[NFBF-Melbourne] FW: Weekend Devotions: (Saturday, March 21, 2020)Tips to Boost our Immune System and Reduce Stress

[Joyce Taylor]

From: Joyce Taylor <dr.joycetaylor56 at gmail.com> 
Sent: Saturday, March 21, 2020 12:55 AM
To: 'Nfbfl-faith at groups.io' <Nfbfl-faith at groups.io>
Subject: Weekend Devotions: (Saturday, March 21, 2020)Tips to Boost our
Immune System and Reduce Stress

 

Hello Everyone!  For such a time as this, let us lift up our eyes to the
hills from which cometh our help; our help comes from the Lord who made
heaven and earth (Psalms 121).  Yes, right in the midst of it all, God is
yet in control!  He reigns on the throne forever more.  And now that He has
our full attention,  let us obey 2 Chronicles 7:14 where He is speaking to
His people and instructing us as to what we should be doing.  It reads as
thus, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves,
and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I
hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”.  If
we humble, pray, seek and turn, then God will forgive and heal the land.
So let’s humble ourselves and exalt God; and pray for one another; also seek
His face and turn from our wicked ways, then watch God show up and show out
because His Word cannot return unto Him void, it (the Word) is forever
settled in heaven.  God cannot lie – so whatever He says has to come to
fruition. These things have to take place because they are written in the
Bible; therefore, we should not be surprised because God knows all about it.
Nothing catches Him by  surprise because He is all knowing.  So put your
trust in Him and lean not to your own understanding; you will never figure
it all out; but in all our ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our path.


 

So while we are going through this pandemic, don’t be distracted, stay
focused and trust in God!   

 

Listed below are a few tips I found to be very helpful to me (along with my
scriptures of course).  It is a little lengthy; however, since God called a
shut in, this might be a good time to meditate and grow naturally and
spiritually.

 

Be encouraged.

 

God bless,

 

Dr. Joyce Taylor, VP, MSCC

Communities of Faith Committee Member

 

Boost Your Immune System to Fight Viruses and Reduce Stress/Anxiety

 

Science-backed tips for strengthening your immune response quickly and
effectively

by Hallie Levine,  <https://www.aarp.org/> AARP, March 11, 2020 | Comments:
44 



Getty Images

 
<https://www.aarp.org/espanol/salud/vida-saludable/info-2020/aumentar-las-de
fensas-del-sistema-inmunologico.html?intcmp=AE-HLTH-TOSPA-TOGL-ES> En
español | When it comes to fighting coronavirus, you already know that
handwashing and avoiding those who may be sick are key precautions. But
experts say that boosting your immune system may also give you an edge in
fending off viruses and staying healthy this season. Here are some smart
steps to add to your to-do list now.

Stay active

You may be tempted to avoid the gym because it's germy. But the reality is,
<https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2019/get-moving.html>
working out is a powerful way to boost your immune system, says Mark Moyad,
M.D., M.P.H., Jenkins/Pokempner director of preventive and alternative
medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Exercise causes your
body's antibodies and white blood cells to circulate more rapidly, which
means they may be able to detect and zero in on bugs more quickly. Being
active this way also lowers stress hormones, which reduces your chances of
getting sick, Moyad adds.

 

Research suggests that exercise's effects may be directly relevant to virus
fighting, too. According to a
<https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/45/12/987.abstract?sid=e6594508-3aaa-4c61-99ba
-4ea138580947> recent study published in the British Journal of Sports
Medicine, of 1,002 people surveyed, those who exercised at least five days a
week had almost half the risk of coming down with a cold as those who were
more sedentary. If they did get one, they reported less severe symptoms.
There also may be a protective benefit from the sweat in your sweat session:
Research has shown that simply raising your body temperature may help kill
germs in their tracks.

The key to exercise, however, is to do it in moderation. “Like many other
things, there's a sweet spot — doing too much can also put so much stress on
your body, it depresses your immune system,” explains Moyad. He recommends
30 to 60 minutes of exercise (either vigorous or moderate) most days of the
week. If you're a germophobe, you don't even need to hit the fitness center,
as walking outdoors will do the trick.



GETTY IMAGES    

Watch your diet

"Eighty percent of your immune system is in the gut, so when it's healthy,
we tend to be able to fight off infections faster and better,” says Yufang
Lin, M.D., of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic.
“When it's not, our immune system is weaker and more susceptible to fighting
off infection.”

In general, Lin recommends that people focus on a Mediterranean style of
eating, which means a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
healthy fats, found in foods such as fatty fish, nuts and olive oil. “This
eating pattern is high in nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc and other
antioxidants shown to help reduce inflammation and fight infection,” she
explains. Adults between the ages of 65 and 79 who followed a Mediterranean
type of diet, along with taking a daily 400 IU vitamin D supplement for a
year, showed small increases in disease-fighting cells such as T cells,
according to a
<https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.00997/full> 2018
study published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology.

It's also important to limit meat, especially processed and fried foods, all
of which are more inflammatory, Lin adds. “Generally, I recommend a whole
food diet,” she says. What's more, it's smart to include fermented foods,
such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso and kefir, in your daily diet. These help
build up the good bacteria in your gut, which, in turn, supports a healthy
gut and immune system, Lin explains.

More on Coronavirus



Jodi Jacobson/Getty Images

*
<https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-fac
ts.html> The latest news

*
<https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/covid19-symptom
s.html> Symptoms and treatment

*
<https://www.aarp.org/travel/travel-tips/safety/info-2020/coronavirus-and-tr
avel.html> Travel: what you should know

Stay on top of stress

There's a strong link between your immune health and your mental health.
“When you're under chronic stress or anxiety, your body produces stress
hormones that suppress your immune system,” Moyad says. Research done at
Carnegie Mellon University has found that people who are stressed are more
susceptible to developing the common cold. In
<https://www.pnas.org/content/109/16/5995> one study, published in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 276 healthy adults were
exposed to the cold virus, then monitored in quarantine for five days. Those
who were stressed were more likely to produce cytokines, molecules that
trigger inflammation, and were about twice as likely to get sick. In
addition, people who are stressed are less likely to pay attention to other
healthy habits, like eating right and getting enough sleep, which can affect
immunity, Lin adds.

Although you can't avoid stress in your life, you can adopt strategies to
help you manage it better. A
<http://www.annfammed.org/content/10/4/337.long> 2012 study, published in
Annals of Internal Medicine, looked at adults 50 and older and found that
those who either did a daily exercise routine or performed mindfulness
meditation were less likely to get sick with a respiratory infection than
subjects in a control group, and if they did get sick, they missed fewer
days of work. While you might be skittish right now about going out to meet
a friend for dinner or attending a book club, instead of canceling, consider
catching up in a less crowded space.
<https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/417085> Research
shows that the more social ties you have, the less susceptible you are to
the common cold, possibly because friendships serve as a buffer against
stress.

Get enough sleep

Z's are another natural immune system booster. “Your immune system is like
your computer — it needs moments of rest so it doesn't become overheated,”
Moyad explains. “Sleep reboots the system.” When you're sleep-deprived, he
adds, your body churns out stress hormones like cortisol to keep you awake
and alert, which can suppress your immune system. People who got a
<https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2019/latest-sleep-research.
html> full eight hours of shut-eye had higher levels of T cells than those
who slept less, according to a 2019 study. Try to get at least seven hours
of slumber a night, as a 2015
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26118561> study, published in the
journal Sleep, found that people who did so were four times less likely to
come down with a cold than those who clocked less than six.

Be strategic about supplements

There's no magic herb or vitamin you can pop to automatically prevent a
cold, flu or other virus. But a 2017
<https://www.bmj.com/content/356/bmj.i6583> review of 25 studies, published
in the British Medical Journal, found that a moderate daily dose of vitamin
D may offer protection if you're already low in the sunshine vitamin, points
out Tod Cooperman, M.D., president and editor in chief of ConsumerLab.com.
The best way to find out if you're lacking in vitamin D is to get your blood
levels tested; you should be between 20-39 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter).
If you're within that range, a daily supplement of about 600 to 800 IU is
fine. If you're low, talk with your doctor about additional supplementation
— up to 2,000 IU a day. Cooperman advises taking it with meals that contain
fats or oils, to increase absorption.



GETTY IMAGES    

Other supplements, like zinc, have been going viral over the internet as a
way to prevent coronavirus. But while the mineral has been shown to reduce
the severity and duration of colds, there's no research to suggest it can be
protective against coronavirus, Moyad says. Plus, many older adults already
get plenty of zinc because they take supplements such as Ocuvite to treat
conditions such as age-related macular degeneration. “If you start piling
more zinc on top of that, you run a real risk of developing zinc-related
toxicity,” Moyad warns. There's also no good evidence that other popular
supplements, like vitamin C and elderberry, can help.

Instead, Lin recommends cooking with herbs such as garlic, ginger, rosemary,
oregano and turmeric. All have been shown to have anti-inflammatory
properties, she explains, and some, like
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25386977> garlic, have even been shown
to be protective against colds. “When my patients ask me about taking
supplements to enhance their immune system, I always go back to food, food,
food,” she says. “Food is medicine."

More on Immune System Health

*
<https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/lowering-inflam
mation-to-improve-health.html> Inflammation's role in chronic disease

*
<https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/superfood-recipes-for-
winter.html> Superfoods that can boost your immune response

*
<https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2019/cdc-drug-resist
ant-superbug-threat.html> How you can reduce your risk of catching a
‘superbug'


Several Ways to Cope With Anxiety During the Coronavirus Outbreak


Uncertainty and fear are major triggers. Here's how to cope


by Christina Ianzito,  <https://www.aarp.org/> AARP, March 16, 2020 |
Comments: 9 



Westend61 / Getty Images

 
<https://www.aarp.org/espanol/salud/vida-saludable/info-2020/ansiedad-durant
e-el-brote-de-coronavirus.html?intcmp=AE-HLTH-TOSPA-TOGL-ES> En español |
You head to your local grocery store and the shelves are empty of canned and
frozen foods. Your usual social activities have been canceled, and the news
is a constant stream of alarming stories about how the spreading
<https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-fac
ts.html> coronavirus is upending life as we know it. Add to that the fact
that older adults are particularly vulnerable to
<https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/onset-of-covid-
19-symptoms.html> complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the
coronavirus, and you have a perfect storm for anxiety.

"This has been a big anxiety trigger for a lot of people,” says Stewart
Shankman, chief psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences at Northwestern University, of the coronavirus outbreak. But he and
other mental health experts note that it's important to learn how to handle
anxious thoughts, and get help if necessary — in part because anxiety can
impede the body's ability to fight infection.

"Anxiety suppresses the
<https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2020/boosting-immune-respon
se.html> immune system,” says Jane Timmons-Mitchell, associate clinical
professor of psychiatry at the Case Western Reserve University School of
Medicine in Cleveland. “So anything we can do to not be anxious is helpful."

These ideas from the experts may help keep your anxiety under control.


Limit news consumption


It's important to know the facts and what you can do to protect yourself and
to take all precautions — but it's not going to help stress levels to
obsessively watch the news, says Shankman.

"The biggest source of anxiety is uncertainty,” he says, “not knowing what's
going to happen, when it's going to happen, how long this is going to last.
And we don't know. So, trying to know, trying to resolve that uncertainty,
is counterproductive. It's going to make you more anxious.”

Shankman says that he's not suggesting denial. Rather, it's “sort of
accepting this is the current situation and not letting it interfere with
your life."


Practice calming techniques


Different people relax in different ways, but if you feel particularly
anxious you might try deep breathing, taking a warm bath, or sitting with
your pet, says Neda Gould, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral
sciences at Johns Hopkins Medical School. “Alternatively, try mindfulness:
bringing attention to the experience and kind of allowing it to be there,
and not judging it and knowing that it will pass.” If you need mindful or
meditative guidance, try free apps such as Calm; Breethe; UCLA Mindful, an
app developed by the University of California, Los Angeles, Mindful
Awareness Research Center; and Mindfulness Coach, from the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs.


Need help?


Contact the 24-hour  <https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/> National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255


Move your body


"If people are able to just do a little bit of exercise, just walk around or
stretch — just to sort of calm the tension in your body,” it will help, says
Shankman. “If you calm the tension in your body, you calm the tension in
your mind.”


Connect with loved ones


Call, email or videochat with family members, especially if you are feeling
isolated or you know that they are. You may find that they have more time to
talk than they usually do because so many people are home from school and
work, Timmons-Mitchell points out. “There might be some grandchildren that
you don't get to communicate with a lot, but now maybe they could because
those people aren't as busy."


Listen to music, find activities that bring joy


With symphonies, opera houses, ballets and theaters shutting down or losing
their audiences to quarantine measures, many are bringing their offerings
online: The Berlin Philharmonic, for instance, gave a free livestreamed
concert on March 12, while playing to an empty concert hall; it's offering
free access to its archived concerts through March 31. The Philadelphia
Orchestra is offering its recent live performance of “BeethovenNOW:
Symphonies 5 & 6” online, as well. “Watching a concert like that is going to
help somebody feel better, and probably less anxious,” says
Timmons-Mitchell.


Get stuff done


Tackle a hobby you've wanted to explore, or a project you never seem to have
time for. Maybe you have some watercolor painting supplies in a closet, or a
big box of old photos that you've been meaning to transform into a keepsake
album. Accomplishing tasks such as cleaning clothes closets or garages can
be rewarding, while diverting your attention from anxious thoughts.


Find ways to laugh


Humor is a wonderful coping mechanism in times of crisis. Turn to sources
you find funny, whether they're movies or TV shows, or certain friends whom
you know will brighten your mood.

If you feel like your anxiety is getting extreme, interfering with your
daily functioning, for example, ask for help. Reach out to your doctor, and
a trusted confidant.

If you're starting to have thoughts about self-harm get help immediately,
says Timmons-Mitchell, who suggests calling the 24-hour National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255. “They have a lot of tools at their
disposal, and they're trained to provide really good services,” she says.
“People shouldn't feel hesitant to call them because they want to hear from
you."

 

 

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