“Sweet dreams are made of cheese. Who am I to dis-a-brie. I cheddar the world and the feta cheese. Everybody’s looking for stilton.” ~Credited to “who-the-heck-knows” on the internet, but we thank the Eurythmics for the inspiration.
Swiss Cheese Pandemic Plan
What’s with the cheese quote in a music blog about healthy musicianship? Simple! A healthy immune system can be achieved with many layers of Swiss cheese. Still not making any sense? Throughout the pandemic – and pretty much every September if you’re a teacher – people have been looking for ways to shield from germs and boost their immunity. No single strategy can keep viruses from passing through to you because nothing is without its holes in the system, but many holey layers are better than one. With redundancy comes a decreased likelihood of viruses breaking through. Here is a list of things you can try to thicken that Swiss cheese sandwich of viral defense. If you’re nerdy like me and want to read the research then click on the links for more articles, but if you just want to breeze on through, know that I have the science stuff covered!
Sleep
A good day starts with a good night. When we sleep, the body heals damaged tissues and performs a series of fancy little functions all designed to enhance your ability to fight off germs.
It’s recommended that adults sleep 7-9 hours per night. Anything less leaves you susceptible to a whole host of health issues including viral infections. Sleep deprivation may even mean that your body won’t produce as many antibodies after vaccination.
Nutrition and Supplements
How many times have you heard it said to eat a rainbow? It’s no lie and not just for leprechauns. A diet filled with a variety of nutritious and colorful foods is nature’s pharmacy at work. Plus, it’s magically delicious. But in case you have a hard time getting all you need, see about supplementation. Most people are low on vitamin D, and yet it is one helpful super hero against viral infections. Vitamin C may be a great side kick at diminishing the severity and length of respiratory viral infections, too.
Contrast Baths
Don’t ya just love a hot bath? How about a cold one? What if I told you contrast baths enhanced your immune system? If you’re already showering, just multitask and use that shower to turn up the heat (and then turn it down again) on your immune system. Or find yourself a bucket challenge. It will be good for the body and the soul.
Exercise
Start playing the theme song to “Rocky” because your immune system is about to become a world class fighting machine! Every time you do something as simple as taking a vigorous walk most days of the week for just 20 to 30 minutes, you are “getting strong now!”
Stress
It’s not voodoo anymore. Stress has been shown to weaken your immune system. This is ironic since a pandemic is a really stressful thing to go through. The trick is to find little ways to relax like…oh, I don’t know…go for a walk then take a bath while sipping a nutritious smoothie supplemented with vitamin C and D followed by a nap or early bedtime!
You know what else enhances your immune system? A dance break! Check out my favorite brass band – and soon to be yours – playing, “Sweet Dreams are Made of This” by the Eurythmics. Click on their summer concert video and fast forward to 1:56:20.
I’m hungry…I think I’ll go make myself a Swiss cheese sandwich!
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Have any comments or questions about healthy musicianship? Contact me at epbstudio.88@gmail.com.