Normally, and for the most part, when I write a blog post that can help solve a problem, I am on the other side of the problem; meaning, I have already solved that problem for myself and others, and now I’m sharing the solution. At the time of this blog post, I am now recovering from COVID 19, CoronaVirus, having tested positive at the #1 health system in NJ a little more than two weeks back. I’ve endured its initial impact, the storm, the initial recovery and I’m well into the longer stage recovery now.
At a time when we, as a nation, might be going through our “Pearl Harbor,” the biggest surge and the toughest time in this pandemic in the weeks ahead; I can now confirm the original steps I suggested to get through it, and now for recovering from COVID 19, which will dramatically improve your life CoronaVirus or not!
Of course in the case of the world switching off to a noticeable and measurable degree due to coronavirus, we are all in the same boat traveling through the unknown. The problem we are all contending with, as many have not yet gotten the virus, and which none of us is on the other side of yet, is the virus’s impact on our society. And, many people are just as rightfully worried about this as they are getting the Coronavirus; maybe even more so.
According to Joel Fuhrman MD, “this could linger around for up to a year or more” with a negative health impact; that is, the dis-ease called COVID 19, caused by Coronavirus and it’s consequences.
The effects of recovering from COVID 19, on people, and markets; the whole economy, as schools, businesses, events, etc, which have closed or are closing is one big domino effect. But that’s not necessarily within your control. All you can do is respond practically and effectively.
So in this blog article, I want to share what is 100% within your control; some essential lifestyle practices that will regenerate your energy, improve your health, and performance; with emphasis on proactive steps you can take while the world is switching off due to CoronaVirus.
I’m talking about steps that are powerful and recommended even when there is no coronavirus to contend with.
So the big question, in this time of crisis, becomes; what can you control that will build your immunity, keep you disease-free and prepare you to be fully capable of meeting the challenges ahead with the energy, health and high-performance you need to succeed?
Well, I don’t promote or deliver magic. I live in the real world and I’ve learned not to be at odds with reality, because when I’m at odds with reality (to borrow from the witty wisdom of the work of Byron Katie,) “I lose, but only 100% of the time.”
So, as the Stoics are known for, you can only respond to what you can control and or influence; the rest, you just have to roll with.
So what do you always have a great measure of control over? Your lifestyle. That’s what. Literally, your “style of living” and whether or not you are in alignment with the fundamentals of successful living. At my company Performance Lifestyle Inc; we refer to these as “The 5 Core Essentials of Human Performance©.”
These are the fundamentals that power all positive, forward-moving, and upward spiraling results; the kind of results that are really responsible for fulfilling on the energy, health and performance promises we learn about in self-help marketing that few ever fully experience because they live one way (poorly) and try to solve the negative consequence by living in another way (healthy) for short periods of time. And that will never work.
Responding to stress in ways that create more stress, will never lead to the kind of results you want. You need to do the opposite; respond to stress in ways that increase energy, improve health and enable you to function and perform better, stronger… else you are left unhealthy and it’s generally unhealthy people or older people with pre-existing conditions that are being affected by COVID 19.
- Right now, immunity is the name of the game, so build it up!
On March 14th, my team and I held the Grand Opening of RegenUs Center in Florham Park NJ. Only forty-five people out of 145 that signed up, showed up. This was about 1/3 of what was expected. Had the event been planned for the following week, it wouldn’t have happened at all. We would have had to call it off because of curfews, social distancing and not being able to congregate in groups larger than 10 people.
So, you may be wondering why we continued to hold our event in the face of all that was, and is still, happening?
When we met to discuss whether to cancel the event or not, we asked renowned nutrition and natural healing-based physician, DrFuhrman, who was the Guest Speaker for the event, what he thought.
While Joel Fuhrman, MD. said he was concerned about the coronavirus, he was more concerned about how well people were prepared for it or responding to it; in particular, whether they were building up their immunity via nutrient-rich diets, which provide adequate amounts of micronutrients, and are rich in vitamins, minerals, and plant-only derived phytochemicals that protect your cells and turn on the immune system at a deeper level.
With Dr. Fuhrman’s words in mind, we felt it was essential to get this message out to the public and, at that time, while we still could in person. While the attendees were able to learn about this nutrient-rich style of eating in person from Joel Fuhrman, MD, we also taped his talk and live-streamed it for the public to hear.
So, now you know — that’s why we held the event at the start of this pandemic. If you missed the event, you are in luck because, in this video, Dr. Fuhrman provides a revealing expose on the Coronavirus and what it takes to build super immunity from a nutritional perspective. Super immunity can help stave off viruses or at least lessen the severity or duration of these types of illnesses.
2. Don’t retreat and stock up on nutrient-poor foods.
I’ve had “almost” no problem stocking up on healthy food over the past couple of weeks while most people have been stocking up on toilet paper and complaining about empty food store shelves. This is because the super healthy stuff, beyond chicken, steak, chips, and eggs, cereal and the like, was still on the shelves!
I’ve watched in amazement as people in droves push overloaded carts of nutrient-poor and nutrient-barren foodstuffs as if their lives depended on these foods. Clearly most of us do not understand the 3 classes of food.
I’ve thought to myself, “Ironically, those full shopping carts will do nothing but further compromise these peoples’ immunities, all while they are “social distancing” and diligently washing their hands. You see, eating a healthy micronutrient-rich diet (by whatever name you want to call it) is important, at least equally important If not more, (and should be paired with) state and federally mandated health practices such as washing your hands and staying 6 feet away from others as unnatural as that feels.
It’s our secret weapon (and now yours) — yet none of our fearless leaders are even mentioning it!
While the curfews kick in and you are “off” from countless other commitments, which might, in some subtle ways, be welcomed; don’t turn this period of time into a food fest at home. Rather, this is the time to get ahead of the game by leveraging the broader recovery. Now is the time to get better, stronger and to ready yourself for a very different world as all of this shakes out.
During tough times, people need to get back to basics because it’s only when you are aligned with the fundamentals of healthy and successful living, that everything can function correctly, and you can perform “well.”
In this case, you should stick with eating whole, plant-based, nutrient-rich foods. Your diet is not nutrient-rich if you are eating micronutrient-poor foods more than 10% of the time. You want to be eating up to 90% or more of whole, plant-based, micronutrient-rich foods. To learn more about this eating style, here is a free link Wow, I thought I was eating healthy!
3. If you are home, now’s a great time to catch up on sleep, rest, recovery, relaxation, meditation and rejuvenation.
You are worried — all of our brains are on high alert. But while eating like a pro to build up your immune system and more. is very important; one thing is even more important.
It is managing your energy like a pro — starting with a more stoic approach to life as we know it right now and begin calm. This requires spending some time just being. Whether you formally “meditate” or not, just be present. Let go of thought, and be present to what’s happening as it is.
If you know the basics of meditation now’s a good time to make it a full-time practice. Yes, where meditation takes you to, is a life posture, not just something you do for 10 mins it’s a day.
Close your eyelids, but keep your eyes wide open, pay attention and welcome to the ground of being; from this place you can begin living, even amidst the crisis, with peace of mind. It’s also from this place, that you can begin living from the very best part of yourself and optimizing the way you live, starting with sleep.
At my RegenUs Center, I see people daily who come in thinking that proactive recovery technologies, like infrared Sauna…, will make up for having gotten only 4 hours of sleep, living in constant fight or flight, and an all-out assault on life circumstances that are outside of their control. Noble, yes, but effective? No!
Right now, and always, you must steer clear of the inessential and keep your personal power levels up as high as possible. To do so, you need to ground yourself, sleep, rest and to recover proactively during the busy periods of your day. You can’t just do so at the end of the day when you are so caught up, tired and exhausted you will naturally respond to stress in ways that create more stress.
Case in point, as we were preparing for our Grand Opening, we had more to accomplish in a given period of time than we had time for, which, for a period of one month, really put us under excess stress. What enabled us to get through (I didn’t say thrive) was proactive recovery and the fact that we were getting about 7-9 hours of actual sleep per night (not total time in bed). But nonetheless, we still spent more energy than we recovered during that time.
Like any major effort, outside the norm; after you are complete you will feel somewhat run down, so we needed to take a number of days off following the event just to get back into energy balance by letting our bodies recharge and restore. This is that time in our lives, to recover from the excess life stress we all face.
And, while it’s true you can’t really catch up on lost sleep, no more than you can make up for lost money — you can actually get more recuperation and your future will be better in the same you way that you can earn more money and life gets better. Get as much sleep, rest, and recovery as you need, especially, during this difficult time.
While it may sound easy to do these things — to do them optimally is an art that can be learned as you become proficient at managing your energy like a pro. Ask us how!For now, keep these two thoughts in mind:
- Sleep is not about sleep; it’s about what happens in your body during your sleep periods that make your waking hours possible and sustainable.
- Sleep does not exist in a vacuum. It connected to the rest of your 24-hour, 7-day, 365-life, so you need to optimize other aspects of your lifestyle if you want to optimize your sleep.
4. Source energy at the highest levels.
Energy does not come from food and sleep alone, and neither does immunity. Rather, our immune system, just like everything else, is powered by voltage from electrons, sunlight, and the interactions with air, water, and food. In fact, it probably happens in that order because without sunlight there is no air.
Now it’s likely (I hope) you understand how essential it is for you to stay connected to the elements. Right now, you have the time to be mindful and enjoy the elements more than usual. Take advantage of this time when you have time control, amidst your ever-present responsibilities. Go for a walk, or just sit outside for ten minutes basking in the sunlight, without sunblock, so your body can actually absorb what is way more than a source of natural vitamin D alone.
Perhaps you can take brisk-walks, bike ride or a short jog, just to receive the benefits of the natural elements; and as best you can, breathe through your nose.—your energy depends on it. Don’t just retreat right now because you want to stay safe inside. Nature needs you in it to be strong, and you need nature — so go outside and enjoy the cold, the heat, the sun, the air and being in touch with the earth.
If you are calling me a “tree-hugger” right now, just keep that up. Soon, you’ll be hugging trees too when you have depleted yourself from unnecessary stress caused by things outside of your control. I’m a performance lifestyle guy who knows when to “hug the trees” because that’s how you speed up recovery.
If spending time outside due to allergies or the intensity of the elements makes is not possible for you, you can also come to a place like RegenUs Center that delivers PEMF, Red Light therapy, air, heat, and cold therapies, that not only prompt your cells to recharge; if done regularly and systematically, will restore your bodies’ “batteries” back to high levels.
And yes, your body is a battery. When your body/battery is at high levels, the body’s immune system, which is powered by increased energy and restored energy reserves, can heal faster and ward against foreign viruses. In effect, you build super immunity.
If you combine proactive recovery with nutrient-rich nutrition and spending active time in nature wherever you can fit it in, you will be getting stronger during a time when most people are feeling weaker!
5. Embrace fatigue and you will become more energetic.
What? You are probably thinking, “we are in a crisis!” Shouldn’t I just cover up my fatigue by staying stimulated—drinking a lot of coffee, and eating, exercising, and working hard?”
Sure, there is a place and time when covering up fatigue makes sense, and that’s usually in emergency situations. However, the key phrase here is “cover-up.” You can never really cover-up fatigue, and you do so at your own future peril. Instead, you must face fatigue; regularly and routinely; feel it and let your body regenerate and recover. Notice I didn’t say recover “from it” because fatigue is what the regenerative process feels like. If you misinterpret fatigue, you will inevitably cut your recovery short and will rarely ever feel fully rejuvenated.
If you feel fatigued, it’s time to stop, slow, and resource yourself. Once you do, you will feel recharged and ready to take on the day… If fatigue is constant, it means you are under chronic stress, which needs to change; especially now, when you are trying to maintain high levels of energy and immunity in a world full of the coronavirus. This is that time!
And while that’s a far bigger subject (as most of these subjects are) than I can cover in this article; energy conservation will increase the feeling of fatigue. But the reality is that once you start spending your energy again if you have faced it head-on for the needed period of time, you will be stronger as long as you are practicing the steps above.
6. Viruses don’t thrive in hot, cold, red light and PEMF environments.
I know of one consensus across the board during this pandemic; it is this: To be safe in the face of flu-inducing viruses, build your immunity and do not compromise it in any way.
That’s not a bad general philosophy for life!
Bryan Meyers, the author of the book, PEMF, the fifth element of health, is way out in front of this Coronavirus. I have studied Meyer’s work for a while, and have learned about the power of the pulsed electromagnetic field. If that feels too far out for you, just consider this… you are getting PEMF every time you walk barefoot outside and field the pulsed electromagnetism from the earth that is recharging your cells.
So, when I’m working with people at my Center, using proactive recovery technologies including PEMF where you sit in a chair next to a plasma, frequency generator that mimics the outside world; also engaging people in therapeutic doses of red and near-infrared light, or in the heat of a far infrared sauna, or even 100-140% oxygen in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber; it is important to know that viruses don’t thrive or survive in these types environments.
These devices accelerate recovery and enhance energy and tissue regeneration, which ultimately builds up your immune system and health; speeding up recovery from coronavirus or any “virus” for that matter. This makes a RegenUs Center a very useful tool, especially at this time. Just keep in mind the primary purpose of proactive recovery technologies is to enhance, energy, health, and performance.
Of course, you must also be maintaining your hygiene at the highest levels possible since sometimes the simplest consensus level stuff is our best defense. We are doing so at the highest levels possible.
7. Control what you can control or influence, don’t worry about the rest.
I too am a concerned small business owner and family man. I am worried about how things are going to pan out with the Coronavirus. But I can’t control that outcome right now. However, you and I can choose to control how we can make the most of this time period. The curse of the capable person is to get caught up and lost in a story that is not supportive of what you want. This is not a time to retreat and get lost in the drama of it all. This is a time to respond! So, ask the right questions to get the answers that you need.
When the world is switching to off, due to coronavirus, you have to make sure you are preparing to turn your immune system on brightly. You need to be paired with proactive recovery and a nutrient-rich diet, as part of a performance mindset and lifestyle skillset for managing your energy like a pro, so you can fully function and engage in the world.
The number one #1, way to do the right thing for you, is to have the ability to change your story from one that is not supporting you to one that is.
Lastly, keep your focus on what you are up to. Listen to your higher power, ask for guidance, and act accordingly while paying attention to science. Without that, you are all alone in recovering from COVID 19, or in any endeavor and it doesn’t need to be that way.
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John Allen Mollenhauer, CPLC, known professionally as John Allen or by his initials, “JAM,” is a leading human performance trainer, lifestyle coach and co-author of “The Curse of the Capable”. A former worn-down fitness and tech entrepreneur turned lifestyle entrepreneur; JAM teaches high-achievers how to manage their energy like the pros and become fully capable of achieving even their most ambitious goals while living in balance with vibrant health and peace of mind. He is the founder of RegenUs Centers for proactive recovery, and will help you develop a Performance Lifestyle® you can call your own. Learn More >
