Wednesday, March 18, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Fit For Sisters Andrew Luscutoff Columnist Building a better immunity The COVID-19 virus is a public health scare that has many people flocking to their local bulk surplus stores and cancelling travel plans. It9s infecting people with fear and will be upset- ting a lot of people in the next few weeks. A healthy body can fight, if not prevent, the virus from taking hold 4 but there9s little to no attention being paid to supporting a healthy immune system in the time of clickbait news and sensa- tional media. Supporting a healthy immune system is one major reason why diet, exercise, and healthy living are a core value. The basic tenets of immune support are diet, exercise, and rest. Ensure that the body is being nourished with healthy food. Protein is vital to an immune sys- tem. Too little protein may lead to symptoms of weak- ness, fatigue, apathy, and poor immunity. Get a good amount of protein from lean meats, beans, whole grains, and dairy as part of a whole foods meal plan. Next with diet is the micronutrients which sup- port the immune system. Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals, and compounds that are in food that support a healthy body. For exam- ple, deficient zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E are shown to suppress immune responses in animals. Most of these are found in plants, fortified whole grains, and healthy fats. A healthy immune sys- tem can be supported with a low-inflammatory diet. A low-inflammatory diet consists of minimally pro- cessed foods, certain spices, and reducing some foods like red meat, dairy, and sugar. Spices like turmeric, ginger, and cayenne have anti-inflammatory proper- ties. Greens, berries, and fish are great foods to lower inflammation. Exercise promotes immune support but, there9s a few considerations. A low steady state endurance pace will give the body a boost in circulating fluids in the body. It also supports white blood cells and antibod- ies against bugs. Too much intensity or too much weight will suppress the immune system because the immune system will respond to the exercise making a person susceptible to other infec- tions. It9s recommended to keep exercise in the moder- ate intensity for steady state endurance and use moderate weight lifting loads. There is no reason to forgo exercise. Ensure the body is rest- ing 4 not in the stereotypi- cal sense of laying in bed all day when ill, but in getting outside, unplugging, and doing things that relieve stress. Most of us aren9t get- ting enough restful sleep. Constant rumination about the woes of life, electronic messages and alerts, and buzzing electronics have a big impact on sleep qual- ity. A good sleep routine will help this. Turn down lights when it9s dark, take a walk and let the natural cool air cool the body down and relax. Do something like read a relaxing book, listen to music or podcasts, or just take a moment to reflect. Another important immune boost is getting out in sunlight. It is theorized that the flu season coincides with the natural wane in sunlight and our bodies lack vitamin D. When flu season is the most extreme, it is also when vitamin D levels are the lowest. Time outside is the natural remedy, but a supplement can also be taken. Perhaps this latest pan- demic is a call to action. It9s time to pay attention to wellness, as resting on the laurels of advances in public health has failed. DINING & TAKE-OUT DREAMS: Virus outbreak has scuttled athletic events Continued from page 7 the track and kissed it. An unforgettable moment for all who witnessed it. Sadly, the boycott held and McChesney9s Olympic dreams remained unfulfilled. He went to Europe to compete and ran incredibly well, beat- ing both the silver and bronze Olympic medalists during the course of the summer. A year later at a race in Sweden, he beat the Olympic gold medal- ist from Ethiopia. He received a gold Congressional medal along with others who had