Interview with Dr. Meera Shah, an Endocrinologist at The Mayo Clinic

Interview with Dr. Meera Shah, an Endocrinologist at The Mayo Clinic

It’s widely known now that diabetes is one of the high risk populations wen it comes to Covid 19. I had a chance to have a chat with Dr. Meera Shah, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, who takes care of diabetic patients. Have a read of our discussion below for more on her thoughts.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m an Endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic Rochester, and have been on staff here for the last 5 years. My husband also works at Mayo and is an Internal Medicine Specialist. We have three children who are all home from school during this time, so managing work and them together has been an interesting experience.

Is Mayo treating Covid patients?
Yes they are. The outpatient clinic has a pretty rigorous screening process on the phone before letting anyone come in. You can read more about their self assessment tool here. If all of the answers on the assessment are negative then they are allowed to come in and see us as elective patients. Mayo has put in place a very good process which is designed to help the medical team stay safe but also the patient stay safe.

That does sound like an effective system. When you go in to work are you in contact with covid positive patients?
No, I should not be in contact with people who have been tested positive with patients. They are in a separate area of the facility and I stay in the endocrinology department taking care of my patients. If patients test positive, then they do not come in for elective appointments (which is the majority of my practice). If it is an emergency then there are processes in place so they can get the care they need with minimal risk to staff.

What is it like for both you and your husband to work at home, and have children to take care of at home?
Well, we are both going in to work but so far it’s been ok because I’ve been mostly able to work from home. The kids have their own school curriculum to follow so they are pretty occupied. In the morning I give them a timetable to follow, midmorning we meet up for a few minutes to ensure that everything is going smoothly, we have lunch together then they go back to doing what they’re doing and I get back to work. My mom has been staying with us so that’s been really helpful too.

Do you have any tips for working from home with kids?
Create a routine, some kind of schedule. Sticking to structure has helped us a lot.
If possible, set aside a space that’s yours (physically separate the space) and make sure the kids respect that. As hard as it is you have to just behave like this is your office it’s just not in your office.

What are some unexpected pluses of working from home?
You get to realize things about your children that you don’t otherwise see. For example, I could have outdoor soccer time with my son everyday. I would have never had the time, interest and would have been so tired after a full day at the hospital. The family time we are getting now is great. We’ve pulled out board games that we didn’t even know we had. Everyone is a master of Clue now!

What are your thoughts on the best ways to celebrate occasions during this time?
We have had two birthdays in the last two weeks in the family. We actually had one of my daughter’s friend’s have a drive by birthday. It was really nice because the kids got to see each other. They chatted, laughed, made tik tok videos (this is what 11 year olds do I guess). We ate cupcakes on the sidewalk. It was great! For my husband’s birthday we did a live facetiming with his family when cutting his birthday cake. It’s ridiculous that we haven’t done this in the past with family and friends that do not live near us!

How long do you think all this is going to last?
My prediction is that this is going to be something that we’re in for the long haul, 12-18 months of this new normal.

What does that mean?
12-18 months of social distancing, of any sort of ability to get out and do things in big groups. I don’t think that’s going to happen for a very long time.People are using modeling to predict what’s going to happen in 2 weeks, 4 weeks, etc but it’s all based on assumptions of things that have already happened. For example, with social distancing we expect X is going to happen in Y time. But if you take away social distancing we don’t know how things will really go. The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has done a good job at breaking it down into pieces of information that are accurate but still digestable. He is one of the ones that had to deal with it hugely at the earliest as New York quickly became a hotspot for covid.

What’s the future of travel like?
I don’t expect to get on a plane for a year. If you ask me in a month, my answer may be different. Things are changing so rapidly everyday. If you just think about what you were doing in February, it was like a different life. The medical journals were still publishing articles in February comparing this to the flu, no one imagined it would go this big. You learn these things in hindsight. It’s so new that nobody really knows what to do about it. We do have some understanding about how it’s transmitted, and what can help (social distancing, hand washing, wear masks) and the goal is A to not get exposed, B to not get infected, and C to wait it out until a vaccine or some kind of readily accessible treatment is on the market.

When do you think a vaccine will be ready?
I’m not keeping up with the real time efforts, but I will say that this is very different from any other vaccine. This is a global endeavor. It could absolutely be more accelerated than ever. But as with anything, you want to make sure it’s effective, worth doing, and understand the behavior of the virus. These are all the things that the virus researchers are thinking about.

How is the Mayo Clinic supporting the efforts?
Mayo is part of a bigger international effort looking at several medications for treatment. There are at least 7 clinical trials that the team is collaborating on. For example, with regards to Hydroxychloroquine, they are trying to get people who think they might have been exposed to enroll. Click on this link for more.

What do you tell your patients with diabetes about covid?
Patients are concerned, of course, because initially we recognized that diabetes was a risk factor for people doing worse with covid 19. It’s a tough one. You don’t want to give people unnecessary worry, yet there is some evidence that if you get covid 19 you are likely to do worse. If you look at the American Diabetes Association guidelines they haven’t put out anything specifically for covid 19. The recommendations are the same as for everyone else.
But if you live with someone with diabetes, act as if you have covid 19. Don’t share utensils, towels, etc. On the flip side you hear about people who are 97 years old that have recovered from covid 19. There’s always the average then there is a spectrum.It’s not like applying for a visa, it’s not like you’re eligible or not.

Is there anything that you want to tell the general public?
Everything is propogated in a click of a button and then there’s 20,000 people that are reading. It’s our responsibility to be careful of where we get information from. Find trustworthy sources and get information from them.

Any final thoughts?
The science will get us out of this eventually. We’ve built this world with airplanes, cell phones and everything else through science. People had to live with plagues through centuries. They will solve this eventually. We need to trust people who have the skillsets to handle the situation.

Thank you so much for your time and insight, Dr. Meera! I’m sure your information will help everyone that reads this in one way or another.

Interview led by Devi Bajaj
Founder & Director, Enliven Health Concierge

More options for healthy food/drink delivery in Bangkok!

More options for healthy food/drink delivery in Bangkok!

Ever since I shared some healthy places to order from (you can find the post on drinks here, and snacks here), I’ve had several friends ask for more suggestions. This post is here to provide you with three more healthy options for nutritious food and beverage delivery; one for an entire healthy meal, another for a snack, and finally another drink option!

getfresh

I’ve been ordering salads from Dressed for years, and they recently rebranded to getfresh with a much wider selection of dishes. The new menu provides healthy meal options, with an international variety of salads, wraps, rice bowls and main dishes. With their own organic farm growing fresh produce, this farm to table restaurant is a great option for staying in and keeping healthy. Some of my favorite dishes from getfresh include Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap created with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, bacon bits, organic quail egg, parmesan cheese and caesar dressing (150 Baht; nutritional value: fat 31.3g , protein

24.4g, carbs 46.1, fiber 3.2g and sugar 2.4g), Spicy Pork Bulgogi Bowlwhich is Korean-spiced pork tenderloin, kimchi, pickled daikon, sesame, carrots, baby radish, spring onion, and organic onsen egg served over organic jasberry rice(240 Baht; nutritional value: fat 15g, protein 26.5g, carbs 53.5g, fiber 18.7g, Sugar 1.7g), and the Roast Pumpkin Salad served with beetroot, wild rocket, sunflower seeds and feta cheese (170 Baht; Nutritional at 12g, Protein 11g, Carbs 53.2g, Fiber 8.5g, Sugar 20.7g). Do keep in mind that their servings are very generous so one item per person will definitely be filling! They have 9 branches and 4 cloud kitchens across Bangkok, so it’s likely they’ll be able to deliver to wherever you live!

getfresh currently has a promotion until the end of June – 15% off for all online direct deliveries through their LINE @getfreshth account and their website www.getfresh.co.th. Order yours now!

The Banana Warrior

Managing #Schizophrenia During #Covid19

Managing #Schizophrenia During #Covid19

In a previous post about taking care of your mental health during #covid19 (you can read that here) made me think of my sister in law. Vishalatchi Arunagiri, or as we call her, Achu, was diagnosed with #schizophrenia in 2011. She is happy to share her story to raise more awareness about #mentalillness and tell us how she has been coping with #covid19.

Before we get started on the interview, let’s look at a detailed definition of the condition by the Mayo Clinic: Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia involves a range of problems with thinking (cognition), behavior and emotions. Signs and symptoms may vary, but usually involve delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech, and reflect an impaired ability to function. Symptoms may include:

  • These are false beliefs that are not based in reality. For example, you think that you’re being harmed or harassed; certain gestures or comments are directed at you; you have exceptional ability or fame; another person is in love with you; or a major catastrophe is about to occur. Delusions occur in most people with schizophrenia.
  • These usually involve seeing or hearing things that don’t exist. Yet for the person with schizophrenia, they have the full force and impact of a normal experience. Hallucinations can be in any of the senses, but hearing voices is the most common hallucination.
  • Disorganized thinking (speech). Disorganized thinking is inferred from disorganized speech. Effective communication can be impaired, and answers to questions may be partially or completely unrelated. Rarely, speech may include putting together meaningless words that can’t be understood, sometimes known as word salad.
  • Extremely disorganized or abnormal motor behavior. This may show in a number of ways, from childlike silliness to unpredictable agitation. Behavior isn’t focused on a goal, so it’s hard to do tasks. Behavior can include resistance to instructions, inappropriate or bizarre posture, a complete lack of response, or useless and excessive movement.
  • Negative symptoms. This refers to reduced or lack of ability to function normally. For example, the person may neglect personal hygiene or appear to lack emotion (doesn’t make eye contact, doesn’t change facial expressions or speaks in a monotone). Also, the person may lose interest in everyday activities, socially withdraw or lack the ability to experience pleasure.

Symptoms can vary in type and severity over time, with periods of worsening and remission of symptoms. Some symptoms may always be present.

Achu, can you tell us a bit about your journey with schizophrenia?
My first episode was when I moved back to Kuala Lumpur. My mind was playing games with me. Once I even got lost and a stranger picked me up and brought me home. My mom took me to a psychiatrist and we discovered that I have a mental illness. I’ve been fighting for 9 years now and although I still struggle with the illness today, I have been able to write 2 books, pieces in magazines, be interviewed for newspapers, appeared on TV, and even started my own small business in Malaysia. You can read more about my journey here.

You’ve had some great progress over the years! Can you share with us more about your business?
I have a passion for making fresh floral design, and I started lessons at Lee Flower Design Academy two years ago. I have been in competitions and I started independently selling to select customers. I would like to pursue this passion a therapy to heal my inner consciousness and find solace while creating different color combinations. I am also passionate about advocating mental health awareness. I have created Vishalatchi Floral, a social enterprise to help by using flower designs to help empower other people who have a mental illness. Mind Voice is another initiative I started to contribute to the advocacy work that I want to continue doing.

Tell us more about the advocacy work that you do.
I am a peer support leader at the Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA). I created fliers to offer mental health sharing sessions open to the public. I led my first mental health talk in 2013 in General Hospital Klang. Then I shared my story in 2014 in MMHA where I’ve been a member for 6 years now. I led talks in Segi, a university in Malaysia. Furthermore, I participated in a charity dinner by MMHA to share my story. I have been interviewed by The Star Newspaper (link here) and my story is on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website (link here). I appeared once on Astro TV live in 2016 to share my story as well. I was a panel speaker at the Mental Illness Awareness & Support Association (MIASA) conference. I am hosting a talk on zoom this Saturday, May 2nd to have a chat about managing stress during lockdown. Contact me via Whatsapp for more information on how to join!

It’s wonderful to see your progress over the years, and I’m so glad that you are willing to share your story for further advocacy.

Now can you tell us, as someone with schizophrenia how have you been handling anxiety related to covid19?
It was scary to see the numbers increasing. I am scared of getting sick, so I keep washing my hands with soap. And at the same time, I also hear less voices. No paranoia of being kidnapped or abandoned so I feel relaxed and safe. These are the constant emotions and states of mind that I go through on a daily basis as someone with schizophrenia. During the past few weeks of when the country has been in a lockdown, I’ve had good moments and scary moments. Let me share some with you to give you an idea.

Sometimes I get scared when the phone rings and I think that maybe somebody passed away. People still walk around like normal, but I got my mask ready and I had to stay at home when my mother went for grocery shopping as only one person could go. The perks of being someone who is always paranoid is that we are always ready during a crisis. It’s been a long time since I’ve been left alone at home and it made me feel stronger.

I was relaxing on the couch waiting for my mother to come home when I began to get worried that this laziness was going to last too long, and I’ll become immune to staying at home and doing nothing. So, I started planning things to do, such as cooking, mopping, cleaning tables, washing dishes, social media, writing and watching TV. I cannot read books because the voices interrupt me.

During this COVID-19 lockdown, we have stocked up food for two weeks and medication for one month. I started having nightmares and strange dreams which would wake me up in the middle of the night. I’m scared my mother will not be around one day and I’ll be stuck alone in this country. I won’t be able to escape and save myself by going aboard. My voices told me that my family and relatives have all left. But yesterday I did a video with my family and they were all where they usually are. Same place and same country. My siblings all live abroad so it was a happy feeling talking to them. When they are so far away from home I feel worried. The COVID-19 lockdown made us all have time to speak together and through video chat, so I can see all of them, which helps with my worries. It’s important for family members to reach out to the people with a mental illness as we need each other now more than ever.

I’m glad I have my mother with me during this crisis. I would have died of boredom otherwise! I am lucky to have home cooked food and I am happy to find some work to do online with my NGO. I am confident that the virus will spread a lot more and I’m concerned that we will never be able to leave the house. What if we need food? But the government is giving money. I am happy to hear that as in crisis like this, we can’t work.

I hope people will read this story and get a small idea of the daily rollercoaster that I go through as someone who is trying to manage just like everyone else during these uncertain times, except I have voices and delusions to add a little color to these experiences!

Thank you so much for sharing Achu, I am sure this will help anyone else that’s battling #mentalillness through #covid19.

Information compiled by Devi Bajaj
Founder & Director of Enliven Concierge

Below are links related to schizophrenia and managing covid with a mental illness:

Global Distancing 5K: A Virtual Event!

Global Distancing 5K: A Virtual Event!

One of our beloved clients, Eric Lyons has started a very exciting initiative which he calls: Global Distancing 5K: A Virtual Event! The event already has people signed up from Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Canada, England, Puerto Rico and elsewhere. This is a free simultaneous event taking place on May 9th to benefit front line Covid 19 responders. Suicides are up. Domestic violence is up. Financial insecurity, worry about health of loved ones and the future outlook are causing tremendous fear & anxiety. We are looking for ways to propel this message of hope & togetherness around the country and ultimately to billions of our fellow global citizens around the world.
What is it?
A simultaneous global movement of people committed to completing a 5K on behalf of those on the front lines of the #Covid19 fight. For those who have lost someone to the virus, feel free to complete the 5K in honor of that person.

IMPORTANT: *You are encouraged to select an organization, group or person to raise support & awareness for on your own. You are more familiar with the needs in your own area. Please raise those funds and donate directly to your choice.

This event will showcase people posting live via our Facebookpage from around the world. It will also be online for you to share in the moments with people around the world. Follow our FB &IGaccounts for these details.

Why are we doing this?
In this historic time of pandemic, global isolation and economic uncertainty, the world is enduring fear & unpredictability our generation has never known. Billions of people are tired of a lack of ability to move and connect with others as they desire. Many of us have great fear over the uncertainty of our friends, family, jobs or businesses. We’re ALL ready to resume a life unafraid. We are a collective body who wants to recognize the brave who are fighting to protect us from Covid-19 and to recognize those who gave all.


Who is the 5K for?
This is a call to all of our fellow global neighbors around the world. Athlete or non-athlete. Walkers, runners, wheelchairs and anyone in between. All ages. This global gathering is for ALL who cherish life and want to share a few safe moments with others who understand what we all are enduring. Let’s erase those boundaries between us for just a moment. Sign-up and share the event with your friends and family around the world. Together we are better.

When is the event?
The run will take place May 9, 2020 at 7:30 AM central standard time zone. For a list of city start times globally click here. If unsure about the start time in your location, send us a message via our Contact Us page, Facebookor Instagram. Or go to this Time Zone website.

Where is the event?
All around the world. Your participation can take place anywhere it is safe and not against any local rules or laws governing social distancing or shelter in place. Outside the home. Park. Stairwell. Street. We have runners, walkers and bikers from every continent and need YOU to make this event complete.

How do I join the event?

  1. Register HERE
  2. Follow us on Facebook
  3. Follow us on Instagram
  4. Pick an organization, group or person to raise support, encouragement, funds for
  5. Share event website or Facebook event linkwith ALL of your friends

This event will showcase people posting live via our Facebook page from around the world. It will also be streamed online via a platform to be shared in advance of May 9th.
* More info on the Live Stream to follow *
Follow our FB&IGaccounts for details.

If you do decide to join the 5K initiative, take a photo and send it over to us (info@enlivenyou.org). We will share it with Eric and the community!

Thank you, stay safe and healthy!

Information shared by Devi Bajaj
Executive Director of Enliven Concierge

Links related to the importance of movement and exercise during covid:

Staying Healthy During #covid19: Mental Health (Part 4 of 4)

Staying Healthy During #covid19: Mental Health (Part 4 of 4)

We’re in a time that is new for everyone, and it’s natural for feelings of #anxiety to arise in this uncertain period, so we’ve decided to make the final part of the series focus on #mentalhealth. (If you missed the previous posts on this, here are links to part 1, 2, and 3.) There are a lot of articles and resources for how to keep your mind healthy and we’ve listed a few of our favorites at the bottom of this post, but in the meantime, we want to shine some light on an article that we truly think covers most bases when it comes to staying mentally healthy during #covid19.

Business Insider provides 12 ways to cope with coronavirus anxiety, according to psychologists:

  1. Know that feeling anxious about coronavirus is OK and normal. With rising death tolls, rising unemployment rates, physical isolation from loved ones, and, for many, a loss of routine and purpose, people everywhere are enduring a mental-health crisis alongside the medical one, so remember that you are not alone in having these feelings.
  2. Tell yourself something that is certain. Say something like, “I am certain that no matter what happens, we will find a way to deal with it. Or, “I am certain that I love my family and will do everything in my power to protect them.” By adding even a small element of certainty in the face of overwhelming uncertainty, you can re-establish a connection with the #presentmoment, #groundyourself, and maintain a good sense of self-control and confidence, says Natalie Dattilo, director of psychology in Brigham & Women’s Hospital‘s department of psychiatry.
  3. Limit your media exposure, especially if you struggled with anxiety before the pandemic. The World Health Organization’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has also encouraged people to check the news from reliable sources only once or twice a day.
  4. Do what you can to protect yourself and your family, including excellent hygiene and social distancing practices.Action is the antidote to anxiety, and there’s actually a lot individuals can do to protect themselves and their families. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, sanitize high-touch surfaces often, and #stayhome as much as possible.
  5. Do your part in protecting your community, whether by helping more vulnerable neighbors with groceries or simply staying home. You can also take action to help your community, whether that means helping an elderly neighbor get groceries, donating blood, or staying in even when you feel healthy and are able to go out. Because asymptomatic people can carry and spread COVID-19, “the choices you make about where you go can be the difference between life and death for someone else,” the WHO Director General said.
  6. Try to focus on what you are grateful for, not wish you would change or go away. Rather than marinating in worries that you’ll get the coronavirus, your wedding will be cancelled, or your kids will be out of school until fall, “focus on what you value and what you are grateful for.” Make a daily “gratitude list” in order to build psychological resiliency.
  7. Seek virtual help from mental-health professionals, or download a de-stressing app. Therapists are shifting their practices online, and many established virtual therapy services like Brightside and TalkSpace. There are also guided meditation apps such as Calm and Headspace, and Daylio, which helps you track your mood and daily activity so you can keep a mental-health promoting schedule.
  8. Just breathe. Psychiatrist Dr. Mimi Winsberg, the co-founder and chief medical officer of Brightside, recommends the 4-7-8 method, which can re-instill a sense of calm when you feel out of control. The method involves breathing in for four seconds, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight. But more than the particular count, what matters is that the exhale is longer than the inhale. “Lengthening the exhale emphasizes the release. You’re releasing whatever is going on and relieving stress,” says Briana Borten, clinical ayurvedic specialistand founder of The Dragontreewellness company.
  9. Attempt to maintain a routine. “Within our homes, maintaining structure and routine is critical because it reinforces order and predictability,” says Natalie Dattilo. “It’s also something over which we have control. We know that structure binds anxiety, so to the extent that we can maintain our routines, that helps.”
  10. Eat healthy, don’t smoke, and exercise when possible. Good nutrition and sufficient movement are good for both body and mind. WHO’s Tedros recommended eating “a healthy and nutritious diet, which helps your immune system to function properly. “If you can’t leave the house, find an exercise video online. Dance to music. Do some yoga, or walk up and down the stairs.” For more on this, click on parts 1, 2, and 3 of our series of staying healthy during covid19.
  11. Use the time to reach out to loved ones and reconnect with old friends. Just because you may be physically distant from other people, you can, and should, #staysociallyconnected to them. Be proactive about reaching out to others and asking how they’re doing — you’ll boost your #mentalhealth as well as theirs, since they’ll at least experience the perception of support, which research shows can #reducestress.
  12. Use the experience to reevaluate areas of your life. Use the time to reconsider how you want your lives to look after coronavirus and plan how you will work towards it.

We are aware that a twelve point list is long, but we really do agree with all the points and believe that if you try to stick to the suggestions above, that your mental health will thank you.

As promised from the first post about staying healthy during covid19, I am also going to share some ways to keep your mental health in check with local resources here in Bangkok.

The first one ties in with 1, 6, 8, and 10 from the list above, and is to follow @dini_fitmind on Instagram (link here). She offers mindfulness meditation coaching to train you on how to control your mind and become more aware of your thoughts. This type of meditation is defined as a technique to achieve a state of alert, focused relaxation by deliberately paying attention to thoughts and sensations without judgement allowing the mind to refocus on the present moment. It’s great for beginners who want to start meditating and even regular meditators who want to become more in-tune with themselves. She offers one on one and group sessions, contact her now to learn more!

The next is a few groups of people that have really come together to demonstrate #5 (doing their part in protecting the community by helping the more vulnerable population): Bangkok Charity Soldiers started as a group of friends looking to help the needy in these difficult times. They gather funds for a huge order of food, then deliver it over to struggling areas. Their efforts are focused on helping families and neighborhoods. For more on them, watch the video below:

There is also the Covid Relief BKK group on Facebook that is “coordinating a relief effort to distribute masks, soaps, hand sanitizers, and basic foodstuffs to the most vulnerable groups in Bangkok, all whilst maintaining social distancing to avoid increasing the spread of coronavirus. Covid Relief uses demographics data to identify and locate the most in-need based on age and income, ensuring their efforts are targeted and have the most impact. For every 300 baht, you can provide packages consisting of sanitation items and food supplies for a family (4 people). Requests for some or possibly all depending on donation quantities – masks – hand gels and alcohol – sanitation equipment and detergents – food supplies: canned foods, rice, fruit, eggs, raw ingredients – packaging: cloth bags – protective gear: gloves, face shields, suits. To donate items, please send to Na Cafe at Bangkok 1899. You can easily find this location on Google Maps and send via a LineMan or LalaMove. Packages will be made and delivered on Thursdays. You can coordinate with Fon who works at Na Cafe on 090-040-3335.

My husband is working with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Association Thailand to “raise money to give rice to the needy. One of the places we will be distributing is a place where my staff live. Mostly port and klong toey market workers! If you got alcohol at your wedding or any of your festivities these heroes are the ones that took it there for you. 100 Baht will help purchase 1 bag of 5kg! We are looking for 1,000 bags to help 1,000 families.” Initially, VHP will distribute 1,000 packets of rice in the month of May 2020 (every Saturday 250 packets) at several locations in Bangkok. Our efforts may go up to 5,000 packets as we move forward depending upon the situation and availability of funds to support local communities.

To donate, transfer to the following account and share the slip with us at 081-750-9088:
Account Name: Vishwa Hindu Parishad Association
Bank Name: Bangkok Bank
Account Number: 933-7-02846-9
Account Type: Savings Account

Use this time to help others, it will definitely make you feel better and support your mental health.

Written by Devi Bajaj
Founder & Director of Enliven Health Concierge

#EnlivenConcierge#Coronavirus#StayHome#HealthyLife#HealthyChoices#MentalHealth#Mindfulness#Meditation#CovidAnxiety#Anxiety

Here are some resources related to supporting your mental health during covid19:

Pandemic anxiety is making us sleepless, forgetful and angry. Here are tips for coping.

Staying Healthy During #covid19: Movement &Exercise (Part 3 of 4)

Staying Healthy During #covid19: Movement &Exercise (Part 3 of 4)

After focusing the first two posts in the series on the importance of diet (part 1/part 2), it’s time to give some attention to #movement and #exercise. As I’ve said in previous posts (here and here), exercise has always been a part of my life, not only because of its benefits for my #physicalhealth, but it also supports #mentalhealth. I’m an avid follower of Dr. Mark Hyman who is “leading a health revolution—one revolved around using food as medicine to support longevity, energy, mental clarity, happiness, and so much more … He is the founder the Head of Strategy and Innovation of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and Board President for Clinical Affairs for The Institute for Functional Medicine.

Dr. Hyman says, “You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet, but exercise is absolutely critical for your wellbeing. Exercise helps me feel better, gives me more energy, helps me stay focused, improves my mood, helps me sleep better, controls my appetite and all the while I know it’s preventing diabetes, cancer, heart disease, helping my bones stay strong and helping my immune system work better. . . We also know that being sedentary for a long time is very dangerous for your health. In fact, people who sit for a long time have as much risk of dying as people who have bad diets or people who smoke.” Please let that last sentence sink in for a minute. Not exercising is as bad as smoking!

“Fitness is really critical. Now if you don’t like to exercise, which I really don’t, find a way to make it fun! Dance for half an hour in your room! Sometimes I do a 7 minute workout, it’s something you can look up online, it’s a super high intensity workout with jumping jacks, pushups, tricep dips, running in place. Try to vary your exercise and always try to have fun.” For more about this, check out the video pasted below.

Okay we get it, exercise is important. But, how do we exercise during #covid19 when we are meant to stay home and be in isolation? We aren’t supposed to have any gatherings and you may think that would nix group exercises, but so many fitness companies in Bangkok have gone online and are offering live workout sessions!

For example Physique 57 (@physique57bkk on Instagram) has a weekly schedule for online workouts, as shown below:

Their Facebook LIVE and IG LIVE sessions are really easy to use (and they’re free!). All you have to do is go online in the app at the time of the class and you can join! Also on Facebook you can rewatch the live classes and replay the class as many times as you want. My friend Bookee is an instructor at Physique 57 and she says “Our exercise is a total body workout, focusing on low impact with high intensity exercises. Great for those who would like to have long, lean, and tone muscles. Give it a try, the class will definitely give you the burn!” I always told her I’d join one of her classes (never actually made it over before covid19), but little did I know my first barre class ever taught from her would be virtually from my bedroom! Here’s a link to her latest workout focused on arms and thighs. I appreciated that she started with a warm up before getting right into the intense workout, and that she did a full cool down at the end.

Speaking of, it really is crucial to #stretch before and after a workout, and it’s just as important to make sure that you do take the time to #rest (more about this in our interview with Salman Khan about weight loss and running). In a recent instagram post (@drmarkhyman), Dr. Hyman says “Give yourself a day or two off. It’s important to remember that in order for the body to fully reap the benefits of exercise, it also needs a day or two of rest each week. Our muscles and bones need time to mend and strengthen after a challenging workout. This doesn’t mean you should lay around and eat junk food all day, it’s still helpful to get out on a mellow walk or do some light stretching on ‘down days,’ just be aware that high-intensity exercise can actually be stressful on the body when done seven days a week.”

An effective option of exercise on rest days is #yoga, and for this I do almost one youtube video from Yoga with Adriene a day. Her list of free yoga videos is endless, from ones to do on days that you want to take it easy, like the one pasted below, to more intense ones when you want a real workout like this series focused on weight loss.

Since quarantine started, there have been a variety of fitness challenges that my friends and family have been participating in. For example, Salman started a 10K challenge on Instagram where he challenges you to run 10K, post it on your story and tag 10 more people to join in on the challenge. It’s not about how fast you run, but about doing something together! Another example is from my cousin Pawan who’s been participating in a 100 squats a day challenge. When I heard about this one I decided to join right away and invite more people. There’s even a sister duo (Hi Anavi & Alekhya!) that has started an instagram account @plankathon2020 where they invite people to “plank 6 days a week for 1 month. Each day, add on 10 more seconds. Choose the duration of your first plank based on your own fitness goals!!! 💛🌟⚡” In order to motivate myself to complete the daily planks, I’ve partnered with cousin Sunaina and we go on Facetime to do it together! I also have daily check ins on Whatsapp with some friends (you know who you are!) where we each share the exercises completed to help drive each other! In a time like this, it’s really important to stay connected to your tribe.

There is even a Facebook group that has been created here in Bangkok called Quarantine Tribe (thanks for introducing us to it Ashita!), where the lovely Christiana Mikesch started the group out of frustration because she said we need something #positive like this in our lives. Something #inspiring, something #motivating to get us going, especially since we have all the time in the world now to work on ourselves and make it better! The description of the group on Facebook says “This group is for everyone who wants to stay active, get some inspiration, do workouts, yoga, share quarantine recipes and meals and other activities that we can do during this time! Invite your friends & share this amazing thing that we will create together!” This is exactly what the world needs, people coming together to take care of their physical and mental health. They are hosting a Virtual Wellness Festival from today April 23rd to 30th where the goal is to treat your mind and body by bringing wellness into your own four walls. What an awesome initiative!

It will be 7 Days of Wellness with Premium LIVE Stream Classes by the best instructors, coaches, and teachers you can find online! Sweat it out, work on your flexibility or find a peaceful moment in the storm of current events. Enliven has collaborated with one of our partners Form Physio and Rehab to participate in this event, details of our offerings are below:

Lower Back Pain Relief Exercises & StretchesDate: Friday, April 24th, 2020
Time: 09:00 am – 09:45 am
Knee Pain Relief Exercises & Stretches
Date: Monday, April 27th, 2020
Time: 09:00 – 09:45 amRegister at www.livehomeworkout.comto join the #quarantinetribe now to treat your mind and body!

So there you have it – countless options for you to exercise and keep your mind healthy during covid19. Take your pick and have some fun! Our final post in the series will be focused on mindfulness and meditation. Stay tuned.
Written by Devi Bajaj
Executive Director of Enliven Concierge

#EnlivenConcierge#Coronavirus#StayHome#StayHomeSaveLives#HealthyLife#HealthyChoices#PhysicalHealth#BrainHealth#MentalHealth#Exercise#Movement#Running#Yoga#Barre#Mindfulness

Below are links to more details related to the information above: