Last week I died.
It was a sad time for my family. But they handled it well.
They said things like:
‘It’s just a cold, get a grip’
‘Stop being a baby’
People grieve in different ways.
But I bounced back. I heroically swallowed Lemsip. I forced Otrivine into my mighty nostrils.
I was reborn.
Illness is a pain in the arse. It comes and goes, often leaving a wake of ruined plans. And unfortunately, it’s absolutely rife at this time of year. Germs have been passed back and forth over the festive period. Then people go back to work and mix with a new group. Then… you restrict your calories, join a gym, train hard… resulting in a dip in immune function. It’s almost a perfect storm for an illness of some kind to take hold. Which is really annoying, when you’re doing a lot of things right. We all know that fit and healthy + good nutrition = stronger immune system. But don't underestimate the influence of pure, blind luck. Sometimes, you can do everything right and fall ill. You can do everything wrong and get away with it. Similar to a game of Blackjack. You can play with perfect strategy and get beat. Or you can fluke your way to a winning hand. Over a long enough timeframe though, you get found out. Over an extended period, you create your own luck. You don't know when you're going to be exposed to certain germs, bacteria, virus etc. All you can do is improve your chances. Things you can do to improve your luck: Immediate Luck Improver (Quick wins - Introduce Now)
Take a daily multivitamin This is a must for the majority of us. (Make sure it contains Vitamins A, B6, B9, B12, C, D, E)
Daily Omega 3 supplement (If you're not eating oily fish regularly)
Take a probiotic Doesn't need to be daily. Do this when you’re feeling a little fatigued or rundown. Fatigued and rundown is basically a 'welcome mat' for illness. (My ‘go-to’ is Yakult. Full of friendly bacteria which keeps the arsehole bacteria in check)*
Long-term Luck Improver
Keep tweaking that diet towards a healthier, balanced format. (Sufficient protein, plenty of colours in fruit and veg etc)
Regular exercise, it helps. Don’t let the whole ‘mixing with people’ spiel above put you off. Joining a gym, exercising with friends etc. The positives far outweigh the potential risks.
Like we said, you can do everything right and still get sick. But being that little bit healthier and nutritionally aware does help with the severity and occurrence of illness. Me? I’m sick maybe once per year. Is that due to being exceptionally lucky? Maybe. Is it because I do all the things outlined above? Probably. When I'm ill, do I milk it for all it's worth? Definitely.
*Probiotics, prebiotics and the microbiome is a really interesting subject. It’s something I’ll cover in more depth at a later date. The average person has around 30 trillion human cells… and 39 trillion bacteria. Basically, we’re 43% human and 57% bacteria. Crazy, interesting and gross in equal measure.