5 Lessons We Learned About Our Health in 2020

In previous years, it would be around this time that I would be putting the final touches on my annual, week-long retreat in Mexico or Costa Rica. I would also be finalizing the schedule for the workshops that I host throughout the year and making plans for some of our family vacations. Since I am unable to do any of these things (sigh), I have decided to spend a little time reflecting on 2020 and what I learned. 

Something that I have always known is the impact that our health has on every other aspect of our life. 

Not only does it dictate what new adventures we are able to embark on, but it also determines the level of overall enjoyment we can get from life. 

What I have learned from this past year is that people don’t fully understand the amount of control they have over their own health and I would like to change that. 

Below I have listed the top five lessons that I feel are deserving of our attention as we move forward toward a new and exciting year:

1. Vitamin D's role on the immune system

For many years, I've talked to my patients about the importance of vitamin D and its effect on the immune system. Although I already knew the benefits, I was very excited to see them supported with studies that were conducted this past year and for the increased awareness.

Previous studies have shown that when people have adequate Vitamin D levels they are less susceptible to viral infections. These new studies showed that people who have adequate levels of vitamin D are less susceptible to COVID-19 and were less likely to be hospitalized.

This shows how ONE simple thing (optimizing your vitamin D levels) has a positive influence on how your immune system functions.

2. Metabolic syndrome's affect on the immune system

In two separate studies, it was determined that approximately 90 to 94% of patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 had underlying conditions related to metabolic syndrome. 

So what is metabolic syndrome?

In simple terms, if 3 of 5 of the following factors are not within optimum levels, it is considered a metabolic syndrome:

• waist circumferences
• blood sugar
• blood pressure
• triglycerides
• HDL

This syndrome creates a systemic inflammatory response and commonly leads to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease. It is this increase in inflammation that prevents our immune systems from functioning properly and thus increases the likelihood of being hospitalized if we are infected with COVID-19. 

If your metabolic health needs attention, let this be a warning of how it influences your overall health. These underlying issues are mostly lifestyle related and there are many easy things we can do to reduce the effects of metabolic syndrome on our body (take a look at past blog posts and my social media feeds for tips)

This year highlighted the importance of focusing our energies on either preventing metabolic syndrome or resolving it.

3. The importance of controlling our focus

It was very early on that I made the conscious decision to limit the amount of news that I watched and which social media platforms, if any, that I gave my attention to.

Obviously, I stayed informed with the updates on protocols and restrictions, but I did NOT focus on statistics or the number of cases here in Nova Scotia or in the areas where the rest of my family lives.

After returning to the clinic and talking to some of my patients who spent copious amounts of time watching the news and social media, I realized that the information boundaries that I put in place were definitely contributing to my reduced stress levels.

It was evident that there was a connection between the amount of information people were accessing and the level of stress they had for the current situation.

These boundaries also allowed me to reallocate my time and energy to focus on ways to help my family thrive and to research and collect helpful information that I am able to share with all of you through my various platforms.

REMEMBER: you can’t control what is going on in the world, but you can control how much of it you allow into your world. Focus is one of the few things that we CAN control.

4. Our daily habits matter and shape our health

In order to cope with the stress of the lockdown, some of us moved away from our health routines or lost access to things like gyms and studios that we used consistently (myself included). I noticed for myself that a few small changes had a considerable impact during the first lockdown.

For example, I normally get the equivalent of 10,000-14,000 steps/day when I’m at the clinic. Although I did some type of workout or active recovery every single day, I was sitting more throughout the day as I was preparing content and taking some online courses.

For those of you that sit a lot, I would remind you how important it is to move as much as possible throughout the day (research is pointing to sitting is the new smoking).

I was also doing less intermittent fasting because I was preparing (and eating) food for the kids throughout the day. I also consumed more alcohol than I normally would have and this combination contributed to some unwanted weight gain. It was interesting to notice this and I knew things would get back to normal in my body, but it did take some time. 

This made it clear - the habits that I have developed over time are key to keeping my body and mind in optimal health and when I deviate for an extended period of time, it ultimately leads to unwanted changes.

Your lifestyle and the health habits you execute on a daily basis have a direct, positive impact on how your immune system functions.

For these reasons, it's important we don't keep waiting until 'things are back to normal' as delaying it will only add to the challenges you are already facing. 

5. Our health is OUR OWN responsibility

I am able to provide you with guidance, information, encouragement and support, but ultimately, YOU need to be the one that does the work.

There is nobody coming to rescue you. There is no magic formula or pill.

It is up to you to improve your health - and in some cases save yourself. 

Start by adding something into your health routine TODAY! Small changes, executed daily, are what you need to enjoy 2021 in the best of health.