What Can We Do

The most troublesome aspect of COVID-19 is that there is no vaccine. If you are to get it, it is up to your body’s defenses to save your life. Sadly, many have succumbed to the disease. In the absence of a vaccine, the following is a list of things that each of us can do to help bolster our immune system and hopefully defeat the disease if we get it.

1. Stay Hydrated
2. Run, Bike, Swim, lift something, anything. 
3. Sleep Well. 
   1. Stop drinking an hour before bed. As I am getting a little older each day, it is important that I do not drink too close to bedtime. Otherwise, I will wake up in the middle of the night to relieve my bladder. This kills my sleep. If I am drinking water consistently throughout the day, I do not need anything an hour before I go to bed. At 9 pm, I stop drinking my water. When I wake up, I drink water right away. Notice that I keep saying water. I do not drink soda, I do not like the taste of soda. If I do drink soda, it is either ginger ale or ginger beer (I also use the latter in my mixed drinks. I do enjoy an occasional beverage or two on the weekends) to calm my stomach or seltzer. I drink coffee in the morning after I have drunk at least 16 oz of water. I may drink a cup of coffee in the afternoon right before a lifting session. If I get that mid-day bonk, I usually have more water. Water does a better job of waking me up than coffee does. Any more than two cups of coffee per day if I am lifting, or one if I am not, will make me jittery.
4. Eat Well. Please stay away from the COVID 15 (See earlier blog). 
5. Practice social distancing… it works. 
6. Wear Masks… it works, especially when practiced with social distancing
7. Wash your hands. The Coronavirus can last for a few hours to a few days on a surface. You should wash your hands with soap and water, which is preferred over hand sanitizer. In fact, the FDA has recently recalled over 75 hand sanitizers as they were made with methyl alcohol, which is deadly (https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-consumers-should-not-use)
8. Clean, then disinfect (only if needed) Clean commonly used surfaces regularly.
9. Avoid public water

This is not a Be-All End-All list. I hope it gives you a good start as you plan your COVID defenses for the upcoming fall (allergy in Northern NJ) season.  Please feel free to send me any additions I should make to the list.

       Stay Healthy, Stay Strong.