stayed in the office very late to finish backlog work. She lacked sleep, failed to eat on time, and stressed out from her job. Thus, her immune system went down.
Our immune system is the body’s defense against any infection. A fully functioning immune system shields our body from invading pathogens. To function fully, our body’s immune system requires balance and harmony. We need to keep our immune system healthy, especially when we are all vulnerable to catch Covid-19.
A lot of us think only of the safety measures to avoid catching Covid-19; like wearing a face mask, washing hands properly, avoiding crowds and following social distancing protocols. We fail to realize the importance of keeping our body strong to fight the invisible enemy.
We need to support our immune system through a healthy lifestyle. At this point, when we are all susceptible to catch the virus, we must remember to eat, drink, sleep and live healthy lives.
In those few days cooped up at the office, my cousin forgot to eat a good meal. The immune systems need constant energy to make new immune cells. To generate this energy, we need to eat to meet all the requirements of our body, including the required vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The amino acids in protein are the building blocks of the cells that operate the immune system. They help create protective white blood cells and antibodies that can block invading pathogens.
Being dedicated to our job is commendable behavior. However, we must remember to pause and check on our work-life balance. By not getting enough sleep, my cousin’s defense mechanisms went down. Rest is an essential contributor to improving our immunity system. Studies show that people who get eight hours of sleep had higher levels of T cells. T cells are a type of immune cells that fight against intracellular pathogens like the Covid-19 virus. It is only when we sleep that our body produces cytokines, a type of protein that aids in improving our immunity response.
Mental and physical stress can take its toll on the body too. It is essential to recognize the cause of stress and eliminate it. My cousin, having created her stringent deadlines, placed herself under too much stress. A little pressure is good, but chronic stress can cause the body to produce stress hormones that can suppress the effectiveness of the immune system. That is why she became susceptible to infections and caught the virus.
Practicing good habits to strengthen our health means not only following the safety guidelines but also boosting our immune system. Building a sound immune system is an ongoing process. We need to develop a robust immune system by building an excellent nutritional foundation: eating healthy food, drinking enough water, getting the right amount of sleep, going out to get some sun, and working out.
The body’s first line of defense is the immune system. In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to make a conscious effort to live a healthy life and give our immune system the boost it needs to protect our body.
Be safe and well!
Regina C. Dy, PhD. is a consultant at Euro-Med Laboratories Phils. Inc. and a senior partner at Amdy Management Consultancy Inc. She is a part-time faculty of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. She can be reached at reginacdy@yahoo.com.
The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.