Healthy Life Lessons

Did you notice that since the Covid-19 pandemic started, there are stories about how to boost immunity all over the media plus ads for supplements that are supposed to increase immunity everywhere? So far, only Vitamin D seems to show any lick of connection with Covid-19 infections, and the very preliminary findings are that there seems to be a link between those who get the most severe cases of Covid and Vitamin D deficiency. Aside from that, the best way to keep your immune system in good shape is focusing on the macro-level lifestyle variables: don't smoke, limit alcohol, get enough sleep, exercise, and eat lots of plants. All of this also helps with stress management and yes, excess stress can strain your immune system. Differences in immunity, according to researchers, is, in large part, determined by genetics, so not much we can do about that. As I always tell my counselling clients, focus on what you can control, which is, lifestyle. In any case, there are other r...

There are some silver linings coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic for some fortunate people. One is that those used to ordering in food or going out to restaurants daily have had to learn to cook for themselves (I know not everyone is happy about this...but think of all the money saved!). Also, with gyms and recreation centers closed, people have had to find ways to be active at home. Again, a lot of people are not necessarily seeing this as a good thing, but I do. I am always encourage my friends and clients to find ways to exercise at home since it is so much more convenient but many people resist, believing that they will get distracted or don't have enough space. Now that everyone has had to do it for several months, a lot of people I know have started to see the benefits of home workouts and have decided they will not return to their gyms. Nothing has changed for me as we have a lovely home gym and I have been exclusively working out at home for years now. So I was mo...