A recent study published by Harvard Medical School in JAMA Internal Medicine has found that women who follow a healthy lifestyle have about half the risk of developing long Covid compared with women without any healthy lifestyle factors.

The study involved over 1,900 women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between April 2020 and November 2021 and showed that engaging in healthy lifestyle habits before infection was linked with a significantly lower risk of post-Covid complications.

Participants who reported having 5 or 6 healthy behaviors had halved their chances of developing PCC compared to those without these healthy habits.

What Is Long Covid?

Long Covid or post–Covid-19 condition (PCC) is a term used to describe the symptoms some people experience after being infected with the coronavirus. These symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle aches and pains, headache, depression and anxiety, cognitive issues (brain fog), loss of smell and taste, difficulty sleeping, and more.

PCC is defined as having Covid-19 symptoms for at least four weeks after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is estimated that the number of individuals affected with PCC can be as high as 40% and is higher among those who required hospitalization during the first few days of the initial infection.

How Can I Reduce My Risk?

The Harvard study found that certain lifestyle factors can reduce the risk of developing long Covid. These include engaging in regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes per day), adhering to a healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet), avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight (BMI below 25 kg/m2), and getting at least seven hours of sleep per night.

Let’s take a look at these in a little more detail.

Get the Recommended Amount of Exercise

The recommended amount of exercise is 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. This can be measured using the “talk test.” It is considered moderate exercise if you can talk but not sing while doing the activity. Anything more complex than this is vigorous exercise. Examples include:

1. Jogging or walking at a good clip
2. Swimming
3. Hiking
4. Cycling
5. Gardening and yardwork

Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables

The study used the Alternative Healthy Eating Index created by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. This measurement assigns values to high-quality foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains while subtracting for lower-quality foods such as sugary and highly processed foods.

The goal is to eat the rainbow – focusing on a wide variety of vibrant, colorful foods to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. In addition, diets that focus on plant-based nutrition are naturally high in these foods.

Avoid Smoking

Individuals who smoke have a higher risk of PCC. Complete abstinence from smoking is best; however, the benefits begin when an individual stops smoking.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

This study used the Body Mass Index (BMI) to measure healthy weight. However, other studies have cautioned whether BMI is an accurate measure of health as it does not consider healthy lifestyles or differences in body composition. For example, higher muscle mass will skew the BMI and does not necessarily reflect an individual’s health.

Still, it was a significant measure in this study, and a higher BMI was a risk factor. What’s our suggestion? Focus on the other areas of health – proper nutrition, proper sleep, proper exercise, and proper stress management- and approach the BMI as one data point rather than the whole picture.

Sleep Is Key

The recommended sleep for adults is 7-9 hours. This study found that those who got at least seven hours of sleep per night had a lower risk of long Covid than those who slept less than seven hours.

Good quality sleep is essential for our overall health and can help reduce stress, improve concentration and memory, and boost immunity.

Avoid Alcohol

This study utilized a “moderate intake” of alcohol as a measure as defined by 5-15 g/d. For example, one serving of wine is 5 g of alcohol. The conversations around alcohol are changing. Sober-positive movements are normalizing sober living and embracing the concept that alcohol is not needed.

Limiting alcohol intake benefits cognitive function, sleep, and overall well-being.

What Does This Mean for You?

The results from this study provide valuable insight into how we can protect ourselves against developing long Covid after being infected with the coronavirus.

By following a healthy lifestyle – engaging in regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting enough sleep each night – women over 60 can significantly reduce their risk of experiencing these debilitating post-infection symptoms.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What have your experiences been with healthy living and Covid? Which healthy habits have you followed and how have they helped you?

If you’ve been reading about The Road Through Recovery after divorce, it is an easy, sensible way to pinpoint exactly where we are “stuck” or “in pain.” There are five phases within it. It is a cycle of feelings we experience in the divorce recovery process. This post is about the last phase, Reality.

Here’s an infographic of the Road.

The Road Through Recovery Thus Far

If you missed any of the previous posts on the phases. Here is a little about them:

Rejection

You may be stuck in the Rejection phase if you don’t accept the reality of your life as it is now. Refusing to accept the “here and now” means not allowing the feelings you need to cope with in order to begin the healing process.

Resentment

The second phase, Resentment, simply means that although you let the conflicting feelings come in and you experience them, you have trouble handling them in a responsive manner. It is easy to fall into the trap of victimhood.

Renegotiation

Renegotiation is the third phase whereby you want to replay the past so that there is a different outcome. Although, the past is gone and you can’t change it, you may be stuck in the “What if” or “If only” mindset.

Focusing on what you could have done in the past takes away the potential for the future. You can’t change the past, but you are the creator of choices and decisions you make for the future.

Remorse

Remorse is the fourth phase. You may be stuck here if you find yourself less outgoing and withdraw into yourself. The good news is that you are beginning to accept “what is.” You find yourself taking some time for personal reflection and soul searching. This is healthy. It only becomes unhealthy if you spend more time than is necessary in this space of emotions. It is the precursor to the last phase, Reality.

Let’s Get Real

The Reality phase is the last phase on the Road Through Recovery. During this phase, you acknowledge and accept the reality of your situation. You may still feel pain and loss, but you can live with it now. You may still visit the other phases, but the episodes are less in frequent and intense. No longer do those feelings totally consume you so that there is no space for moving forward.

In this phase, you are ready to extend your arms out and embrace the readiness to move on. Regret and remorse may still be lingering, but you can now see the light at the end of the tunnel with hopeful eyes. It’s not that you are fully recovered and healed from the past, but there is enough space within to change your reality without.

You are ready and have made the decision to embrace a new beginning. There may still be some fear of the unknown but you accept your life as it is now, and you want to begin to create a new, purposeful life going forward.

Here’s an Example

Barbara was a widow for five years and fell head over heels in love with Troy, in spite of all the “red flags” that were waving before her eyes. He was 52 years old and had never been married. They got married and lived together for 12 years.

Deep down, Barbara was not surprised as the marriage started to unravel. She tried her hardest to make the marriage work, but Troy was nowhere near as enthusiastic as she was. He was not able to adjust to married life after being on his own for all those years. Finally, he filed for divorce.

Troy decided that since he had many good years left, he wanted to either spend them with someone else or enjoy the freedom of being single as he had for so many years before marrying Barbara.

Although Barbara visited a few of the earlier phases, she finally steps in the REALITY phase. She has already seen the reality of the situation as it is and accepts it rather quickly. As I wrote in an earlier article, some may not go through all the phases, and Barbara is one example.

Being financially secure, she also has an edge up on many other women who need to make a lifestyle change after divorce. The burden of finances is obviously not an issue for her as it is for so many others.

Barbara’s Reality Steps

• Willingness to take her share of the responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage and forgive herself.
• Letting go of past resentments; because in doing so, she is making room for the new life she is about to create.
• Acknowledging the fear factor, while getting ready to reconnect with herself and rediscover her strengths, talents, and passion going forward.

As a result of this major change in her life, many things have changed for Barbara. Life is not what it was, but she is ready to make the transition out of staying “stuck“ in the past. She is looking forward to an awesome future of her own design.

Just as Barbara did, once we accept the reality of our situation, we are ready for the next step in divorce recovery, Reconnecting with Self. Some of our roles and identity have changed as a result of our divorce. It is a time of self-care and self-examination in getting reacquainted with who we are now. Barbara begins that work as she passes through The Road Through Recovery.

Are You in the Reality Phase?

If this phase on the Road Through Recovery resonates with you, I encourage you to take the REALITY SURVEY. If some of the statements ring true for you, the pages after the survey offer ideas and suggestions you can implement right now.

Learning to change your thinking and focusing on the positive aspects of your situation will help you to move forward. Creating the right action steps to take right now will empower you to take back control over your life.

If you want to discover how to create a more purposeful life after divorce, please watch this free webinar and learn three strategies that will help you to create a more purposeful life you would love living.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Does the Reality phase in divorce recovery resonate with you at this time? Are you ready to make a bold move? What action step can you take right now with what you have?

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, STYLECASTER may receive an affiliate commission.

It’s never a good look when you have specks of mascara scattered around your eyes. But let’s be real: It can be hard to find a formula that doesn’t leave you with raccoon or panda eyes. Finding “the one” requires a ton of trial and error, but not all of us have the time and coin to go through dozens of formulas. That’s the beauty of TikTok. So many creators try on and share their fave products on the platform. One such TikToker is @katiehub.org, and she discovered an affordable mascara that she swears lasts for hours without flaking.

You’ve likely already spotted essence’s Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara in your FYP, but you definitely should not overlook its counterpart, the Bye Bye Panda Eyes Mascara. Not only does it yield shockingly good results, but it also costs just $5. It’s been sold out on Amazon for quite some time but is in stock at Ulta and ready for you to snag. Hurry, fast before it sells out again!

@katiehub.org

just fell in love with another @essence cosmetics mascara!!! #fyp #mascara

♬ Elevator Music – Bohoman

As you can see in @katiehub.org’s TikTok try-on (which has garnered nearly three million views in just two days), a single layer of this mascara completely transforms her eyelashes. They’re long, separated, defined and lifted (a.k.a. everything you want your lashes to look like). She tests whether they last through a two-hour lecture and comes back to show viewers the results. The case is closed because they look exactly the same as they did when she first applied the mascara hours before. She adds, “I just got back from class and I kid you not, a girl asked me if I was wearing falsies. Conclusion: This mascara is a must-have.”

You heard the gal! Cop a tube of essence’s Bye Bye Panda Eyes Mascara for only $5 at Ulta.

RELATED: Shoppers Say This $4 Mascara Makes Them Look Like They ‘Have False Lashes On’ 

Photo: essence.

What sets this mascara apart from others is that it has a tubing formula, which means it doesn’t just cover your lashes in pigment; it wraps around each and every eyelash and coats it with a water-resistant formula. And when we say water-resistant, we mean no smudging, flaking or fading.

To remove, simply apply gentle pressure and warm water to your eyes. The formula will glide right off, according to the brand, so there’s no need for makeup remover.

Tons of Amazon shoppers agree with the TikTok creator in that this mascara is a game-changer and should be in your makeup routine ASAP.

“This is the only mascara that I can put [on my] bottom lashes that doesn’t leave raccoon eyes, and [it] sticks around all day,” raved one five-star reviewer. “It’s incredibly easy to remove, yet it also has extreme staying power. I love the fact that multiple coats never seem to get clumpy or flaky. The formula adds noticeable volume and length. I genuinely feel like this is the perfect basic black mascara.”

Talk about a glowing review! The vegan, cruelty-free mascara also excludes oil, acetone, perfume and alcohol, so you know you’re getting a top-quality formula that won’t irritate your eyes.

“For years and years, I’ve tried to find a mascara that wouldn’t smudge. I’ve bought very, very expensive brands of waterproof mascara that always end up failing at some point during the day,” wrote another shopper. “Bye Bye Panda Eyes is, hands down, the absolute best mascara I have ever tried. It has never, ever smudged. You have no idea how mind-blowing that is for me when I’ve spent a great deal more on well-known high-end brands that ended up not working for me.”

You heard the shoppers—it’s time to get full, volumized lashes without applying falsies or scheduling an appointment at the salon. Take it from @katiehub.org who declares the Bye Bye Panda Eyes Mascara an undeniable “must-have.”