As of today (25 April 2020) a search for the terms \u201ccovid-19\u201d and \u201chumans\u201d in Pubmed gives you 1400 articles that have now been published on this topic. STAGGERING! (This same search done in mid-March returned 99 studies).<\/p>\n
On the 8th<\/sup> April 2020 the first meta-analysis was published asking the important question \u2013 \u201cDoes comorbidity increase the risk of patients with COVID-19?\u201d and the answer was: YES \u2013 having hypertension, diabetes, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and\/or heart disease<\/em><\/strong> increased the risk of a more severe outcome among all people diagnosed with COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Amongst these papers there is also a review of the literature. This paper set out to find and review the most current, accredited studies pertaining to the basic sciences of COVID-19. A statistical technique was used to find the most important characteristics pertaining to risk. The results reported the strongest hospitalisation risks were age >65 years, BMI >40 and having heart failure<\/em><\/strong> as a pre-existing condition.<\/p>\n
So now we know for sure that being overweight and having a metabolic illness increases your risk of both hospitalisation and death due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n
If you are feeling helpless and anxious in this regard, I want to point out that it doesn\u2019t have to be this way.<\/p>\n
Everything that is mentioned in these publications (except age), are things that are driven by diet and lifestyle\u2026 things that we have control over.<\/p>\n
You might be thinking, \u201cwell isn\u2019t it too late?\u201d My answer to that comes in the form of one of my most favourite sayings\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cQ: When is the best time to plant a tree? Answer = 20 years ago<\/em><\/p>\n
Q: When is the second best time to plant a tree? Answer = Right NOW!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
It is never too late to clean up your diet, to limit or decrease the amount of processed foods you are eating, to move and exercise more, to introduce a structured routine to your sleep, to get more fresh air and exposure to sunlight and less exposure to artificial light. I\u2019ll say it again\u2026 it is never too late<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
What we have right now is a real reason WHY. Taking action now has never been more important. It doesn\u2019t have to be complicated or involved but I\u2019d strongly encourage you to stop procrastinating and make some changes today.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how we can help\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n
Diet and Nutrition<\/strong>: Start with the greatest bang for your buck and by that I mean that you will see changes in your health and weight within a few weeks of making changes to your diet<\/p>\n
Exercise:<\/strong><\/p>\n
COVID-19 has brought with it an opportunity for everyone and anyone to get involved with regular exercise from the comfort of their own home.<\/p>\n
No more worries about feeling self-conscious at a gym or not being able to keep up with the guy\/girl next to you. Tune into our Eat Play Thrive Online<\/em><\/strong><\/a> community and join in on our daily (varied) exercise classes.<\/p>\n
Remember, there is no better time than right now to take action.<\/p>\n