Athelte Nutrition, athlete, healthy, Healthy Body, Healthy living, healthy treats, Immunity, Iron, Lifestyle, low carbs, Minerals, Nutrition, Performance, Recovery, Shake, smoothie, Smoothies, strawberry, Supplements, vanilla, Vitamins, Water - March 24, 2020

COVID-19 or Coronavirus, Making Health and Nutrition Your Priority!

With doctors still determining the full breadth of COVID-19 symptoms. The clearest signs of the disease appear to be fever, dry cough and shortness of breath. Some other symptoms although they are less common also appear to include headache, sore throat, abdominal pain and diarrhea. And just like the flu, COVID-19 can cause respiratory issues that can lead to serious problems, such as pneumonia.

The mortality rate of the coronavirus so far is around 2% (this number will most likely change as more people are tested.) "Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness." as stated by the Center for Disease Protection and Control (CDC). The issue comes in for those showing mild to no symptoms. The virus appears to have an incubation period of 4-14 days, which means any individual could be carrying (and spreading) the virus for up to 2 weeks before experiencing any illness.

With all this information there is little doubt that this COVD-19 virus is affecting every aspect of our daily lives- from restaurants closing to company closures to outright mandatory quarantines. Our governments have reduced group gatherings, asked people to work from home, and for us to practice social distancing, all in an effort to flatten the curve and slow the spread of this disease. No one knows how long these safety measures will be in place, but it presents the perfect time to protect and improve your health. To cope with fighting the virus you need to make sure your body is getting the right combination of vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system strong and healthy. Healthy eating and supplementing are especially important for keeping your immune system in top condition, giving your healthcare system time to prepare and see those in serious need. South Africa fares rather well right now compared to the rest of the world, with a 5 infected per million people. This is why after last night's address by President Ramaphosa he has decided to lock down the nation to help flatten the curve.

Here are 8 vitamins and minerals your body needs for a healthy immune system. Your immune system keeps your body healthy by identifying and fighting off potential threats.

1. Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps boost the immune system and can be found in foods other than citrus. Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, strawberries, and papaya are also excellent sources. This vitamin has powerful antioxidants that can strengthen your body's natural defenses and encourages the production of white blood cells known as lymphocytes and phagocytes. These help protect the body against infections and harmful free radicals.

2. Vitamin E

Like vitamin C, vitamin E can be a powerful antioxidant that helps your body fight off infection. This important vitamin is critical to how your immune system functions, as it is part of over 200 biochemical reactions within the body. This vitamin can be found in spinach, broccoli, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts.

3. Vitamin A

This vitamin is involved in the development of your immune system and plays regular roles in cellular immune responses and the body's fluids in the immune processes. It is a micro nutrient that is crucial for maintaining vision, promoting growth, development and protection of the epithelium, muscle tissue and helps regulate homeostasis of bone marrow.

4.Vitamin D

It has become increasingly clear that the body needs vitamin D, yet the body doesn’t naturally produce it. With important roles like calcium and bone homeostasis, vitamin D enhances the immune system ability to defend your body against foreign, invading organisms that threaten your health. People who aren’t getting enough vitamin D can suffer from increased autoimmunity (body’s cells attack healthy cells/ tissue) as well as be susceptible to infection.

5. Folic/Folate Acid

Folic acid plays a crucial role in DNA and protein synthesis and is essential for optimal health. It is the genetic material that dictates cell functions that help prevent changes in your DNA that may lead to cancer and hamper immunity. Folic acid helps increase your T-cell division to increase your immune response.

6. Iron

Iron helps carry oxygen to the cells and is a fundamental element for a normal healthy immune system. Many genes/proteins involved in iron homeostasis play a vital role in controlling iron fluxes such that bacteria are prevented from utilizing iron growth. Also, cells in the immune system are able to combat foreign, invading organisms, by carefully controlling their iron influxes.

7. Selenium

Selenium is an essential mineral, meaning it must be obtained through your diet. It is an antioxidant that helps reduce unwanted free radicals in the body, which reduces inflammation and enhances immunity. It is crucial for your health and proper functioning of your immune system and higher levels of selenium may help boost the immune system.

8. Zinc

Zinc is a crucial mineral that helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses, and the body needs zinc to make proteins and DNA, the genetic material of cells. This nutrient may help heal wounds and lowers the risk of getting pneumonia and other infections in older people.

Overall, a healthy lifestyle, washing your hands, stop touching your face and practice social distancing is the only way to protect yourself and family from COVID-19. You also need to make sure your body is also getting its nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Yet for many of us trying to maintain a healthy diet may be associated with higher food bills. That is why supplements can come in handy and make a huge difference in your life. Yes supplements can come across as expensive, but when you break down the nutrients you get per serving, this is where certain supplements excel. There are supplements out there that contain ALL these amazing immune-boosting nutrients to protect you and give your body the best fighting chance against all infections, illnesses and foreign, invading organisms.

Our company, Ultima, is dedicated to sourcing and supplying you with only top ingredients that are designed to meet your RDA requirements, to ensure you and your family have everything you need. These nutrients are 100 percent natural and stimulant free, coming from plants and herbs that have been thoroughly researched and tested. We offer these products at affordable prices so that everyone can benefit from our products.

The Ultima Performance Shake, is a dense nutritional shake that contains over 29 nutrients, including every vitamin and mineral mentioned in the article. A single bag of 30 servings will cost you around R421, which sounds like a lot of money. But if we break it down to a per serving price, a single serving will cost you less and R15. That is cheaper than a cup of coffee or tea. There isn't anything to our knowledge, on the market that can offer you over 29 nutrients for less than R15 a serving. The best part is that you can have it shipped directly to you, which means no health concerns by going out.