Nutritionist To The Stars Oz Garcia's Advice For Overcoming Long Covid - Exclusive

People all over the world have been dealing with the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for over two years. While many individuals recover after catching the COVID-19 virus, some patients find their symptoms continuing for much longer than anticipated. Long COVID, which is also known as post-COVID or chronic COVID, is what happens when a person's symptoms persist for months or years after their initial infection, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The symptoms may include fatigue, joint and chest pain, and shortness of breath. Some patients have also reported experiencing depression and cognitive problems, rapid heartbeat, headache, muscle pain, and difficulty concentrating.

A-list nutritionist and author Oz Garcia was badly affected by COVID-19, and he decided to write about his experiences in a new book, "After Covid: Optimize Your Health in a Changing World." In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, the celebrity nutritionist discussed his own recovery from long COVID and revealed what helped his body to recover from some of the most devastating symptoms.

As an expert on anti-aging and living well, Oz Garcia was shocked by the way long COVID affected him. Sharing what helped him start to recover from the chronic symptoms he experienced, he told us, "The practices, protocols, and routines I put together were followed with tremendous discipline on a daily basis. They include getting sleep (no less than 8 hours), breathing routine daily, mindfulness meditation, ice shower and ice bath, morning stretches, and exercise." He explained, "I was consistently getting bodywork — deep tissue massage weekly. I also had conviction with all my previous health knowledge that I would heal."

Integrating his specialist knowledge as a world-renowned nutritionist, Garcia also implemented a new diet to help counteract long COVID. "I was especially careful with eating what I recognized as appropriate guidelines for me," he said. "In my case, I followed a 'MediterAsian Diet' (a combination of Mediterranean and Asian [diets]), [and] intermittent fasting, as well as twice a week going to bed on an empty stomach. On those days, my last meal would be between 1:00-4:00 p.m. No alcohol or coffee, and caffeine only from green tea."

"After Covid: Optimize Your Health in a Changing World" by Oz Garcia is out now.