How to Become “Harder to Kill”
We are getting flooded with information right now about what to do in the time of COVID-19. Much of it (rightly so) focused on reducing the potential spread of the coronavirus. You’ve heard it already but here it is again:
Wash your hands
Try to not touch your face
Avoid close contact with others
Practice social distancing and avoid large group
Sneeze into a tissue and throw it away
But what can we do to make us “Harder to Kill” (shout out to @thestephgaudreau for the phrase)?
Queue Regulators by Warren G and Nate Dogg (the rest of this post is better read with this playing in the background):
Today, we talk T-RegULATORS!! (if this doesn’t make sense, go back to 0:15 in the video above)
Regulatory T-cells in actual science terms:
These guys are specific immune cells that are responsible for immune homeostasis (balance), specifically in the face of chronic inflammation and infection. It has been shown that the induction of Treg cells in coronavirus infections protects against more serious forms of the disease (1)***. It seems as if Treg cells can lower the cytokine (cell inflammatory chemical) storm (2) that can occur in COVID-19, which in part, is responsible for the severity of the disease in most populations.
***This is not the same coronavirus strain that we have now, so it's an extrapolation, but I think a reasonable one.
So how can we become T-RegULATORS?
Sleep
It’s been shown that our Treg cells exhibit inhibitory activity linked to our circadian rhythm and that sleep deprivation disrupts this normal rhythm (3). We also know that sleep apnea can significantly decrease Treg cell presence, relative to severity. (4) For more on sleep support see our blog on Saving your Sleep or for sleep apnea testing, request an appointment here
T-regs cells aside there is increasing evidence that acute and chronic sleep deprivation has detrimental effects on our immune system and thus at a time like this should be a top priority for staying healthy. (5)
Become Harder to Kill = allow yourself to get 8 hours of sleep a night
Exercise
Currently, it's not the best idea to be going to highly dense exercise classes and busy gyms since there are a lot of surfaces and lots of people that could increase transmission of infection. But, that doesn’t mean you can stop exercising! Now more than ever it is important to support your Tregs with a regular exercise routine. Acute (during exercise) and chronic exercise (routine exercise during the week) exert anti-inflammatory effects on the body mediated by increased mobilization of Treg cells (6)
Become Harder to Kill = exercise at home! —And if that feels overwhelming, check out Instagram, Facebook, Youtube or my buddy Dave Paczkowski-at his website, or @iostrengthperformace-on Instagram, for virtual training sessions from an actual doctor of physical therapy.
Gut Health
Ground zero for becoming a T-reGULATOR should be emphasizing gut health. I often ask my patients “is your gut working for you or working against you?” This can relate to inflammation or infection, but what I find most interesting through the lens of T-reg cells is a set of compounds called Short Chain Fatty Acids.
There are three major short-chain fatty acids: Butyrate, Acetate, and Propionate. They are generally produced when the bacteria in your gut ferment soluble fiber (like from fruits and vegetables). They serve as incredibly important cell signaling molecules in our body participating in everything from T reg cell differentiation(7), weight regulation (8), blood sugar regulation (9), allergies(10), and even hunger (11). Emphasizing a diet high in fiber has been shown to increase levels of short-chain fatty acids.
Quick tip, fill ½ your plate with veggies as a start (no potatoes and corn don’t count)
Become Harder to Kill = Eat a rainbow of vegetables daily and focus on vegetables that grow above the ground.
Stress Hormone
This is a complicated topic because obviously, we can’t avoid stress entirely, nor would we want to. Living with low-stress hormone is miserable—ask anyone who suffers from Addison’s Disease. But on the flip side, having dysfunctionally high levels of cortisol is not fun either. Not only can it lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, sleep disorders, and other health problems, but excess stress hormone also reduces T-reg Cells (12)
Become Harder to Kill = Practice a stress management technique
Easier said than done, I know. I like guided meditation apps, my favorites right now are Waking up by Sam Harris (paid) and Insight Timer (free)
Ok, obviously this idea of T-regulatory cells is much more nuanced than I am letting on--of course it is! Our bodies are beautifully and frustratingly complex. But what this can show you is why these simple habits ( I said simple but not necessarily easy) are beneficial and affect our health in a broad and sweeping way. They can make us happier, more immunologically resilient, metabolically sound and energetic. Who doesn’t want that, especially these days?