Every day I am faced with the choice of fear. After being diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2014, the doctor said to me: “Are you aware you can die from this?” and “You will live like this the rest of your life.” At that moment, I knew I had two options: I could either succumb to the diagnosis of my potentially deadly and dismal future, or, I could learn to live in harmony with the disease, taking better care of my body and ultimately regaining control of my life.

I chose the latter of the two.

I started with healing my gut. Nearly the entire immune system resides in the gut and there is no better way to battle any illness then focusing on strengthening the immune system.

While I realize Coronavirus is not Lyme disease, there are many similarities between the two that can invoke a sense of panic and fear, like the circulating misinformation, potential mortality, and unsettling feeling of the unknown.

However, through my experience I’ve learned that perhaps it less about the actual illness itself. It is about choices. This helps me maintain optimal health in order to regain my sanity, remain calm, and proceed optimistically.

This is certainly not to undermine the current health situation but to help raise awareness that we have control of our health. By actively supporting the body’s innate ability to heal and remain healthy, we can reduce the severity of illness. Ultimately this shift in perspective transforms fear into trust, knowing that you are making healthy choices when it comes to diet and lifestyle that support your immune system which helps to maintain faith in your health and body rather than fear and worry.

Furthermore, gut health is not just a diet, it is a lifestyle, as stress is more damaging on the gut thank junk food. We are not only what we eat, but also what we think. Staying in a place of fear is a form of stress which weakens the immune system. Rather than remain fearful about the current situation and future, take actionable steps towards staying healthy which helps transform fear into trust that you are prepared.

When fear and self-doubt arises, it can be helpful to run through a mental checklist of a personal self-care routine, verifying whether you have been eating nourishing foods, getting adequate sleep, and managing stress levels. If you have maintained a healthy lifestyle and checked all the boxes, then continue along in your day releasing fears and worries, trusting that your immune system is strong, and your body is healthy.

If you answered no to your mental checklist, take a moment to recall your schedule over the past few weeks or even months. Perhaps you have been traveling, altering diet and sleeping patterns, or maybe there has been a recent increase in stress levels. Identify where you may have strayed from your routine and make a conscious effort to begin re-implementing measures that help restore optimal health.

By shifting the awareness towards measures that support your health, you can release fears and worries and realize you are in control, trusting that if you take appropriate actions to support your body, then it will support you.

Unfortunately, the current toxic combination of processed foods and sugar combined with increased stress levels have left us unprepared and vulnerable during this current health crisis.

We are burning both ends of the candles, continuing with heightened stress loads and consuming a diet severely lacking in nutrients. Both contribute towards a compromised gut, ultimately weakening the immune system. While gut health may not necessarily be a “cure all” approach, it certainly is the foundation for our health.

We need to embrace this time as an opportunity to make a lifestyle change and take better care of ourselves, starting with focusing on gut health. Instead of fearing the Coronavirus, or rather any illness, making small changes in diet and lifestyle can have a tremendous impact on not only your health but mental state as well. While it’s important to wash your hands and take necessary precautions, it is equally as important to improve your diet and lifestyle.

Below are a few ways to help support the gut to ensure you are keeping your immune system strong:

Avoid or limit processed foods and sugar

These foods feed the bad bugs in the gut. Generally, when there is an overgrowth of pathogens, especially Candida, a pathogenic fungi, it starts communicating with your brain on what it wants to eat. This can sometimes be a reason for severe and constant cravings for bread, pasta, and sugar. Keep in mind the gut bacteria change rapidly, so it can handle moderation. Let’s be honest, times are tough right now and sometimes ice cream is the only thing that soothes the soul. The point is just to be mindful and make sure that the majority part of the foods consumed are less processed and whole food based.

Eat plenty of high fiber foods like fresh fruits and vegetables

Fiber feeds the beneficial organisms in the gut. If the good bacteria don’t have enough food to eat, they either die (resulting in an increase in pathogenic organisms) or start eating the gut lining which can lead to leaky gut. Plus, these foods are high in countless vitamins and nutrients that help support a strong immune system.

Consume more resistant starches, a great source of fiber

Our diets are typically lacking in fiber, a main component of optimal gut health. Resistant starches are another great food source for the microbiome because they break down in the large intestine by becoming food for the beneficial bacteria.

Resistant starches are foods like potatoes, good quality grains like quinoa, wild rice, and legumes. These can be hard to digest for many individuals, mainly because they lack enough good bugs in the gut to digest. To remedy this, I recommend supplementing with a probiotic or just work to slowly start increasing the amount of fiber and resistant starches in your diet, the gut ultimately adapts. You can also start by cooking these foods very well before consuming, so perhaps incorporating in a soup, this way it is much easier to digest.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

I love making large resistant starch salads for meal prepping like my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad and then having them handy throughout the week. They are also super versatile with ingredients so if you’re out of fresh veggies, you can sub frozen or various dried fruits and nuts in the recipe. My Zesty Quinoa Salad is not only great as a side but also delicious in stuffed chicken breasts or pork chops then baked for another variation.

Incorporate fermented foods

Ferments like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kombucha to name a few are helpful in repopulating the gut with beneficial bacteria. Think of it as a food-as-medicine approach to a probiotic. I love using them in various recipes like slaws and salads, like my Fennel Apple Kraut Slaw, that way you’re consuming a little fermented food with your meal which can also aid in digestion. You can also mix them in various salads like my Kimchi Fried Rice for a fun and healthier variation of traditional fried rice.

Try incorporating bone broth or veggie broth

I am a huge fan of bone broth because it is full of nutrients like collagen and L-glutamine (an amino acid or basically the building blocks of protein) that are helpful in healing the gut lining. It is also full of countless minerals that help support the body’s detoxification pathways and supports optimal hydration. Not to mention I believe it is incredibly soothing to sip on which can be helpful during these times of stress. I tell people it’s like a hug from the inside out! Check out my Chicken Bone Broth recipe for a simple and delicious broth. You can also get the same healing benefits from making a nourishing Veggie Broth, including lots of nutrient dense veggies that can offer similar healing benefits.