Today’s post features a few key takeaways from a recent Wellness Your Way podcast interview. Find the full episode here, and be sure to subscribe to Wellness Your Way so you don’t miss future episodes!
Guest Bio: Oz Garcia
Oz Garcia is recognized as a leading authority on age reversal and healthy aging. As “nutritionist to the stars” Oz is the go-to nutritionist for A-List celebrities and Fortune 100 CEOs. Oz is the bestselling author of four books, including After Covid. He has been voted best nutritionist by New York Magazine and is frequently called upon by some of the most respected names in medicine and news media for his up-to-the-minute views on nutrition and its role in aging and longevity. Oz has been featured in prestigious publications like Vogue, Elle, Travel and Leisure, W Magazine, and The New York Times. He has also made numerous network and cable television appearances including NBC’s The Today Show, CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America on ABC, 20/20, 48 Hours, The View, The Doctors, Access Hollywood and Fox News.
Top Insights from Oz Garcia’s Interview
- Part of long COVID onset is likely the body already being run down. In Oz’s case, a history of over-exercising and extreme running, plus the amount of exposure, and other factors likely contributed to onset.
- Long COVID doesn’t yet have a widely agreed upon definition. Oz defines long COVID as the loss of bodily autonomy, meaning your body no longer does what you want it to do. Extreme fatigue at times when you feel you “should” be more energized is a common characteristic, and muscle aches, joint aches, brain fog, immune system vulnerabilities, fibromyalgia, and more are also seen often. (Note: Oz mentions Harvard’s publication, and this document shows Harvard’s current take on Long COVID and symptoms)
- A modified keto diet is helpful in many with long COVID. COVID severely dampens mitochondrial function, and as such, a high-vegetable ketogenic approach can be very helpful. Limiting the mitochondria’s ability to operate based on sugar alone, improving metabolic flexibility, and flooding the body with antioxidants and phytonutrients from vegetables are all essential. An example day in Oz’s life when he was first diagnosed is:
- Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs with smoked salmon and sliced tomato
- Lunch: grass-fed beef with roasted vegetables
- Dinner: fish or poultry with vegetables and butter
- To build back your body from an illness, Oz recommends a heavy focus on animal-based protein complemented with vegetables.
- Limiting inflammatory foods is helpful in promoting recovery. Sugar, gluten, dairy, refined foods, low-quality oils (like canola, sunflower, and safflower), packaged foods, and other inflammatory food can inhibit recovery. Whole foods are best, and Oz (like me!) recommends shopping around the edges of the grocery store for the most part.
- A modified intermittent fasting approach helped Oz recover. He aimed for 14-16 hours overnight fast, but he did include green juice, bone broth, and miso broth in that “fasting” window. However, he did make sure to be very adequately fueled before entering in a fast. The benefits of this are inducing autophagy and apoptosis, which helps the body clear out inflammation and “dead” cells.
- Oz used wearables to help promote recovery and stay attuned to his body’s needs. He particularly enjoys the Oura ring and Muse headband, which are two of my favorites! Oz lays out other tactics in his book, After Covid.
- Deep breathing is critical to helping the lungs recover from long COVID. Deep breathing exercises were very helpful to Oz. For some of Megan’s favorite breathing exercises, see this post.
Want to hear the full episode, including Oz’s gripping story of being in Mt. Sinai Hospital and almost losing his life, Oz’s favorite smoothie recipe, and so much more?
Head over here to catch the full episode with Oz Garcia!
Now it’s your turn! What is one thing you learned from this interview? What’s one thing you’re committed to changing after learning from Oz Garcia?
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