Ideas For Strengthening Immunity...

And so the rollout of the three vaccines to combat Covid-19 begins in earnest here in the UK from the start of January, and so a priority system based on age and vulnerability was set up, with the more elderly the first to receive the jab. High priority also includes the vulnerable, such as my wife who is a cancer patient. At the time of writing, she had her first of the two jabs two weeks ago.

Therefore it came as a bit of a shock to read on Facebook that one of my friends, a former college mate whom I knew since 1969, had also received his jab. Good for him. Indeed, despite feeling a pang of jealousy, I am still glad for him. Except that not only is he two weeks younger than I am but as far as I'm aware, he's in good health with no known disabilities or having previous health issues. The last time we were together was in 2019 when we visited the Science Museum in South Kensington - only for all of us to be evacuated from the building whilst in the middle of a meal at the museum's buffet restaurant, due to the siren sounding a false bomb alert!

Then my doctor friend, Andrew Milnthorpe, who is young enough to be my son, also received his jab earlier in the week. I'm beginning to wonder whether this age-priority system has really been put into practice, or was there a chance that I, at 68 years old, had slipped through the net. Fortunately, I had to visit the surgery myself to submit to an INR test to monitor my blood coagulation rate. It allowed me to ask the nurse whether it's possible to slip through the net whilst waiting for my turn to receive the jab.

She was adamant. She explained that the codification system would not allow me to slip through the net. At least that was reassuring. All I need is to exercise patience, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

There are other exercises I can put into practice whilst waiting. Unfortunately, with the closure of all leisure facilities during the lockdown, I'm no longer able to swim, as I used to swim regularly twice a week. As for the gym, between the years 2015 and 2018, I attended up to three times a week for cardiac-related exercises, rowing on the modern version of the indoor rowing machine was the favourite, with the ability to endure for more than an hour. However, a couple of muscle injuries, including an ambulance trip to the hospital, was the reason to eventually wrap my gym schedule completely, the last rowing exercise was performed during Summer of 2020, after the easing of the first wave of the pandemic.

 Rowing machine I used frequently. Stock photo.

Therefore, there are two types of outdoor exercises I now normally carry out. These are cycling and walking, and the advantages are that they are free, and there are no time restrictions attached.

Here I will first look into cycling. 

I have always used the bicycle as a form of transportation since I was a teenager, and I used it primarily for riding to school. As an exercise, it's so beneficial that at one particular meeting which took place between three Hawaiian athletes back in the seventies, a discussion about which of the three disciplines resulted in greater fitness and health benefactor - Swimming, Cycling or Running? Unable to come to any agreement, it was decided to string all three together to form a new sport - the Triathlon. And that was the sport which dominated my leisure hours, particularly between the years 1986-1990. It was also during that era when, during the summer, early Sunday morning cycling "burn-ups" on clear, traffic-free roads leading out into the countryside were carried out before church at weekends when I didn't compete. Great stuff!  

Cycling to church as a means of regular transportation goes back to 1975 when I cycled to Bracknell Baptist Church. But when I started attending what was then Ascot Baptist Church (now Ascot Life Church) the 9-10 mile round trip became the weekly norm since 1990. With the first lockdown ushered in during March of 2020 and the complete closure of all churches throughout the last ten months, a "fitness gap" was formed which I had to find a way to fill in. Thus, the "ride to nowhere," very similar to the 1980s fast rides, was thought up, and such rides are purely for exercise.

One feature of interest became apparent when riding. How far am I cycling? What is the length of the chosen circuit? Fortunately for me, there are several routes near to where I live which has been accurately measured by the officials of Bracknell Athletic Club for staging road foot-races. One was the Bracknell 5, which was run on Boxing Day as a means to shed the pounds accumulated on Christmas Day. Not having a milometer fixed to the bike but already knowing the distance, it remains down to timekeeping.

This means by cycling four laps of the 2.5-mile 4 km circuit, I would cover 10 miles 16 km. Using my digital wristwatch, I timed the ride as almost exactly one hour. Thus my average riding speed is 10 mph 16 kph - only it's a lot faster on downhills and a lot slower going up! Thus, by using the wristwatch as a timekeeper, I'm able to calculate any distance covered.

I crack off ten miles 16 km at least once a week, sometimes even twice a week. During the winter, I tend to stay within the built-up area of the town, choosing a figure-of-eight route which is relatively free of traffic lights. Cycleways passing under rotaries regulated by traffic lights is a great asset here in Bracknell, which means I can ride the whole circuit almost entirely non-stop, and there have been non-stop riding done in recent weeks. By timing the ride, I was able to calculate the circuit as a little more than ten miles.

My mount is very similar to this one.

In the summer, as with last year, longer routes were enjoyed. We have roads leading through the countryside where open fields, bordered by hedgerows, grace the gently undulating landscape as the roads criss-cross to link neighbouring towns. I find riding alone in the sunshine so enthralling. Of course, it helps if I have instant availability of a drinks bottle at hand. My type of mount, a touring bike, is fitted with thick tyres, therefore flats are far less likely than with fast sport-racers. But carrying a puncture repair kit and appropriate tools is wise. Also ensuring that the tyres are inflated hard will make riding less energy-draining. I have found that inflating to 40-45 psi is ideal, but other cyclists often inflate up to 60 psi. Furthermore, moving parts such as the chain and sprockets should be well lubricated. I have found that the WD-40 oil spray is excellent for this.

As for walking, I can do this anytime, but it's usually on the days I'm not cycling. These can vary from thirty to ninety minutes. Fortunately, I'm blessed to be surrounded with nearby playing fields, woods and lakes. In the spring, Rhododendrons, for example, bloom with bright magenta flowers, and I find it so amazing such a splendid display announcing the ushering of spring, with summer to follow. As a Christian, I find prayer-walking does wonders to the spirit. I often start by thanking God for his wonderful creation.

By observing the rate of infection and how it correlates with the seasons, I have seen that the rise of infections began at late winter into the early spring of 2020, then fell as the warm weather of summer took hold. Then the rate of infections began to rise again as the weather cooled during the autumn and peaked again during the coldest part of winter to a level much higher than in the first wave. Several doctors on YouTube independently agree that lacking the sunshine Vitamin D weakens the immune system and thus more fall victim to the infection. With this realisation, we began to take more positive action, especially in what we consume.

As what to eat, having concern for our immune systems ranks high. From the start of January, both Alex and I take a vitamin supplement each day. This consist of a capsule of fish body oil which contains 300 milligrams (mg) of Omega-3. 

With the capsule, a tablet containing the following is taken, both with a glass of water:

Vitamin D - 25 micrograms.

Vitamin C - 250 mg.

Also, minerals such as:

Zinc - 10 mg

Selenium - 100 micrograms

Copper - 1,000 micrograms

Other ingredients include Ginger Root extract - 34.25 mg. 

This is quite a package in just one tablet but all the ingredients are specified to strengthen the immune system and to make the whole body more resistant to any pathogen infection. But other food contains nutrition which, together with other benefits, include eggs, another source of Vitamin D, along with milk (semi-skimmed) and fortified cereals (muesli is nice.) Also, I have a fondness for canned sardines. They contain goodness such as Protein, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and a trace of Vitamin K. As for fruit, we tend to have these fresh, such as oranges - rich in Vitamin C - apples and pears.

As for vegetables, because I'm on blood-thinning medicines (in the UK it's Warfarin) limits my consumption of green vegetables which contains a high level of Vitamin K, such as lettuce and cabbage, I find both cooked potatoes and raw carrots to be succulent. However, Brussel Sprouts on Christmas Day is a real treat. Rare treats also include chocolate, and if I'm with another person or group, then I would say "yes" to a McDonalds. But as for meals, pasta always remain tops, but risotto with sardines bathed in bolognese sauce - mm - waters my mouth anytime!

Only today I read in the Daily Mail that many pathogens in the past arose as they mutated and transferred from animals to humans. Ebola was one example. Also, the AIDS virus HIV was another example. Far deadlier than Covid-19, the Ebola virus started to mutate and transmit after an African tribal family caught and killed a chimpanzee to prepare for food, with the result that several members of that family became ill and died. Also, it is said that the HIV virus had first arisen when another chimpanzee was caught for food.*

When comparing this with the supposed wet market in Wuhan, China where bats were sold for food, then I am aware of the rustling of the pages in the Bible. In Leviticus 11, various animals were banned from human consumption, which includes chimpanzee and bat. Although the NIV and other newer translations add the words ritual, ritually unclean, etc, the KJV does not have such wording. Instead, the instruction was to be taken literally, Meat such as cattle, which are cloven-hooved and chew the cud, was okay to eat, along with poultry as we know it today. As with fish, only those with fins and scales were allowed to be eaten, according to the ancient Hebrews. Sardines are nice.

Risotto dish. I have mine with Sardines.

Although cooking techniques have greatly advanced since those ancient days, making pork, for example, safe to eat, nevertheless, by making use of God's Dietary Guidebook, the chance of spreading a virus and bringing on an epidemic, if not a pandemic, is greatly reduced. Certainly, a direction worth taking, especially when combined with plenty of exercises, will strengthen the immune system and go a fair way against infection.

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*Daily Mail Newspaper, Saturday, February 6, 2021, pp 22-23.