{"id":1615,"date":"2021-04-14T04:05:41","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T04:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/13-tips-on-friday-the-13th\/"},"modified":"2021-04-14T04:05:41","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T04:05:41","slug":"13-tips-on-friday-the-13th","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/13-tips-on-friday-the-13th\/","title":{"rendered":"13 Tips on Friday the 13th"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Let\u2019s address the elephant in the room\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Covid-19 is now in Chester County\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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There are people who are freaking out and buying up ALL the toilet paper and there are others who show no concern at all. Most of us are going to fall in the middle, you\u2019re not freaking out but you\u2019re worried (maybe not for being infected yourself, but for infecting others).<\/p><\/div>\n

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One reason this virus is so scary is that it\u2019s new and the best thing we can do is to wash our hands. It kinda feels like you can\u2019t do much about it.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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But there are a few steps you can take to \u201cboost\u201d your immune system just in case you do become infected with it (or the flu or common cold which are also rampant right now)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Normally, I\u2019d give detailed information on how the immune system works here, but since most people are in information overload between the news and the markets, I get it if you don\u2019t want to read it.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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But to sum up for those that don\u2019t know you have two systems: Innate immunity and adaptive. There is a brief description of both below, if you want to skip to the tip, go to the italic text.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Innate immunity is your \u201cnatural immunity\u201d and are white blood cells, like NK cells, your chemical barriers (like stomach acid), and physical barriers like the mucous lining in your nose. Think of this like a general system, it\u2019s there all the time to deal with the day-to-day but when something big comes along (Covid-19, the flu, the common cold) it\u2019s not equipped to deal with the problem, but can kinda \u201chold back the flood gates\u201d until the adaptive immunity kicks in.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Adaptive immunity is a specialized immunity. When your body learns that something isn\u2019t supposed to be there, it releases specialized cells to deal with the problem. These cells \u201cremember\u201d pathogens so when chicken pox virus enters your system, it is already seen as a threat and taken care of ASAP. Vaccines work by creating an adaptive immune response to these pathogens. This is why vaccines work or after you get a disease and recover, you\u2019re \u201cimmune\u201d to it in the future.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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If you experience any signs or symptoms of Covid-19 or the flu, you should seek medical attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Here are 13 tips for staying healthy<\/p><\/div>\n

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1) Don\u2019t stop exercising\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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If you don\u2019t want to come to the gym, we get it! But don\u2019t stop exercising. Light to moderate activity boosts the immune system. Chronic resistance training (lifting weights) seems to improve your innate immune system while chronic moderate exercise (running, biking, yoga, etc) seems to improve your adaptive immune system. If you don\u2019t want to go to the gym, workout at home a few days a week to stay healthy.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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2) Don\u2019t Overdo it<\/p><\/div>\n

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Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. There is a J-curve to exercise. Moderate exercise three times per week seems to be the perfect amount, the immune system is stronger than those of sedentary people but if you push to four days of vigorous activity, all the sudden the immune system starts to weaken.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Now isn\u2019t the time to try and break PRs (personal records). Chronic vigorous exercise (four times a week or more) is shown to decrease immune function. Working out for more than an hour is also shown to decrease immune function.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Your goal is to do three days a week of moderate exercise between 15-60 minutes, and the other days of the week can be light exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, biking, yoga, etc).<\/p><\/div>\n

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3) Prebiotics<\/p><\/div>\n

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These are food sources (usually fiber) for the microbes in your gut. A large portion of your immune system is found in your gut, while this won\u2019t keep you from getting sick, keeping your gut healthy can help improve your overall health.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Foods that contain prebiotic fibers include: asparagus, garlic, leeks, onions, sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes), beans, oats, quinoa, barley, rye, wheat, potatoes, yams, apples, bananas, citrus, berries, kiwi, flax seeds, and chia seeds.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This isn\u2019t an all encompassing list, but these are fairly common foods with high amounts of prebiotic fiber. Now, if you don\u2019t eat a lot of these foods, don\u2019t go eating a whole bunch of them. We all know the jokes about beans, and while they\u2019re funny, you could potentially cause an overgrowth in your digestive system if you decided to go from zero to four cups a day. Start small (\u00bc-\u00bd cup a day) if you don\u2019t normally eat these foods.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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4) Probiotics\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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There is debate if the bacteria in these foods can survive and get into your intestines, but it appears some can. Eating probiotic foods a few times a week can help keep you healthy by potentially restoring balance to your gut flora.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Now, even if the bacteria don\u2019t survive, they create what are called postbiotics in the food you are eating. One example is vitamin K in sauerkraut. The bacteria eat the sugars in the food and create vitamins and health-promoting organic acids.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Probiotic foods include: sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented pickles, yogurt, fermented sour cream, creme fraiche, and kombucha. There are many other probiotic rich foods, these are just ones you can find fairly easily without needing to make them yourself. Please check labels to make sure the probiotics are still alive in these foods, regular sour cream doesn\u2019t contain any live bacteria as an example.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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5) Avoid Nutrient Deficiencies\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Your diet should be full of nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, eggs, poultry, nuts and seeds. If you don\u2019t get enough micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) then your body can\u2019t function at 100%.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Not getting enough nutrients and then putting your body in a demanding situation (like getting sick or even training hard five days a week) is like trying to get a car to go 60mph in second gear. You might be able to do it, but it\u2019s going to be tough on most engines a and cause wear and tear and some cars won\u2019t be able to do it at all.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Eat mostly whole unprocessed foods, limit the processed stuff as much as possible.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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6) Vitamin A<\/p><\/div>\n

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Most people know vitamin C is important for the immune system, but so is vitamin A. Now, don\u2019t go and eat a bunch of carrots here, I\u2019m talking about getting retinol into your diet. You see, there are two forms of vitamin A: plant based and animal based.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Plant based vitamin A (like beta-carotene) is okay for some, but 50% of the population has a mutation in their BCO1 gete that converts plant based vitamin A into the usable animal vitamin A known as retinol.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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My personal BCO1 gene mutations are really bad and I have around a 75% reduction in conversion of carotene to retinol.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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So foods that contain retinol are: liver, eggs, full-fat dairy, fish, shrimp, cod liver oil, and most meat contains a little bit. Now, you can get toxicity from retinol, but the only way to do this through diet is eating too much liver for most people. Limit it to around 3-4 oz per week.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Vegans and vegetarians, if you don\u2019t eat any of the above foods, plant sources of vitamin A need to be eaten with fat for absorption. Eating a raw carrot by itself won\u2019t allow for vitamin A to be absorbed. Studies show best absorption was when eaten with roughly 28 grams of fat in the meal.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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7) Don\u2019t Crash Diet<\/p><\/div>\n

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It\u2019s estimated that the average person would need to eat roughly 2500 calories a day to meet all the vitamin and mineral needs due to soil depletion now. On top of that, the immune system takes a lot of energy to function at 100%, so if you decide to stay home, don\u2019t cut your calories down to 1000 a day.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Also, don\u2019t overeat because that also has a negative effect on the immune system.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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8) Sleep<\/p><\/div>\n

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Lack of sleep decreases your immune function. Yes, you might be a tough guy and say \u201cI\u2019ll sleep when I\u2019m dead,\u201d but your immune system doesn\u2019t work that way.<\/p><\/div>\n

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There is no exception to this rule. Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night, 6 at the very least if you can nap during the day (but it\u2019s best to shoot for 8 hours).\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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9) Limit Stress<\/p><\/div>\n

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Easier said than done, but chronic stress levels will depress your immune system. Most people stress out about things they have no control over and lose sight of the things they can control (like the stuff in this email). Limit the excess stress to keep the immune system strong.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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10) Limit the Booze<\/p><\/div>\n

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Getting drunk not only decreases immune function, it also depletes the body of micronutrients so when you do sober up, you don\u2019t have the building blocks to get the immune system functioning 100% until you replace them.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Limit it to no more than two drinks if you\u2019re worried about getting sick.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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11) Collagen<\/p><\/div>\n

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Most people don\u2019t get enough collagen in their diets. Everything is boneless and skinless and that\u2019s where most of the connective tissue is at which contains collagen (and other good stuff). Collagen isn\u2019t just important for your skin and joints, it also helps heal your gut lining which, like I posted about above, can help with your immune health.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Supplements are great, but it\u2019s easy to get it from whole foods. Buying a whole chicken and roasting it or making a soup in a slow cooker or instant pot with the whole bird are great ways to get more collagen in your diet without much effort. Bone broth is another way.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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12) Coconut Oil<\/p><\/div>\n

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Unrefined coconut oil has antiviral properties for viruses enveloped in a lipid layer. Now, before you cover yourself in coconut oil, it works for other viruses with similar structures but it is not confirmed on Covid-19. So the best I can give you is that it might kill the virus. If you have coconut oil in the house and are worried about infection, start cooking with it once or twice a day.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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13) Immune Boosting Supplements<\/p><\/div>\n

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There are some supplements that you can take, but this one is last because you need to follow the above steps for this one to work. A crappy diet, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, or over exercising won\u2019t help your immune system.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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A general multivitamin is a great start so you don\u2019t miss out on any micronutrients (Seeking Health is a great supplement company).<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u00a0Cod liver oil is a great supplement for vitamin A, D, and your omega-3s (Green Pasture is a great company with both liquid and pill forms).<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u00a0Adaptogens like rhodiola, ginseng, chaga, reishie, or many other plants out there may help improve immune function with chronic usage.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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Vitamin C is a big maybe, the RDA is the level for not getting scurvy, but probably not optimal amounts. It can be safe to assume that optimal amounts might be in the range of 500mg to 1,000mg per day. One orange has 70mg of vitamin C, one cup of brussels or broccoli have about 50mg, and red and yellow bell peppers are a great source at around 250mg per cooked cup. So, it can be tough to reach the optimal levels, so you might want to supplement.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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So to wrap up, if you want to get your body ready for a possible infection you need to:<\/p><\/div>\n

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    Eat mostly whole unprocessed foods<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Get enough sleep<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Stay active, but don\u2019t go overboard either<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Wash your hands<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n

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    The 13 points I wrote above are important, but if you can\u2019t remember all of them, follow the ones I listed here. And as another reminder, if you do experience any of the symptoms of the coronavirus please<\/p>\n

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    follow the CDC guidelines<\/p>\n

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    for getting medical treatment.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n

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    Please note, as we learn more about the virus, these recommendations could be changed. Remember, the staff at Gage Strength Training are not medical professionals, this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult your physician before making any changes or if you feel sick.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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    \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Let\u2019s address the elephant in the room\u00a0 Covid-19 is now in Chester County\u00a0\u00a0 There are people who are freaking out and buying up ALL the toilet paper and there are others who show no concern at all. Most of us are going to fall in the middle, you\u2019re not freaking out but you\u2019re worried (maybe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_wp_attached_file":null,"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":null,"_wp_attachment_metadata":null,"_elementor_code":null,"_elementor_location":null,"_elementor_priority":null,"import_errors":null,"import_feed_limit":null,"import_info":null,"import_post_content":null,"import_post_status":null,"import_post_title":null,"import_post_type":null,"imported_items_count":null,"imported_items_hash":null,"last_run":null,"last_run_id":null,"source":null,"_menu_item_classes":null,"_menu_item_menu_item_parent":null,"_menu_item_object":null,"_menu_item_object_id":null,"_menu_item_target":null,"_menu_item_type":null,"_menu_item_url":null,"_menu_item_xfn":null,"_wp_old_date":null,"_has_fluentform":null,"_encloseme":null,"_oembed_0adae7e862bca11131c6787f8be710b3":null,"_oembed_1ac191dbaa745b6d2afe1f9df8974842":null,"_oembed_22bf6e6fc6bbe1cb9b3f46587b2d284e":null,"_oembed_400e0583f10c9af064d1d27d296af1ac":null,"_oembed_67135f6a2a81f6972572b7b9daf5de41":null,"_oembed_af23f4638c415d32b8ddb54cdfc7eb43":null,"_oembed_c91bb95746f43b53cfc236318dcde2f3":null,"_oembed_ed5df8101219fab1e558a75871d8bcf8":null,"_oembed_fbe77649558e75c65ee10fe60e8e9b36":null,"_oembed_time_0adae7e862bca11131c6787f8be710b3":null,"_oembed_time_1ac191dbaa745b6d2afe1f9df8974842":null,"_oembed_time_22bf6e6fc6bbe1cb9b3f46587b2d284e":null,"_oembed_time_400e0583f10c9af064d1d27d296af1ac":null,"_oembed_time_67135f6a2a81f6972572b7b9daf5de41":null,"_oembed_time_af23f4638c415d32b8ddb54cdfc7eb43":null,"_oembed_time_c91bb95746f43b53cfc236318dcde2f3":null,"_oembed_time_ed5df8101219fab1e558a75871d8bcf8":null,"_pingme":null,"_wp_old_slug":null,"feedzy":"1","feedzy_item_author":"devin@gagestrengthtraining.com","feedzy_item_url":"http:\/\/www.gagestrengthtraining.com\/13-tips-on-friday-the-13th","feedzy_job":"1510","feedzy_job_time":"1618373138","_elementor_screenshot":null,"wprss_feed_image":null,"wprss_feed_is_updating":null,"wprss_last_update":null,"wprss_last_update_items":null,"wprss_limit":null,"wprss_site_url":null,"wprss_url":null,"wprss_best_image":null,"wprss_feed_id":null,"wprss_images":null,"wprss_item_author":null,"wprss_item_author_email":null,"wprss_item_author_link":null,"wprss_item_date":null,"wprss_item_enclosure":null,"wprss_item_enclosure_type":null,"wprss_item_permalink":null,"wprss_item_source_name":null,"wprss_item_source_url":null,"wprss_template_type":null,"_edit_last":null,"_edit_lock":null,"_wp_trash_meta_status":null,"_wp_trash_meta_time":null,"_elementor_conditions":null,"_elementor_controls_usage":null,"_elementor_css":null,"_elementor_data":null,"_elementor_edit_mode":null,"_elementor_global_widget_included_posts":null,"_elementor_page_settings":null,"_elementor_pro_version":null,"_elementor_screenshot_failed":null,"_elementor_template_type":null,"_elementor_template_widget_type":null,"_elementor_version":null,"_wp_page_template":null,"_wp_desired_post_slug":null,"rank_math_analytic_object_id":"41","rank_math_internal_links_processed":"1","rank_math_seo_score":null,"_thumbnail_id":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1615"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1615\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gagestrengthtraining.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}