In addition to a healthy balanced diet, we also have to consider the environment in which we live. We should live in harmony with our work, home, and leisure components of our life, but this can be very difficult to achieve. Unfortunately, stress has an effect on everything we do and on the equilibrium and balance in our body. If there is too much stress, it can have an effect on our immune system and on how we fight illnesses, including viruses. What is stress? Well, it is a state of heightened alert which we used as primitive cavemen in order to hunt animals or to run away when there was danger. The body uses certain hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which we produce to quicken the pace of the heart, to send blood to the muscles in order to run after an animal or run away from danger. However, in modern life, our brains can perceive work environments as emotionally dangerous with the same “fight” or “flight” hormones released, despite the fact that we are not running anywhere and are not in any immediate danger. An excessive amount of stress hormones can end up in the development of a series of diseases including heart disease and high blood pressure, which can lead to strokes and other diseases typical of the modern-day stressed person. However, adopting a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine allows that stress to be mitigated, although it has to be said that we all 23 function on a certain degree of stress to get out of bed every day (actually our stress hormones are naturally at their highest in the early morning when we do get up). There is clearly an optimal level of stress to allow the body to function normally and for a balanced life and a good, reactive immune system. However, striking that balance is something that needs individual tuning, but in this book, we hope to bring some tips on healthy diet and exercise in the era of a viral pandemic.
Today we talk about The Antiviral Diet, a book by Simon Taylor-Robinson, Orli Rhodes Kendler, Ross Parker published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the authors Simon Taylor-Robinson, Orli Rhodes Kendler, Ross Parker to get to know them better and what they want to communicate with their book The Antiviral Diet.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Was the idea for this book born at a particular moment?
The idea for the book was born during COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when Ross Parker, an ex-ballet dancer, realised that there was a need for a book that combined diet, exercise and sensible medical measures to stimulate the immune system in a natural antiviral approach to viral diseases. He thought that both scientific authorities and governments of nations worldwide were found lacking in their COVID-19 response and management, resulting in significant distrust by the general public. Ross felt that scientific and medical bodies often failed to give the right counsel on the appropriate course of action on COVID-19, because proven steps were not known, while many governments around the world took ineffective, late or inappropriate COVID-19 control and containment strategies. Ross and his team wrote the book to put forwards simple factors in the diet that can be used, together with delicious recipes, to provide an immune boost, taken in hand with an easy approach to exercise.
- How did you choose the title of the book?
Ross felt that the title “The Antiviral Diet” was a natural, self explanatory one – and envisaged a handbook to health, combining medical knowledge in an easily digestible form, a handy lexicon on naturally antiviral foods and easy to prepare recipes that make use of this resource. Finally, using his expertise as a ballet dancer, Ross put forwards ten easy to do exercises for all ages to keep the body moving and promote joint and muscular health.
- What was the main message you wanted to send out with your book?
The message was that we can change our destiny with good self-care. Ross has lived by this mantra for many years and is pleased to share his mantra. In the book, he combined his knowledge of exercise, gained by many hard years’ work as a ballet dancer with dietary, food and culinary expertise from his best friend and top dietician, Orli Rhodes-Kendler to produce an all encompassing guidebook for health in the COVID-19 era. The book is prefaced by easy to read chapters on how the digestive and immune systems work to put everything into context, written by Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, who is a liver and digestive diseases expert from Imperial College in London. Ross believes that this is the first book to provide a 360 degree approach to a healthy life in the COVID-19 era.
- What was it like to work together?
Ross and Orli are the best of friends and they felt that it was a joy to work together, sharing tips and coming up with the book. Simon came on board as he worked with Orli at the same hospitals in London. Orli is a good people matcher and knew that she had found the perfect team for her best friend, Ross.
- How was your publishing experience?
Europe Books is an amazing company. There has been professionalism all along the way with the highest possible standards delivered with efficiency, yet kindness. We felt that we were in secure hands.
Europe Books thanks the authors Simon Taylor-Robinson, Orli Rhodes Kendler, Ross Parker once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside them on the editorial path that led to the publication of their book The Antiviral Diet.
To you, my dear reader, I wish you to take good care of yourself, both physically and spiritually. Being comfortable with yourself allows you to be comfortable with others and to live a life full of positive energies which are of great support especially in times of difficulty and disease.
So, my dear reader, I just have to wish you to enjoy this very healthy reading!!!
Your editor!