As we begin to enter a post-Covid environment, there’s more focus on what we can do to boost our immune systems than ever. Since the start of 2020 many people, who wouldn’t usually scrutinise their diet, are looking to find ways to improve their health to give themselves a better chance should they contract Covid-19.
While medical professionals, the world over, have always been talking about the health benefits of certain food groups to those under their care, it’s only now that people who are lucky enough to say that they rarely bother a doctor, are starting to take note as they realise the correlation between diet and protecting themselves from most diseases.
This shift in mindset is good news for health and wellness industries that have products and services to support this movement.
A healthier diet to protect both our current and future self
Research from the UK’s ZOE COVID Study app has revealed that those who eat a plant-rich and fish based diet are less likely to catch Covid-19. And if they do, the symptoms are not likely to warrant a stay in hospital.
In addition, following a diet of this type can improve the health of our gut microbiome and the overall health of our heart. This would give each and every one of us greater health, a stronger immune system, and the ability to fight off diseases more effectively.
But the question is ‘why?’ We know that fruit and vegetables are good for us, we learned that from a very early age, but what does this diet do to our bodies to help us reduce the health risks associated with Covid-19? It’s because it reduce the amount of inflammation in our bodies.
Why inflammation levels matter
When we fall and hurt ourselves, for example, our immune system gets to work to protect us. It sends an inflammatory response to the area to help it heal. It’s the same when we fall ill. And when we are healed, the inflammation goes away.
But when our bodies experience inflammation over a long time, our health is compromised. This unhealthy level of inflammation speeds up the ageing process and disrupts how our cells, tissue and organs function. As a result, we can be left with metabolic complications and tissue damage. It can even cause an early death.
Too much inflammation in our bodies due to a poor diet is a real risk to our bodies and how we age. It doesn’t just prevent us from fighting off the serious effects of Covid-19, but it is directly linked to other conditions too, such as Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, all linked with the getting older. The effects of these can manifest physically as we age with many signs revealed on the face.
What we should be eating
Here’s a list of the best top 10 anti-inflammatory foods that we need to be consuming more of:
- Walnuts
- Herbs and spices
- Whole grains
- Green teas and herbal teas
- Yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Fruits, in particular cherries, apples, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries.
- Oily fish
- Green vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, and kale
- Light or medium roasted coffee
What foods we should be avoiding or cutting down on
While it’s great to know what we should be eating, it’s just as important to know what we should be avoiding.
- Sugary foods and those with a high-fructose corn syrup content
- Artificial trans fats
- Vegetable and seed oils
- Refined carbohydrates
- Alcohol
- Processed meat
Preventable deaths
In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a report called, ‘Avoidable Mortality In The UK: 2019’.
It’s key finding was that 22.5% of all deaths were considered to be avoidable. This equates to a staggering 131,146 deaths out of 604,707.
The Lancet Public Health published a report, ‘The cost of preventable disease in the USA’ in October 202 which echoed the findings from the ONS.
This study suggests that between 25% and 50% of deaths fell into the category of ‘preventative deaths’.
With such high numbers, it’s clear that awareness and education surrounding diet and our health is essential. However, it can also be argued that this information is already readily accessible, and that people are ignoring the guidance from our health experts.
A different approach to providing awareness
Are people deliberately ignoring the advice? Or is it because they don’t believe they will fall ill? This disassociation can be harmful in the long run.
It has been proven that when a person visualises their future self in our face age API they develop a deep sense of empathy and motivates them to change. So, what if we were to see ourselves in the future and see the lasting effects of Covid-19?
There’s still a lot that we need to learn about Long Covid but what we do know now is scary. It can last for weeks, sometimes months, it can make us exhausted, and it can make us continually out of breath. And we know that some days are better than others — there doesn’t seem to be a pattern and everyone has different experiences. Visualising ourself healthier or even 10 years younger can create a more positive mindset.
It’s highly likely that it would transform our mindset and be the trigger needed to completely alter our lifestyle. Surely, eating a healthier, tastier diet is better than being too ill and tired to work, play sport or look after our children or grandchildren.
Our aim here at Change My Face is to show the reality of our actions. What we do now, or don’t do, will impact on the way we look and the way we feel in later life. Our inner health is reflected in our face and our bodies — our health is visual.
The unique, interactive, cutting-edge technology that we use enables an individual to answer a few questions about themselves and to upload a selfie. In moments they will be face to face with the truthful facts. As soon as someone realises that they need to change, they are empowered to make it happen.
Contact us
To learn more about our interactive software and how you can link it to your future health campaigns head over to our homepage.
Originally published at https://changemyface.com on July 29, 2021.