The world is facing a global pandemic, which for many, is unprecedented. Discussions around boosting immunity, protecting your health and miracle cures are prevalent. Many are also juggling working from home with home schooling and running a household.
While it’s natural to try and control your environment and protect your health, who do you turn to for correct advice? When is the time to overhaul your lifestyle?
The Gut-Immunity Link
Good nutrition is essential for not only your gut microbiome, but also your immunity. However, during this highly stressful time, it’s important to keep in mind that what you eat right now will not be what determines your risk of contracting COVID-19. Being healthy is not a fad that pops up when there is sickness around, but more a lifestyle change that is ongoing for overall health and wellness.
What you eat, not only fuels your body, but also your gut bacteria. Collectively known as the gut microbiome, your gut bacteria are fueled by prebiotics – food that cannot be broken down by your human enzymes so travel to your gut microbiome. Plant-based foods are rich sources of prebiotics.
Your gut bacteria influence many areas of health and important functions such as regulating your appetite and glucose levels, maintaining your gut barrier and assisting your immune system. This makes the large community of gut bacteria, an important part of your overall health and well-being.
Start Small
Now is not necessarily the time to try a new diet or overhaul your lifestyle amid the stress. With many feeling overwhelmed and anxious about what’s to come, there isn’t a pressing need to add a big lifestyle change on top of that. However, every small positive lifestyle or diet choice you make now will take you one step closer to long term overall health and wellness. There are many ways that you can make positive choices and you will need to consider what other challenges you are taking on such as adjusting to working from home, looking after children or keeping your household afloat.
Here are some ideas for some positive ways to care for your health during this stressful time:
- Sticking with easy to prepare, familiar foods can help to provide you and your loved ones some comfort when dealing with so many changes in other areas of your life.
- Basing meals and snacks on plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes is the easiest way to boost your prebiotic intake.
- Even small changed such as adding one extra serving of fruit or vegetables per day can be enough to make a difference to your health.
- Most important be kind to yourself, your health and your loved ones.
Although we don’t know when, there will be a time when life returns to normal and you will have more time and energy to focus on your diet. For now, do what you can and remember to give yourself grace as you settle into your new – but temporary – normal.
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About The Author
Dr Paula Smith-Brown, PhD, Microba Lead Accredited Practising Dietitian
If you want to know more about your gut microbiome and what foods your bacteria like to eat, you can visit microba.com for more information.
