Over the past couple of months, as the effort to reach herd immunity against Covid-19 has intensified, I’ve often found myself wondering if what we’re doing in the short term is not sabotaging our health in the longterm.
Here in the United States, Krispy Kreme, for example, is giving one free glazed doughnut per day to anyone who presents proof of a Covid-19 vaccination. Chagrin Cinemas in Cleveland is currently distributing free popcorn to moviegoers with a vaccination card, while the Ohio City Restaurant Group is offering 10-cent beers to the first 2021 adults who present proof of vaccination.
Meanwhile, in Israel, in an attempt to lure bar goers to get vaccinated, the Tel Aviv government in conjunction with the pub Jenia offered a “shot in exchange for a shot.”
When I initially heard of this so-called “creative” approach on Dan Senor’s timely podcast “Post Corona,” I shuddered at the notion of the alcohol hitting the chugger’s bloodstream seconds after the administration of the Covid shot.
I pictured the alcohol breaking down into sugar, robbing the immune system of its ability to be fully effective. Thankfully, according to Reuters, the drinks were non-alcoholic.
At least the one that was on the house.
But do you really think that the person who came to the bar for their Covid shot left without partaking of a hard drink? And if they did decide to heed medical advice and opt for a soft one, do you really think that it wasn’t loaded with sugar?
From infancy, most of us have been programmed to believe that if we do something a little tough, we should get a reward. That’s why when our kids go to the pediatrician for their annual “wellness visit,” they get a lollypop. (And for the record, the new pediatrician my kids are seeing, who I really truly like a lot, doesn’t even give the Yum Earth Kind that are organic made without food dyes; hers are the ones with refined sugar and artificial coloring. Double oy).
We think we’re entitled, when in actuality what we’re doing is undermining our own health. Think about some of the underlying health conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease that are said to exacerbate the severity of Covid-19. Since the CDC and your conventional health care provider might not be the one to break the news to you, allow me to take the lead: one of the primary root causes to all of these “lifestyle diseases” is sugar, the very thing that’s being distributed, free of charge, as a reward for getting the Covid shot.
What we need at this moment is less shtick and more stick.
By stick, I don’t mean punishment, so much as commitment in building what Dr. Elisa Song, MD calls “immune resilience.” Many of us are choosing to get vaccinated as one means to bolster our immunity against Covid. But, as life-saving and disease-preventing as the Covid vaccine might be, we’re going to be better served if we play an active role in taking charge of our own health: eliminating, or at the very least, minimizing refined sugar, adding more colorful veggies to our plate, and finding a fun and sustainable way to exercise.
As I prepare to receive my second dose of the Moderna vaccine this week, I’m also making an extra effort to respect my “early” bedtime, laugh as much as possible, connect with people who bring me joy, get sunlight (and remember to take my Vitamin D supplement), and have a positive mindset. As much as I continue to have questions about the longterm consequences of the vaccines, I also need to own my decision and feel good about it.
While none of us know what the future holds, I know that the stick, the commitment, that we put into our respective daily routines will serve us well in the longterm, long after, I pray, the pandemic is a thing of the past.