(I was asked to do a 5-minute health talk for our local congregation. Of course our church is doing virtual service now, so it was on-line using Zoom platform. Here’s what I presented.)

In this time of pandemic scare, we can wear a mask to prevent the virus from entering our system. In the hospital where we have confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19, besides mask, we also don gown, eye goggles, and gloves. But what happen if the virus breaks through these barriers and invades our body? Since we really don’t have good medicine to fight the virus, we have to rely on our immune system to fight it.

How can we then boost our immune system? Here are some basic recommendations that we all can do. Let’s talk about the NEWSTART.

N– nutrition. That means eating the right kind of foods. Scientific and medical studies have supported that eating vegetables and fruits can improve our immune system and of course our health in general.

The more colorful the fruit and vegetables – like red, purple, yellow, green -the better, which means they have more anti-oxidants. Antioxidants help repair damaged cells and tissues. Vitamins are antioxidants.

There’s some pilot studies that they are giving mega-doses of Vit. C intravenously in COVID-19 patients. For us, we don’t need Vit. C intravenously, just eat the whole orange or some strawberries. That will taste better too.

There’s also some data that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) helps boost our immune system. NAC is needed for our body to manufacture gluthathione which is a premier antioxidant. NAC is found in legumes, like lentils, beans and peas. You can get NAC supplement in stores too.

E– exercise. Now that it is not too cold outside, go for a walk. Use common sense though and follow the recommended social distancing. Still practice the 6 feet distance from the crowd or don’t walk in a crowded area. But we are in Iowa, we have lots of open fields to exercise. 30-60 minutes of moderate vigorous exercise can release extra immune cells into the system. Exercise will make you look good too.

W– water. The best and the only hydrating fluid you really need. Our body is about 60% water. The brain 70% water. So if they call you airhead, that’s bad. Waterhead? That’s fine. We constantly lose water in our sweat, urine, even through our breath. We lose more water when we have a fever. When we fight an infection, we need to be properly hydrated. Many of our systems needs adequate water to be functioning properly, including our immune system. It is recommended to drink 2 liters of water a day, roughly 8 of 8-ounce glass of water.

S– sunshine. The sun rays can boost our immune system. Besides helping us produce Vit. D, the sunshine can also kill germs. That’s why we place that stinky shoes under the sun to kill the germs and the smell. OK, you don’t have to give that look to your family member, just tell them nicely – how about let’s go out in the sun.

T– temperance. In other words self control. I don’t have to tell you that smoking and alcoholic drinks can be detrimental to our health. As you can surmise, smokers are more susceptible to lung infection.

A– air. Fresh air. Stale air has more CO2 content. We need to replenish the stale air inside our home. Go ahead open the windows. Or go outside and breathe in fresh Iowa air. I hope you’re not near a cattle or pig farm. Or not near somebody who is coughing. Oxygen which in air of course is essential not only for the immune system but for us to live. Practice taking deep breaths. Better yet exercise and so you’ll breathe deeply.

R– rest. We need to have adequate rest or sleep. It is recommended that an adult person sleeps 7-8 hours a night. I know many of us are not getting that. Teenagers who think they don’t need sleep, actually needs 8-9 hours of sleep. Younger kids even need longer hours. Sleep deprivation can weaken our immune system.

T– trust in God. Many scientific studies have shown that people who believe in a higher power, recover faster when they are sick. But we don’t need medical or scientific studies to tell us that. We know that our God is bigger than our world’s problem.

There’s a story in the news about an atheist Italian doctor, and with what’s going on in Italy, he became a believer in God. As the saying goes, there’s no atheist in a fox hole. It’s important that in times like these that we put our trust to the One who is still in control.

Stay safe and healthy everyone.

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PS: To get a glimpse of how our immune system fights a virus, you can read my previous post, “A Battle Within,” (read here).

(*image from astroyard.com)