If it feels like everything is out of control, focus on what you can control.
I don’t know about you but I’m struggling. If you feel anxious about COVID-19 and the future, I totally understand. I’m someone who is overly anxious already. Throw a pandemic in the mix and it can be really hard to cope.
The goal of this article is to help you feel more in control. This is my ultimate pandemic survival guide.
Let’s talk about the things you can control – your training, nutrition and supplementation. These things are extremely important for your health and immunity.
Never has it been so important to dial them in.
YOUR TRAINING STRATEGY
Train the same, but train at home.
It seems like we might be training at home for a long time yet so let’s get this right.
You should use the same strategies for training at home as you would at the gym. You should still be using weight training techniques like progression (using either more weight or better form) and following a strategic program for your body, trouble areas and age.
Free apps and bodyweight workouts just won’t get long term results and can even be harmful. Many of these programs include exercises that most women shouldn’t be doing regularly, especially multiple times per week. Many of these programs are also hard on your joints. For example, I’ve seen programs from highly regarded celebrities that would destroy my wrists and knees. Or programs from Instagrammers that are entirely fluff and not going to get you results.
No matter where you are training – at the gym or at home – you should be following a proper program.
You can build an entire program around basic equipment, like some dumbbells and loop bands. I’ve just released an Ultimate Home Program that requires very minimal equipment for those of you training at home during lockdown or who don’t feel comfortable going back to the gym when they reopen. Feel free to message me to learn more about home training.
Set a schedule.
Your lockdown life needs a schedule just as much as your regular life. I’m still working out at the same time as usual. If you don’t have a schedule, at some point during the day you’ll have to find motivation to train and it’s likely your training will take a backseat to other activities. Or you just won’t feel like it. Remember during stressful times, motivation in general is lower so make things easier for yourself. Schedule an appointment to train and show up for it. Don’t rely on motivation.
I also recommend setting up a quiet area, away from kids or partners, so you can focus on your training. It’s pretty much impossible to get into a good zone with training if you have distractions around you. Treat it as if you are at the gym. Your family can live without you while you train.
YOUR NUTRITION STRATEGY
Keep it simple.
Anyone else get some major anxiety from the supermarket? Seriously. Stay home. We’re in the middle of a pandemic for crying out loud. You have to eat well but you don’t have to run out for food all the time because you want variety. Plan simple meals and plan well in advance.
My partner and I have gone to the store once per week during the lockdown. With a list and a serious black op vibe to get in and out as quickly as possible. We then spend the rest of the week working through all our food until we absolutely need to go back.
You might even benefit from this strategy. It’s a great chance to save money and use what’s in your kitchen already. In my experience working with clients, women do better with eating when they keep things simple so this is good practice for when life goes back to normal.
Interestingly, quite likely because I’m eating more plain foods, my digestion has been fantastic during lockdown so that has been another little bonus for me.
Don’t try to lose weight.
If you have weight to lose and you were already losing it, then continue on. But if you are someone who is already lean and think you’d like to lose a little bit more, this is not the time. Undereating may negatively impact immunity so this is a time to focus on nourishment rather than restriction.
If you are already at a good weight remember sitting at your heavy-normal may be better than sitting at your lower-normal weight. Let me explain. For me personally, my immunity drops when I lose weight – even just a kg or two. I rarely get sick and when I do it’s almost always during those times I lose weight. I know my health, energy, sleep and immunity is better when I’m at my heavy-normal. When my partner overly restricts calories, he also runs into problems with his immunity.
Why risk it when the stakes are so high?
Right now your goal should be to optimize health and immunity – not body composition.
Follow the rule of ‘10 foods that are awesome for you”
In one of my YouTube videos I talked about how I like to make sure I get at least 10 servings of vegetables and fruits everyday. I also include superfoods in my count so things like my very high quality Japanese green tea and organic cacao powder count towards that total.
Here are some foods that are great for your immunity and that will count towards your daily 10:
-onions, garlic or ginger
-high vitamin C fruits – ie. oranges, kiwifruits, lemons, pineapples, feijoas
-pomegranate fruit, powder or juice
-high quality green or white tea (not supermarket tea)
-mushrooms, fresh or dried
-berries, including dried goji berries
-fermented foods, including sauerkraut, kimchi and miso.
USING SUPPLEMENTS TO BOOST IMMUNITY
When it comes to immunity I’m a huge believer in using supplements. Of course, you have to first get everything else in line nutrition and lifestyle-wise. But supplements can give you an extra edge.
Consider zinc as an example. Many of us run around with sub-par levels of zinc. This may be due to our food choices (ie. you likely won’t get as much zinc on a plant-based diet), being on a diet (ie. not enough calories to get enough zinc) or even situations like experiencing a lot of stress or being on birth control (which both deplete zinc levels).
There’s a reason zinc sold out pretty much everywhere when the pandemic hit. It’s fantastic for immunity. Since so many things deplete it, in times like this it can’t hurt to top up with a supplement.
In addition to zinc there are many other things you could take which may help with immunity and may also lessen the severity of infection should you get sick. Here’s what I’m taking to prevent getting sick and to help me recover faster if I do.
My current daily supplements:
-Multivitamin
-Curcumin
-Ashwagandha
-Extra vitamin C – anywhere from 2000-5000mg
Supplements I take every second day or so:
-Extra vitamin D (there’s also already 1000IU in my multivitamin but I will top up with an extra 1000IU every second day or so)
-Zinc
-I’m also using a NeuroCalm supplement from Metagenics on days I feel extra anxious (I’ll be talking about it in an upcoming YouTube video).
Mushroom Supplements For Immunity
When it comes to immunity, mushrooms deserve special mention. The supplements I listed above are pretty much what I supplement with year round anyway.
But when I’m concerned about immunity, I turn to mushroom supplements. Medicinal mushrooms are well known for their ability to support immunity and overall health.
There are all sorts of mushroom supplements on the market and I plan on adding one to my regime when we get out of lockdown for extra protection. If you have the budget for them and if you are concerned about getting sick, consider adding a mushroom supplement to your regime.
If you are in New Zealand, I can get great mushroom supplements from Metagenics so feel free to touch base with me. Otherwise you can check out brands like Life Extension and Om (Organic Mushroom Nutrition) and buy them online.
CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK
In New Zealand one of the slogans of our lockdown has been “Be Kind.” Be kind to others, but also yourself. My partner and I have become very good at giving each other leeway to have and express a wide range of emotions, many of which aren’t good. But you also have to give yourself permission to feel bad (without feeling bad that you feel bad).
There will be days when you feel angry, anxious or just all around like you can’t cope. Maybe you’ll feel all those emotions in one day. Yesterday was certainly like that for me.
And you know what? As much as I wanted to be productive and get some work done, I had to give up the fight, lay in bed and watch Netflix.
Do everything within your control to stay healthy but by all means if you need to curl up and hide away for a day – do it. Look after yourself and you’ll come out just fine.
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