Food, Stress, and a Viral Virus

It is virtually impossible to be unaffected in a negative way from the current pandemic. This is true even if you are not among those who are actually dealing with fighting the COVID-19 infection, or have family or friends who are doing the same. There is a tremendous amount of stress being delivered to everyone. Simply turn on the news and we are subject to the difficulties both abroad and at home. From financial implications to finding toilet paper, the current pandemic is delivering stressors on every conceivable front.

This constant barrage, as health professionals and researchers are well aware, takes its own toll on our immune system. Simply being subject to such adversity can cause us to react in potentially negative ways. Given the huge disruption to our already overloaded lives, there is every temptation to engage in potentially self-destructive choices.

We might find ourselves depressed. Both stress and depression have been shown to negatively impact our immune system. This is exactly the opposite condition that we want when we are trying to ward off an infection. Such a mental and emotional state has also been shown to often lead to unwise food choices. There is an easy temptation, alone in the gloom and doom, to simply sit on the couch and engage in fast food delivery, microwave meals, or at the very least seek out Ben and Jerry for a pint of company.

It is not without a bit of irony that much of the knowledge between what we choose to eat and its effects on our immune system were first recognized in the context of bacterial and viral infections. In other words, consumption of certain foods—for example, many of the ultra-processed foods commonly consumed in the modern Western diet produce reactions from the body similar to what happens when we are exposed to pathogenic bacteria and viruses.

Being aware of the potential downsides in choosing unwisely when it comes to what we eat and our attitude towards the stress thrust upon us provides the opportunity for us to empower ourselves by making bold decisions. The silver lining of the current situation so many of us confront is that we have been given a rare opportunity to make some lifestyle choices that could have continuing benefits decades from now when so much of this is hopefully a distant memory.

For starters, let’s look at three simple things we can do.

1. Pick Our Plate. The ultra-processed foods that constitute the bulk of the modern Western diet are associated with the development of a pro-inflammatory condition within our bodies. Why not use this opportunity to really pay attention to what we put on our plates? Eating wholesome, real, and authentic foods may be a shock to your taste buds if you been used to grabbing pre-prepared snacks at work, hitting the fast food between endless meetings, or popping a tray into the microwave after an exhausting day of carting the kiddies from activity to activity. Use this time to be a little more cognizant of what we choose to eat. In culinary medicine, we refer to this as the Art of Source-ry. Before you put it in your shopping cart, in your kitchen, and in your mouth ask yourself these three questions.

• How was it bred? (For example, is it a piece of wild-caught Alaskan salmon or a processed fish stick?)

The above is putting into practice what we preach. Here is a meal crafted on the road for St. Patrick's Day in a hotel room with one pot, one pan, and a convection plate (for details, see the series of posts on "Tales of The One Pot Doc"). If you're cooking at home, it is a great time to source things like proper meats and fresh seafood for home delivery on the internet.

This dish utilized local, organic lamb loin chops (loaded with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, which are virtually non-existent in an industrial, conventional product), pan-roasted and coated with a Dijon mustard and herb crust. The organic spinach and arugula were combined with pan-roasted fennel and leeks and brought together with a simple cream sauce (organic milk products like organic cream are rich in powerful anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids). The meal was completed with the addition of some smashed heirloom fingerling potatoes topped with a bit of garlic butter (organic milk products for an omega-3 boost!) kicked up with rosemary and thyme (herbs add powerful bioactives and immune boosters in addition to delicious flavors and textures).

• What was it fed? (For example, was it grown organically or imported from another country where food production regulations may be much more lax?)

• Where was it led? (For example, was it extensively processed like a box of instant potatoes or is it organic, like a good old-fashioned organic baked potato?)

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2. How We Eat. If we are going to spend time and money being particular about our ingredients (because it matters), shouldn’t we be particular about how they are prepared and how we eat them? This can be a great time to learn (or relearn) some basic culinary skills. Even better, if your kids are at home why not share the experience? Despite the increasing popularity on the Internet and in social circles for all things food-related, actual culinary skills are on the decline. There is an industrial trend away from meals that promote sitting together using knives and forks in favor of quickly accessed handheld goodies that we can pop right in our gob.

This leads back to another aspect of culinary medicine. How we eat our food can lead to huge and disparate metabolic and physiologic effects. Consuming a meal multitasking on the phone, answering texts, and replying to emails all before that last afternoon appointment can negatively impact the healthiest ingredients. That is especially true when compared to consuming that exact same meal on a slow train of enjoyment with an attitude of gratitude. Mindfulness not only matters; it can pay big dividends.

3. Move It, Move It. This last bit of advice is not culinary medicine per se, but a bit of a natural carryover from our previous exercise. When stress, depression, and negativity pummel us from all sides, retreating into the fetal position is an understandable reaction. However, preparing our ingredients (generally known as prep work in culinary circles) requires that we move, engage our focus, and complete the task. A type of mindfulness. Exercise, even mild exercise like walking, has long been shown to have positive overall physiologic effects as well as positive effects on our immune system. So even if the gym is closed, you can’t go out, and you’re not a personal trainer with your own indoor gym; there are still things that you can do by staying active and moving about. Some simple stretching and gentle yoga can provide stress reduction and immune system benefit. Many ancient yogic practices often contained dietary recommendations—even things as simple as to chew each bite of food a prescribed number of times to experience the taste and texture. Slowing down the pace of consumption also allows the stomach to notify the brain that we're getting full, something that often takes around 20 minutes once we start to eat. It is akin to the practice of Hara hachi bun me, or only eating until you are 80% full. Hara hachi bun me is widely practiced by the Okinawans, considered by many to be among the healthiest people on earth.

We are confronted on many fronts by perils and potential pitfalls. There are new rules and regulations. In such a time of upheaval, it is unclear whether things will ever return to the state they were before this pandemic or whether there will be some sort of permanent legacy from this event. Regardless, what has not changed is that we have always had, and continue to hold the power of our own lifestyle choices. Allow the gravity of the current moment to empower you to make positive choices. And then go make and eat something really, really, delicious!

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