how to get your energy back after covid
There’s been much talk about long Covid, when a person has ‘recovered’ from the virus, meaning they no longer test positive but when symptoms persist for many weeks afterwards. For many the symptoms may continue for more than 12 weeks after they no longer have the virus.
The best analogy I have is to liken it to a battle, because your body has certainly undergone attack. You’ve used up all your weapons, all your ammunition, taken off doors to build a barricade. You’ve survived and the enemy is defeated, wonderful! However, that doesn’t mean it’s now back to business as usual because your cupboards are empty – you need to restock, you have no doors – you need to rebuild! Your amazing body has fought the battle and got you through, now you need to support your body back to good health. Afterall, no longer having the virus and being in good health are not the same thing!
It seems that the chances of having long term symptoms from Covid don’t appear to be linked to how ill a person was, so it doesn’t automatically follow that if you didn’t require hospitalisation, you won’t suffer from ongoing symptoms. It varies greatly from one person to another. This has many similarities to post-viral fatigue which may be experienced following various other viruses, but commonly influenza, which we know can also be a killer and that’s why vulnerable groups are offered a ‘flu vaccine every year.
Symptoms and lasting effects
More than 55 symptoms have been linked to Long Covid, but the most common are: breathlessness, headaches, cough, fatigue, cognitive impairment or brain fog, joint and/or muscle pain, loss of appetite, insomnia, depression, anxiety, palpitations.
Notably alarming about Covid is that some are left with organ damage. Support for that is clearly beyond the remit of nutritional recommendations (although a good diet is always important), so for specific support it’s wise to follow guidance from your GP and medical health professionals.
Another factor as regards Covid is that many may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This may be associated with their experience in hospital, isolation from loved ones, and fear on many levels. I think that hospitals and medical services will provide guidance for support such as counselling etc., but I’ll add some useful links at the end of this article for support following Covid and for Long Covid.
Replenish your nutrients and rebuild your strength!
Here’s some basic dietary guidance on how to support your body in getting your energy back, but firstly, an important message is to take it slowly and steadily. Get plenty of rest and if you feel good on one day, don’t overdo it – easier said than done, I know! Otherwise it’s a case of two steps forward and one back which can be hugely frustrating.
You need to replenish your body’s supply of all sorts of nutrients, so eating a varied diet is really important.
Be careful with carbs! Processed and refined carbs may satisfy a need for comfort eating but provide little nutrient benefit. For that reason be careful not to eat too much bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits, white rice, sweets and chocolate or fizzy drinks. They can have the effect of filling you up so you don’t eat other foods that will be more nutritious, sustaining and helpful in rebuilding, restrengthening and regaining your energy.
Protein is important for rebuilding. Aim to include some protein in all meals and snacks. A variety of the following: meat, fish, seafood, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu. You don’t need to eat large quantities as smaller but more frequent meals can work better when recovering from illness, especially if you have a loss of appetite.
Healthy fats are vital for recovery. These can be obtained from fish, nuts and seeds, olive oil, olives, avocado, for example. Nuts and seeds are a great example because they are bursting with nutrients as well as protein and fats. This can be a good choice for a snack if you don’t have much appetite.
Don’t go for low fat options of items such as yoghurt as these tend to be higher in sugar which doesn’t do much for you. Although we know that sugar provides energy, it is the quick release energy that doesn’t last.
Avoid or reduce caffeine! Although we feel that caffeine gives us energy, in fact it’s just pushing your body to use up precious resources. If you really enjoy good coffee, then aim to keep it to a minimum – it does have beneficial qualities due to the antioxidants in coffee beans. Likewise with good quality dark chocolate due to the antioxidants in cocoa beans. But in moderation – less is more!
Quality over quantity. If you like meat, it would be beneficial to buy the best quality meat that you can afford. There are lots of nutrients in meat; it isn’t only about protein. For example, a good quality steak contains calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, B12 and other B Vitamins.
Variety is vital! The diversity of nutrients found in various colourful fruit and veg is of enormous benefit! It’s never been more important for you to include your 5-a-day! If you can increase that to 10-a-day even better! But variety is key because they all contain different vitamins and minerals in varying quantities and that is how you’ll replenish your body’s stock of nutrients to regain health, resilience and energy.
A word of caution on fruit; they contain lots of sugar! It may well be natural sugar but it is still sugar, so balancing your fruit with vegetables is important. Best of all is to eat twice as many vegetables as fruits.
Vary your grains because whole grains contain many valuable nutrients as well as fibre which is also important for your recovery. Instead of just sticking with wholemeal wheat products, try to shake it up a bit with other grains such as rye, spelt, millet, buckwheat, farro dicocco, freekeh, barley, quinoa. White rice has been stripped of its goodness, so it’s far better to change to brown rice or the black wild rice or red Camargue rice. With a variety of grains you’ll not only increase the nutrients you’re consuming, but will add new flavours and textures to your meals.
Plan ahead to conserve your energy
It can be so difficult to make the effort to improve your diet if you are lacking in energy and experiencing persistent unpleasant and draining symptoms. If you have someone who can help you with preparing meals it would be a tremendous help. Alternatively, take the time to plan ahead, so you can prepare meals with a minimum of effort.
Smaller, but more frequent meals can work well
Small meals may be easier to tolerate that large ones. As an example you could have light breakfast, mid-morning snack, light lunch, mid-afternoon snack, light evening meal and later snack. Whatever works for you, it’s often most helpful to plan a structure to your daily meals rather than just ‘as and when’, and planning ahead help enormously with this. You can adjust it all when you begin to feel an improvement.
I’d love to help you if you need more support
This is very general guidance, but if you’d like personal support with your recuperation please take a look at my website to find out what’s involved in my Nutritional Support Programmes (click here to learn more). If you like I could also arrange a test to discover your specific nutrient deficiencies which can be helpful to address your recovery more quickly. Please feel free to contact me for a free chat to find out if this is the right path for you (07768057566 or deb@deborahlaceynutrition.co.uk).
It’s important to note that whilst your symptoms would suggest Long Covid, there’s a possibility they may be related to some other health issue and therefore it’s wise to check with your GP who can carry out tests to provide a diagnosis.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/185-million-to-tackle-long-covid-through-research. Article from Department of Health and Social Care of 18 February 2021 (accessed 18 March 2021).
https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/ (accessed 18 March 2021)
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/long-term-effects-of-coronavirus-long-covid/ (accessed 18 March 2021)
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/long-covid (accessed 18 March 2021)