The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the very fabric of our society. Throughout the pandemic much of the world has been forced to succumb to a new way of life much different than before. With gyms closing and many people being forced to stay in their homes—much of America has unfortunately experienced a decreased standard of health.
One striking statistic, “42% of Americans have experienced undesired weight gain since the start of the pandemic, with an average gain of 29 pounds” (1). Furthermore, 10% of Americans have gained over 50 pounds. A number of compounding factors have caused such a staggering increase, ranging from gyms closing to increasing rates of alcohol consumption.
As we dive into the unseen health crisis in America underlying the COVID-19 pandemic—it’s important to realize the impact health and immunity has on our body’s ability to prevent and fight against diseases.
Why are Americans Gaining Weight?
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an astounding toll on public health. In addition to the obvious effects related to COVID-19—Americans have also been gaining excessive weight at an alarming rate. These undesired changes can be linked to a number of factors including:
- Increased stress
- Increased consumption of alcohol due to depression
- Less frequent exercise due to gyms closing
- Poor sleeping habits
The list of factors contributing to excessive weight gain can be directly or indirectly linked to effects coinciding with the pandemic. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into its third year and beyond—it’s more important than ever to conceptualize the importance of maintaining proper physical and mental acuity.
Let’s dive into some ways people can take a proactive approach to improving their health and well-being.
Why is Immunity Important?
It’s no secret that immune system functionality is a critical component of warding off disease and illnesses. Individuals that have weakened or compromised immune systems have a much more difficult time fighting off COVID.
The CDC reports that 94% of COVID-19 deaths had underlying health conditions (2).
That’s right nearly all people who died of COVID also experienced various other underlying illnesses. Among the other contributing conditions linked to coronavirus deaths include:
- Influenza and pneumonia
- Respiratory failure
- Hypertensive disease
- Diabetes
- Cardiac arrest
- Heart failure
The importance of maintaining a healthy immune system should not go understated. Although COVID may have been a cause of death the vast majority of people who died had experienced underlying health conditions. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can fight to keep your immune system function high.
How do you Improve Immunity?
There’s a number of ways you can boost your immune system function and ability to fight disease. Among the best natural ways to boost immunity include:
- Maintain a healthy diet: consume a diet that is high in veggies, fruits, legumes, whole grains and more
- Exercise regularly: perform daily exercise at least 30 minutes per day to stimulate the immune system and improve activity levels
- Sleep more: the human body’s ability to ward off diseases naturally is severely compromised without adequate sleep. Sleeping enough every night can be crucial for protecting against disease and illness
- Decrease stress: stress can have severe negative effects on the body. Minimizing stress through deep breathing, meditation and exercise can all help to reduce stress levels
The immune system is an incredibly complex set of body functions that must protect the human body. Keeping your immune system optimally balanced can go a long way towards protecting the human body from disease and ailments. We must all strive to naturally keep our bodies performing to peak capacity especially when times are tough due to COVID.
If you would like to learn more about keeping your immune system operating at its very best, feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary for protecting your body against the threat of disease and illness.
Kindest regards,
Sean Torbati
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