What a nutty year 2020 has been. What most of us (raising my hand here!) thought would be a two week lockdown to help flatten the curve has turned into a 7+ months of a “new normal” that feels anything but normal.
Reflecting back on this year, I can’t help but wonder how different things might have been if we had put an equal level of focus and intentionality into becoming a healthier, more resilient population as we have on avoiding COVID-19.
Or how this pandemic would have played out if, for the last several decades, we had all voted with our dollars on a large scale and demanded higher standards and more healthful products from the food industry, the cosmetics industry, etc.
I have a feeling that things would look quite a bit different than they do today.
Instead, we’ve put all of our eggs into the basket of avoiding coronavirus with excessive sanitizing/disinfecting, mask wearing and socially distancing ourselves from others. We’ve come at this pandemic from a place of defense rather than offense – so much so that according to the CDC, 94% of people who died from covid had an average of 2.6 underlying medical conditions.
94%! For healthy individuals, this information might provide some relief. For less healthy individuals, it may stir up concern. No matter which end of the spectrum you’re on, the good news is that you have a say in your health outcome – pandemic or no pandemic.
The foods we eat, the products that we use and the lifestyle habits we implement have the potential to either create health or contribute to sickness and disease.
It’s such a simple philosophy at its core, one that has stood the test of time – treat your body well and it will be more resilient overall.
At this stage in the pandemic, we know that comorbidities greatly contribute to one’s risk of dying from COVID-19. But oddly enough, we’ve seen an alarming absence of government recommendations/guidelines focused on helping us become more resilient and healthy humans.
Imagine for a moment what things might look like today if we had been instructed to avoid refined sugar, gluten, and industrial seed oils with the same intensity that we’ve been advised to avoid contact with other humans?
Or if we were as vigilant about using natural products and avoiding toxic chemicals as we are about wearing masks?
And what if we were as dedicated to going outside, exercising, breathing in fresh air, exposing ourselves to microbiome-building bacteria and getting Vitamin D from natural sunlight (low Vitamin D has continually been linked to higher mortality rates among COVID-19 patients) as we have been to staying indoors where the air quality is often extremely poor (especially in households that use heaps of chemical-filled products to excessively clean and sanitize)?
Not only would we actually be healthier + more well as a society, we would also collectively have a profound sense of confidence and trust in our bodies.
We would feel more at peace, knowing that we’ve taken proactive measures to create a healthy, robust immune system capable of fighting off sickness and disease.
We all have a choice – do we want to play offense or defense with our health? Do we want to be proactive and do the things that we know have a deeply positive impact on health and well-being (like eating real food, getting adequate sleep, exercising, connecting with others and avoiding toxic chemicals)? Or will we simply let life happen to us and put very little thought/intentionality into optimizing our health?
The offensive route takes effort, especially in this day and age. It’s easy and cheap to eat a standard american diet, use conventional products and be a couch potato…until it isn’t.
Easy because doing these things goes along with the everyday flow + status quo of life for most Americans.
Not easy because at some point, this lifestyle will take its toll. And when it does, the accumulation of decades of poor lifestyle choices will more often than not result in chronic disease and expensive healthcare bills.
Which option will you choose? Will you prioritize eating well, sleep, exercise, avoiding toxins and living a life filled with purpose, connection and meaning? None of us do all of these things perfectly all the time, but we can all give it our best shot. The more of us that can commit to doing better, the more prepared we’ll all be to fend off anything that threatens our health and happiness.
You know I really enjoy my first purchase of Primally Pure products, but after reading this ableist statement from the company founder I will never support or purchase from Primally Pure again. I encouraged both my daughters to try it, they liked it too, I will make sure your product is never in our home. How insensitive and ableist to make sweeping claims regarding COVID-19 deaths and life choices.
Shame on you and your company.
Lara Austin Shoop
https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/09/01/comorbidities-and-coronavirus-deaths-cdc/
You’re spreading misinformation about what the CDC said about comorbidities and COVID. You should take this down.
Yes! The author (and unfortunately founder of this company) either completely misunderstands comorbidities and the data OR is intentionally presenting it in a misleading way. I’m not sure which is worse. They should take this down.
“Will you prioritize eating well, sleep, exercise, avoiding toxins and living a life filled with purpose, connection and meaning?”
I will choose it all. Thankyou for sharing and beautifully said❤️
Thank you for being willing to say the hard things that some people don’t want to hear. We are ultimately responsible for our own health not government agencies that do not have our best interests in mind. So sad to see that opposing views are not tolerated and even considered dangerous. The idea that we are not to question the narrative is the most dangerous of all!! I love your products and will continue to support you and your incredible company!
Wow! This is such an awesome article Bethany! Great perspective!!
Thank you so much for saying this. This message is completely missing from the conversation around this virus except in smaller natural health circles. It’s not surprising since our country runs healthcare on a band-aid, ‘sick’care approach. I love how you said “Not only would we actually be healthier + more well as a society, we would also collectively have a profound sense of confidence and trust in our bodies.“ I wish more people saw how resilient our bodies can be with a healthful, proactive approach. Instead of fighting nature, working with it. We live in a toxic soup and need to learn how to help our bodies adapt by feeding them good food, moving more,, and using healthier products. Your products are wonderful and safe – thank you for contributing so much to better living! I really appreciate all you have brought to the world. And your deo rocks!
Wow! This is such an awesome article Bethany! Great perspective!!
There should absolutely be more focus on health and disease prevention, 100%. But this article is misleading, cringe-worthy, and tone deaf. The 94% of people referenced with “underlying health conditions” includes people who had conditions CAUSED by covid. That percentage is not nearly as high when you remove those people, so the way you framed this is super misleading. And for those that do have medical conditions before contracting covid, that includes a wide range of terrible and complicated diseases that are not all prevented by eating healthy, exercising, and removing environmental toxins. There is a lot of stigma for having health issues, and this blame-y post is contributing to that. I love your products, but this misleading and shaming article is making me think twice about supporting your company.
beautifully said, B.
Thank you. So much truth here!