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Coronavirus Prevention Tips For Older Adults

Prevention Tips For Older Adults We are well aware of how contagious COVID-19 is. Research has found that the coronavirus creates inflammation in the body. Inflammation has been connected to most of the major diseases of our time and over half of us are living with chronic inflammation driven by diet, stress and lack of sleep. According to the National Foundation of Infectious Diseases, older adults are considered to be at high risk as compared to others because their immunity weakens as they age. The risk increases with 50+ and those who are 85+ are more vulnerable to severe infection. WHO has provided guidelines and coronavirus prevention tips for older adults to manage themselves during this pandemic. 

Coronavirus Prevention Tips For Older Adults 

Some of the basic guidelines suggested by WHO include: 

  • Washing hands frequently with proper hand wash
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and ears with unwashed hands
  • Wear a mask when going out
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces with disinfectants
  • Avoid going out if you are sick
  • Cough or sneeze into your flexed elbow to avoid spread of the virus
  • Maintain social-distancing of about 6feet (1meter)
  • Do not go out in public places even if you feel healthy, if important follow all the instructions given by local authorities
  • Socialize over the phone with friends and relatives
  • Avoid unnecessary traveling

For Adults With Health Conditions 

  • Older adults with underlying health conditions such as diabetes, BP, cholesterol, thyroid, kidney problems, asthma etc. should avoid going out. Do not visit the hospital unless necessary. 
  • Take precautions if you suffer from respiratory disorders 
  • Monitor your health via devices to avoid panic. You can use the GOQii Smart Vital to measure your blood oxygen levels (SpO2), body temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. You can also use the GOQii Vital ECG to check and detect issues such as arrhythmia and other abnormalities in heart rhythm.  
  • Prefer online consultation and purchase medicines online too.
  • Plan 2 weeks in advance and purchase daily requirements online
  • Get vaccinated as soon as you can. For now, this is the best preventive measure you can take.
  • Forego vices such as smoking, alcohol and consuming tobacco products as they may deteriorate or worsen health conditions. 

Some Health Tips You Can Follow 

  1. Switch to a healthy diet: Include whole grains, cereals, pulses, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts.
  2. Maintain healthy weight: If overweight, try to reduce your weight gradually in a healthy way. Your GOQii Coach can help you with this!
  3. Reduce stress: Don’t panic in critical situations and don’t over stress as this can lead to low immunity levels.
  4. Sleep well: Proper and timely sleep is very crucial in maintaining health. The quality of your sleep also matters. Read more about sleep in our Sleep Series: https://goqii.com/blog/?s=sleep+series 
  5. Keep yourself hydrated: Have at least 3 liters of water everyday. Should be adjusted according to individual needs.
  6. Exercise regularly: Even mild exercise such as walking or yoga accompanied by pranayama can go a long way in keeping you healthy!
  7. Boost your immunity: Immunity of a person can be boosted in many ways through nutrition, exercise, etc. It is believed that acquired immunity can be made strong by following a healthy lifestyle. Get some immunity boosting tips here: https://goqii.com/blog/?s=immunity 
  8. Avoid processed and packaged foods: They are high in fats, sugar and salt. Preservatives present in these items lower our immunity.

Foods That You Can Eat 

  • Dark green leafy vegetables: Such as spinach, methi etc. are rich in vitamins and minerals. 
  • Fruits: Especially citrus fruits like orange, strawberry, sweet lime, lemon etc.
  • Unsalted nuts and seeds: Flax seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc. provides good fats.
  • Fatty fish: Salmon, sardines are rich sources of beneficial fatty acids and omega 3.
  • Olive oil and coconut oil: Prefer cold pressed, virgin, double filtered and filtered ones.
  • Millets and whole grains: Ragi, oats, barnyard, little millet etc. as they provide more fibers compared to refined products.
  • Green tea: Rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, green tea helps in boosting immunity.
  • Herbs: such as ginger, garlic, turmeric pepper corns, cinnamon, giloy, tulsi, etc. helps in boosting immunity.
  • Probiotics like curds, ACV etc. keep the gut healthy! 

We hope these immunity boosting coronavirus prevention tips for older adults help you stay healthy and active! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! For more on the health and wellness of senior citizens, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to classes on GOQii Play. 

To get more tips directly from your GOQii Coach, sign up for personalized coaching now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

#BeTheForce 

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9 Bad Habits That Are Affecting Your Immunity

immunityWith the second wave of the pandemic, it becomes increasingly important to take care of one’s health. While there is no cure for the virus, building immunity can be an effective preventive measure you can take along with the vaccine to ensure that you remain healthy. While we have discussed things we should do in order to improve immunity, today, let’s discuss bad habits that are destroying your immunity. 

9 Bad Habits That Destroy Immunity 

  1. Not Getting Enough Sleep: Adequate sleep helps the body rest and prepare to fight infections, bacteria, viruses, and other triggers. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body doesn’t have the chance to fight diseases as effectively,  Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep daily to keep the immune system at its prime.
  2. Lack of Exercise: Exercise plays a significant role as this is a very powerful stimulant of the immune system. It enhances the ability to create antibodies and T-cells, which are white blood cells that help the body fight disease. As little as 30 minutes of walking for 5 days a week can help your immune system perform at its best. You can also try these exercises: https://goqii.com/blog/5-simple-exercises-you-can-do-at-home/  
  3. Poor Nutrition: Quality of food is very important and often overlooked cause of immune depletion. Our food supply contains many unhealthy, toxic chemicals which can cause havoc in our bodies. Over time, this depletes the immune system, and if not corrected, will continue to get worse.  It can also cause you to be overweight, a condition that makes you more susceptible to disease. A healthy diet should include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk. Try these foods to build your immunity: https://goqii.com/blog/7-foods-that-boost-immunity/ 
  4. Stress: High-stress levels can create a hormonal imbalance in our body, weakening the immune system and making us more susceptible to illness. Stress produces the hormone cortisol which impairs the function of infection-fighting T-cells. To de-stress and stay healthy, we must exercise for 30 minutes a day or practice deep breathing and meditation— all these can diminish the effects of stress.
  5. Excess Alcohol: Regularly overindulging in alcoholic drinks can have a negative effect on our immune system. Drinking too much can wear away the linings of our mouth and oesophagus. It also makes our white blood cells less effective at attacking harmful bacteria and lowers our body’s ability to produce cells that identify and kill bacteria and viruses.  
  6. Smoking: damages the first lines of defense, the linings of our mouth and our nose, which are actually part of our immune system. This makes us more susceptible to cold and flu. Our lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia and lung cancer. Smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  7. Not Drinking Enough Water: Our body needs water for every function it performs and so does our immune system. It needs proper hydration to function. Water flushes out harmful toxins and helps our body fight off infection. Plus, it affects our energy levels and even the quality of our sleep. Drinking 3l of water regularly helps one stay well hydrated and healthy. 
  8. High Sugar Intake: Sugary snacks are also bad for our immune system. The blood cells need vitamin C to fight off viruses and because glucose (from sugar) is so similar in structure to vitamin C, when we ingest too much sugar it actually starts competing with vitamin C for space in our immune cells. Thereby limiting our intake of sugar can help to keep our immune system fighting fit. To satisfy your sweet tooth, eat a piece of dark chocolate or dates or sweets made from jaggery. 
  9. Frequent Use of Supplements: A proper balanced diet provides us with all the essential nutrients. We should opt for supplements only when excessive deficiency is seen and it must be stopped after having a prescribed dosage. Too much of supplements may interfere with normal bodily functions, leading to side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, stomach cramps, gastrointestinal issues, fatigue and probably mild nerve damage.

If the above-mentioned habits have been a part of your daily lifestyle, you need to stop indulging in them now! It’s time to make a complete lifestyle change, build immunity and focus more on preventive healthcare. 

We hope this article helps you! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more topics and information on coronavirus, building immunity, home workouts and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

To get these tips directly from your GOQii Coach, sign up for personalized coaching now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

#BeTheForce 

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Recovering From An Infection? Try This Recovery Diet Routine

COVID Recovery DietThe rainy season is here and along with it, so are the seasonal viral infections. To top it off, we’re also amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recovering from illness is a long and arduous journey. Along with medication, you also need to focus on a well balanced, nutritious diet for healthy recovery. According to the National Health Service (NHS) those recovering from COVID-19 need more proteins, vitamins and minerals to speed up the recovery process and rebuild their immunity. Keeping this in mind, here’s a recovery diet routine you can follow.

COVID-19 Recovery Diet Routine

  • Take Adequate Rest: Taking rest after the infection is very essential for your recovery. Good sleep of 7-8 hours improves the recovery rate. Try to avoid going back to your old routine just after recovery as stress or work anxiety might lead to weakness again
  • Eat Small Frequent Meals: Small quantities of food at intervals of 2-3 hours will permit adequate nutrition without overtaxing the digestive system. As the gut microbe gets affected, one needs to eat easily digestible foods so that the stomach can easily absorb nutrients and provide energy as well
  • Protein: It is the foremost concern as wear and tear of muscle, catabolism occurs at the time of infection. So an adequate amount of protein is needed. According to the Confederation of Medical Associations, Asia and Oceania about 75 grams is needed for the first few weeks. Good quality of protein builds up the immunity, it helps in muscle recovery as well for respiratory muscle strengthening. Include lentils, legumes, milk and milk products, soy, nuts, seeds, meat, chicken, fish and eggs in your diet
  • Probiotics: There is a change in healthy gut bacteria because of the treatment with antibiotics, which can lead to inflammation and loss of taste. Probiotics will enhance digestion and help in restoring immunity. Include curd, yogurt, kefir, kombucha or sauerkraut to your meals
  • Fluids: This is very essential as it will flush out toxins from the body. During fever, we are in a catabolism state, which leads to dehydration. Try to drink at least 2-3 litres of water every day. One can include other fluids like coconut water as it may help replace electrolytes that the body loses, lemon water which is rich in potassium, herbal concoction and fresh juices.  Avoid packaged juices, caffeine and fizzy drinks. For cardiac and kidney patients, the volume of fluid and sodium, along with other electrolytes may have to be restricted.
  • Foods high in Vitamin C: Vitamin C boosts our immune system. Most of the vitamin C rich foods are rich in flavonoids. According to The National Institutes of Health flavonoids might help in recovery of the upper respiratory tract infections. Include foods such as lemons, berries, grape, broccoli, raw, dark leafy greens, oranges, capsicum, Guava and amla daily
  • Omega 3 fatty acids: Studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids present an anti-inflammatory effect that also helps in recovery after viral infections, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as this reduces inflammation. Sources of Omega 3 fatty acids include Salmon, cod liver oil, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds. Other green leafy vegetables and beans also contain small amounts.
  • Garlic: It has been used for centuries for medical ailment. Studies have shown garlic enhances immunity and reduces the severity of the symptoms of viral infections. Garlic can be crushed, sliced, chewed as it produces allicin which has immunity boosting properties

However, recovery also depends on the rate of infection as well. Take adequate bed rest with home cooked food and avoid alcohol, smoking, hard and processed foods which might lower the immunity system and delay recovery. 

We hope these recovery diet recommendations help you! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more on COVID-19 recovery, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

To get these nutritional tips or recipes directly from your GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching now: https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu  

#BeTheForce 

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How Long After Getting Infected Can You Get The COVID Vaccine?

COVID Vaccine

It has been a daunting journey for over fourteen months where many have lost their family and friends due to the pandemic. Going through the COVID-19 journey has been a rancorous experience to many, especially during the second wave. Now, there’s hope for survival with the coming of the COVID vaccine.

How Does Vaccination Help?  

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination is a simple, safe and effective way of protecting people against harmful diseases, before they come into contact with them. It uses our body’s natural defenses to build resistance to specific infections and makes our immune system stronger. So basically, vaccines do the same action as when we are exposed and are infected with the disease causing organism. But here, the symptoms may be very mild as they will be injecting the weakened version of disease causing organism or a part of the same organism, so our immune system gets trained on how to respond if the actual disease causing organism invades us. 

Whenever our body is infected with any of these microorganisms, our body fights against it. Our immune system remembers the specific virus or bacteria by producing its antibodies so that we can fight against it without getting symptoms for the next time when we are exposed to same type of virus or bacteria. But some of these antibodies may not last long enough to protect us from getting infected again in the future. Though a lot of research has been conducted on COVID-19, as far as we know, the antibodies of COVID-19 in our body may not last long. So, getting a vaccine is recommended, regardless of whether you were infected with COVID-19 or not. 

Can You Get The COVID Vaccine If You Were Infected? 

As the COVID vaccines have rolled out, people who were not infected are getting them but people who have already been infected might have questions related to the COVID vaccine such as – Can I get the vaccine? If yes, how long do I need to wait to get the vaccine after being infected with COVID-19? How long will I not get infected again if I don’t take the vaccine? Let’s look at the official recommendations.

As per the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in India, based on the current situation of the pandemic, guidelines have been given on how long you need to defer the COVID-19 vaccine after getting infected with it.

  • Someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 should wait for 3 months to get their COVID Vaccine after recovery. 
  • If you have received the 1st dose of the COVID Vaccine and then got infected before completing the 2nd dose of vaccination, you also need to wait for 3 months to get your 2nd dose after recovering from the infection.
  • People who got infected with the virus and were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma need to defer getting vaccinated for 3 months after getting discharged from the hospital.

These guidelines are accepted by the Ministry Of Health and Family Affairs, India. Please note that the earlier recommendation to get the vaccine post COVID-19 infection was just four weeks before. So, the above recommendations are the latest updates recommended by NEGVAC, accepted by the Ministry of Health in India, which applies to all States and Union Territories. However, if you, or anyone in your family or friends who had COVID-19 positive with severe complications and comorbidities, or have undergone any major surgeries during this period or after the 1st dose of the vaccine, it is advised to talk to the doctor who treated you before taking the COVID Vaccine, keeping your safety in mind.

After getting the vaccine, remember not to stop the protocols of wearing  a clean mask, sanitizing and washing the hands often, social distancing, avoiding crowded places, having healthy food, regular exercise, good quality sleep and managing stress. Don’t forget, just getting a vaccine cannot guarantee that we will not get infected in the future. All these precautions can save us from being the victims of the next wave. 

Hope this article helps you! To read more on COVID-19 and managing its symptoms, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

To get these tips and queries directly answered by a GOQii Coach, subscribe to personalized coaching here:  https://goqiiapp.page.link/wssu 

Stay home, stay safe and #BeTheForce 

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