Chasing Life

We're stuck with this novel coronavirus in our environment perhaps indefinitely. And there might be another, more deadly and contagious pathogen right behind it that's poised to dart around the world and stir yet another pandemic. But here's the good news: Pandemic proofing your life is easier than you think, and it's not about building a bunker or megadosing on supplements and waiting white-knuckled for the next booster shot. A remarkable suit of armor is already within you.   In the midst of a global pandemic, we've all changed. I joke that you've either become a chunk, monk, hunk or drunk. But seriously, what surprised me in my research into how we can prevent serious illness and death -- and prepare for the next globetrotting scourge -- is the key role diets play in our immune system and response to any infection, not just Covid.   So, how does your diet adversely affect immune function? Some of it is direct. Food can spark or, conversely, subdue levels of inflammation. Our daily sustenance also constantly serves and regulates your intestinal microbiome -- the gut's internal "friendly" germ factory that plays mightily into immunity.   I realize that changing your diet in an effort to optimize your health will take some time -- and it should. I kept a food journal a few years ago to figure out new foods I could add to my diet to diversify my microbiome. I learned that fermented foods like pickles are my secret weapon. I now regularly snack on them to boost my productivity and energy. Find something similar for you.   For too long, we have been lulled into the false belief that wealth can buy health. It is why we wait for the vaccine instead of more fully adopting simple strategies to best protect ourselves every day. In the wake of this pandemic, we will need to analyze how we nourish ourselves at a deeper level than we have ever done in the past. Think about it. The food you eat today can lay the groundwork for pandemic proofing your body in the future.   📕 My new book, “World War C: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic and How to Prepare for the Next One” is on sale today!