I hope you’re staying safe, but most of all, I hope you’re staying healthy.

If you’re running scared right now, I get it. After all, that’s the goal of our elected officials, the media and our health experts. They think if we’re afraid, then it’s easier for them to mindlessly lead us to do what they want.

I disagree. I think knowledge is our most powerful weapon.

Fear (False Evidence Appearing Real) will only motivate you until you wake up and realize that you’re being led down the wrong path.

Don’t get me wrong. Covid-19 IS a serious threat to our health and way of life.

And unfortunately, it isn’t going away anytime soon. So instead of dealing with Band-Aid measures, let’s talk about what’s going to put you in the best possible position to beat this thing should you get it.

Our elected officials call this pandemic a war against Covid-19. And all they want you to do is stay home. But I’m afraid that’s not good enough.

If this is indeed a war against a virus, then your body is the first line of defense. Which means, the health of your body IS the most important factor to consider.

Why is this the case?

Well, we know for a fact that people with pre-existing conditions such as COPD, heart disease, obesity, sepsis, diabetes, and other autoimmune disorders, are more likely to have severe complications after contracting the corona virus; and are also more likely to die.

There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part, the healthier you are the more likely you are to survive if you should contract the virus. And since scientists are still at least one to two years away from creating a suitable vaccine to eradicate the virus, if you’re to survive, you’re left with only two viable options.

The first is prevention. Take every precaution necessary and try not to contract the virus. Like the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Secondly, the numbers overwhelmingly show that healthier people do far better against the Covid-19 virus than those with severe pre-existing health conditions. So it isn’t enough just to take precautions and try not to contract the virus.

This is the time you should also be working on your health, especially if you’re already living with COPD, heart disease, obesity, sepsis, diabetes, or other autoimmune disorders.

Remember, small changes can quickly pay big health dividends. In fact, if you’re overweight, losing just five percent of your body weight can lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and decrease inflammation levels in the body.

Creating a healthier body now could make a significant difference in the severity of your symptoms and length of your recovery time should you contract the corona virus.

Eat, move, sleep, live

Good health is not an accident. It depends on what you eat, how much you move, the quality of your sleep, and finding ways to successfully deal with stress, while building meaningful relationships…how you live!

Now I realize it’s hard to build and maintain meaningful relationships when we’re isolated at home. Fortunately, however, we have the technology to help us stay in touch, and maintain some of those important human bonds that are necessary to build up our immune function. That’s right, our human bonds affect our immune system.

Unfortunately, at times like these, the people who are the most vulnerable, the elderly, are also the ones who often feel isolated and alone. This is not good. So try your best to reach out to your older family members, neighbors and friends. Now more than ever, they need to hear from you.

Prevent the covid-19 pounds

Carrying a lot of excess weight can make the Covid-19 Virus even more dangerous and deadly. You may not realize this but excess weight often leads to a condition call metabolic syndrome, which increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease, and also increases your chances of becoming severely ill from Covid-19.

So if you’re carrying a lot of excess weight, especially around your mid-section, you may want to start doing something about it. Other conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels are contributing factors that may also increase your risk of severe Covid-19 complications.

In short, metabolic syndrome suppresses the immune system and increases your risk of infections and pneumonia. This is a bad combination in the middle of a corona virus pandemic.

I’m not telling you all this to scare you.

I’m simply reminding you what I’ve been teaching people for over two decades. That is, the healthier you are the more resilient your body will be to disease, infections and the various types of corona viruses that seem to be evolving over the years.

What should you be eating and doing?

Every morning before breakfast I take my three daughters on a three-mile run. We’ve made this a daily ritual since most of their days are now spent sitting in front of the computer.

If you can’t run, take a long walk or bike ride around the neighborhood. Whatever you do, it is vitally important that you get out of the house and enjoy the health-giving benefits of being outdoors.

So what should you be eating?

Eat food! Mostly plants!

There are a lot of weight loss diets out there, but plant-based nutrition has been shown over and over again to reverse disease, increase the body’s immune function, and reduce inflammation.

Metabolic inflammation not only compromises your immune system, it reduces the body’s ability to tackle infections, impairs the healing process and prolongs recovery.

And we know that Covid-19 greatly elevates the levels of several inflammatory proteins in the body. Fortunately for us, plant-based foods contain antioxidants, polyphenols and other anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce inflammation, metabolic syndrome and all other risk factors for disease.

In short, fruits and vegetable are your first line of defense against Covid-19 and all other viruses and diseases.

Let’s be clear. I’m not saying that fruits and vegetables are going to prevent you from getting Covid-19 or any other virus or disease. That’s not what I’m saying.

What I am saying is that a healthier, fit body leads to less inflammation, a more robust immune response if you get infected, and a shortened recovery time.

Having said all that, you may want to rethink your daily binging habits in front of the television. Instead of the process carbs, why not try some fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, nut butter and other whole foods options.

For more ideas check out some of my previous videos on simple ways to put more fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Lastly, I would highly recommend a whole food supplement to bridge the cap between what you actually eat and what your body really needs.

I use Juiceplus fruits, vegetable and berries capsules for one simple reason, research. They’ve been proven to improve the body’s immune function. And that’s exactly what we need to be thinking about right now.

Remember, covid-19 will be with us for a while. So the best thing you can do to improve your chances of beating it should you get it, is to

• Eat more plant-based whole foods.
• Move your body daily and get 7-8 hours of restful Sleep each night.
• Find a way to successfully deal with all the added stress of these uncertain times.
• And lastly, make time to nurture your relationships. They’re more important than ever (Live).

Simple Strategies for Making Quick Healthy Meals in Minutes

Are you challenged by your busy schedule to find the time to plan and make your meals? Do you find yourself eating out more than you would like? Are you frustrated with the pace of your progress but unable to maintain a consistent eating plan? If this sounds like you, you’re not alone.

Over fifteen years ago, I decided to pursue a PhD in Nutritional Sciences because as a personal trainer, the number one challenge my clients were facing was making the time to plan and make healthy meals. Unfortunately, this is still the case today.

Over the years I have worked with clients who had never turned on the stove in their kitchens. Some didn’t even know that they had an oven in their kitchens. Today, however, these same clients are cooking most of their own meals. What’s the secret to their success and to yours? They followed my simple strategies for making quick meals in less than ten minutes.

Let’s face it, you won’t get healthy, look the way you want or perform at an optimal level, unless you are in control of what you’re eating. Unfortunately, it is not possible to be in control of what you eat unless you make your own meals.

Here are my simple strategies for taking charge of your meal plan and building a healthy, fit, high performance body.

1. Stock up

Obviously, before you can make quick healthy meals you have to stock your freezer, refrigerator and pantry with certain necessities. In the freezer, stock up on frozen vegetables, berries, wild-caught salmon, organic chicken, grass-fed steak, turkey and some of your other favorite protein sources. Try and keep the ratio of your meals to about 90/10. Ninety percent plant-based and no more than ten percent from animal proteins. If your goal is to reverse disease, however, your diet should be 100% plant based.

Stock your refrigerator with fresh vegetables. You can find most vegetables pre-chopped and pre-washed in most large supermarkets. How easy is that?

Stock your pantry with cans of tuna, salmon, sardines, beans, whole grain/rice/bean pasta, tomato paste and sauce, as well as other items you like to eat.

If all this seems daunting, there is a weekly shopping list in my cookbook, Dr. Del’s Rapid Fatloss Cookbook. Just take it to the market with you and buy everything on the list for your freezer, refrigerator and pantry.

2. Plan your week

To be successful, you must have a designated day as your planning and shopping day. It takes me no more than a couple hours on a Sunday to shop for all the things I need for the week. And I’m usually out shopping with my three young daughters. What’s your excuse?

Every Sunday, I shop and make enough food to last at least three days. I usually cook a pot of rice, some sweet potatoes, a large pot of soup or bean chili, and a couple different protein sources (organic chicken, turkey, tofu or fish–since I eat mostly plant-based, I typically use about three ounces of these most as food flavoring for the kids). Guess what? By Wednesday, I still have plenty of food to make my famous leftover stir-fry. Whatever you’re tired of eating, toss it into a stir-fry and it becomes a brand new delicious meal. By the way, did I mention that I’m cooking for a family of five?

3. Buy pre-chopped and pre-cooked

Save yourself time by buying your vegetables pre-chopped. You can find everything from greens, onions, garlic, peppers and most other vegetables already chopped and washed for you. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive, but that’s the price you pay for convenience.

You can also save yourself time by buying some items pre-cooked from your local market. For example, Whole Foods, Bristol Farms and other markets have huge food courts with many healthy selections. Pick up some protein and make everything else yourself.

4. giant salad

Make one of your main meals a giant salad with at least 4-6 different vegetables, a cup of beans, and a home-made dressing. Check out my Youtube channel (youtube.com/drdelmillers) for ideas.

5. Make your meals a top priority

Remember, you will never get healthy, look the way you want or perform at your optimal best unless you make your meals a top priority. If what you eat is always an after-thought, then you will always struggle with your weight, health, fitness, energy level, focus, concentration and performance (at work, play and in the bedroom).

So take a couple hours out of your week to plan your meals. Not only is this good for your health, fitness, and performance, but over time, you will also be increasing your earning potential. That’s right. We’ll talk more about that another time.

6. 10-Minute Meals & Dr. Del’s Rapid Fatloss Cookbook

Next time, we’ll talk about what to do if you’re always on the road.