Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Will I Still Be Eating the Same Foods After COVID-19

To avoid misstatements, I need to be very careful in writing this post. It could be deemed controversial. I mean, to think that there might be a connection between the foods we eat and our susceptibility to the COVID-19 virus! What gall! Indeed, what heresy...

Welcome to the New York Times article that introduces this assertion — that contracting COVID-19 is somehow related to diet.
"But while diet-related disorders increase vulnerability to the virus, limited national attention has been paid to lack of access to nutritionally wholesome foods that can sustain metabolic health and support a vigorous immune system."
~ How Poor Diet Contributes to Coronavirus Risk-New York Times, Jane E. Brody, April 20, 2020
I don't know whether this is true or not, but I'm  glad someone's started the ball rolling. We need more attempts to correlate the non-medical factors surrounding susceptibility to the virus.

Outside a Paula Deen restaurant
We Are What We Eat

Why shouldn't metabolism be one of the factors that determines vulnerability? After all, are we not what we eat?

Not only can markers like "excess fat around the middle, hypertension, high blood sugar, high triglycerides and a poor cholesterol profile," and low blood oxygen measure health, the article seems to infer they also measure metabolism. I don't know if these elements constitute the totality of metabolism, but I do know that I watch mine, using them as two-way feedback that keeps them in a safe range.



If one is up, I eat a little less or more of that:
"The Pennsylvania-based Geisinger Health System created a food pantry in its Shamokin, Pa., clinical center that provides enough fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins to feed each family two healthy meals a day five days a week, along with weekly menus and recipes.
Among the first 95 members enrolled, there was a 40 percent decrease in the risk of death or serious complications and an 80 percent drop in medical costs per year, Dr. Andrea T. Feinberg and colleagues reported."
~ How Poor Diet Contributes to Coronavirus Risk-New York Times, Jane E. Brody, April 20, 2020