Staying Healthy During COVID-19

Taking care of yourself during the COVID-19 pandemic is important to keep your body and immune system healthy to help promote wellbeing and prevent illness. Eating healthy and well-balanced meals, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and avoiding alcohol and drugs are all ways you can help keep your body healthy.

Eat Healthy

• Aim for a variety of colors on your plate. Foods like dark, leafy greens, oranges, and tomatoes are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and minerals.
• Bump up your fiber. Fiber in your diet not only keeps you regular, it also helps you feel fuller longer. Fiber also helps control blood sugar and lowers cholesterol levels. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (beans and peas) are good sources of fiber.
• Cut the sodium. Avoid processed and prepackaged food, which can be full of hidden sodium. Many common foods, including breads, pizza, and deli meats, can be sources of hidden sodium.
• Add healthy fats. Not all fats are bad. Foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are important for your brain and heart. Limit foods with trans fats, which increase the risk for heart disease. Good sources of healthy fats include olive oil, nuts, seeds, certain types of fish, and avocados.

Exercise Regularly

• Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. At least 150 minutes of physical activity per week is recommended.
• While 150 minutes each week sounds like a lot of time, it’s not. That could be 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The good news is that you can spread your activity out during the week, so you don’t have to do it all at once. You can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day—find a balance that works for you.
• Moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, is generally safe for most people.

Get Enough Sleep

• Adults 18–60 years of age need seven or more hours of sleep per night.
• Not getting enough sleep is linked with many chronic diseases and conditions—such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression. Lack of sleep also lowers your immune system’s ability to fight illness. 

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs

• Alcohol and drug use can affect a person’s nutrition and sleep thereby negatively impacting your overall wellbeing and lowering your immune system’s response to illness.
• Alcohol and drug use also affect a person’s decision-making and impulsivity, increasing a person’s risk for trauma, violence, injury, and communicable diseases. 

Offer Care and Compassion

• This moment in our history requires compassion and flexibility as we all adapt to changing circumstances. While there is no formal policy in place for medically excused absences, Trinity faculty faculty offer grace and flexibility when it comes to assignments and attendance.
• If you are feeling sick, or are concerned about others who appear ill, you may use or offer Health Services as a resource. Health Services is conducting RN telemedicine consults for students.

Please call Trinity University Health Services at 210-999-8111 if you have any questions or would like to talk with a nurse concerning staying well during COVID-19.