Self-care for prevention
Hi! I hope you’re staying healthy and cool (it's starting to really heat up out there).
This week I wanted to tap into the subject of PREVENTION and share a little of my personal story with the virus that is going around.
Ayurveda is all about maintaining a healthy immune system, which prevents disease and/or helps accelerate recovery. With millions of cases of this virus and thousands of deaths, it's shocking that leaders of the major nations are silent when it comes to prevention.
When I say "prevention" I refer to real, long-term, sustained prevention: boosting immunity, eating a truly healthy diet and self-caring (I wish I could underline that 5 times!). In other words, more than washing hands and sanitizing groceries.
A short personal story on the virus
I contracted the virus back in March after 10 days of high-stress, low comfort travel in Europe.
Our immunity can suffer when we travel: the consequences of jet lag, poor nutrition and too much movement. I'm no exception and upon returning from the trip (on what we thought was the last possible flight home from Ireland), I immediately showed symptoms: headache, nausea, diarrhea and an insane pain in my body, particularly the hips.
I would say that I have a somewhat healthy immune system because my normal routine is based on prevention. So, I very much attribute my focus on a healthy lifestyle to "saving me" from a more complicated case of the virus.
I immediately kickstarted an even stricter Ayurvedic routine to try and bring my body back to balance. I was confident that by putting into practice the knowledge of Ayurveda the symptoms would remain mild and a recovery would be swift.
The number one thing that I had to work on was to try and detach my mind from any fear. I stopped reading news and meditated on my healthy being every morning
I rested as much as possible and followed nature’s rhythm as much as I could
I took Holy basil (or Tulsi) extract twice a day with warm water and oregano oil once a day
I drank lots of digestive teas
I ate simple, warm plant-based meals (for recipes go to the end of this post)
I took epsom salt baths when I felt achy
Lastly I avoided any stress I could
Even if things go out of balance for a few days, it is much easier for your body to remember that normal, healthy state when you live a simple lifestyle. Overall, I suffered tiredness, achiness and, most disturbing, a total lack of smell for 5 days or so.
Good immunity does not happen overnight, but we must implement important steps and routines to boost our system.
So where to start? Here I have a few ideas on how to put into practice some healthy habits to improve your immunity.
Align yourself with natural rhythms
That is one of the main things you can do. Remember that we are part of nature. Wake up early (with the sun if you can) and go to bed early (not long after the sun is gone). Sleep is so extremely important for immunity. It is when our bodies rest, detox and reset. The ancient texts put so much emphasis on sleep back then when stress levels were minimal, you can imagine the importance of it now!
Keep your digestion in check
Our digestive system is considered the center of our health in Ayurveda. It’s our sun! And everything revolves around the sun. So always check how you feel after you eat. Make sure to not overcharge your digestive fire (especially now during the summer when it all slows down). Eat only when you’re hungry and choose easy-to-digest meals; make use of spices such as cumin and coriander to help your digestion; drink digestive teas such as ginger and peppermint in between your meals (not right after your meal, but about 2 hours after it); and chew on a few fennel seeds after your meal.
Eat a wholesome diet
Avoid processed food as much as you can. Processed foods, including refined sugar, refined flour and other villains cause inflammation and create a very acidic environment.
When you go out shopping next time, try to avoid buying packaged food. I find that to be the best way to not eat it. If you have it around, you’ll end up eating more of it.
Try not to overstimulate your senses.
That’s a big one in our modern society. We overuse a lot of our senses and that creates so much imbalance. Too much screen time, extra talking, over exerting ourselves, multitasking, you name it. Let’s try to focus on one thing at a time!
Exercise
Exercise is so important to move our lymph and remove stagnation. We should aim to exercise daily, even if it’s a 30 minute walk. Just remember that for those who are in the summer season it is ideal to do it before it gets too hot.
Next
I am starting a project called Self-Care For All. Here, I plan to share tips and reminders on how to take health into your own hands. Having the time to do something meaningful for ourselves should be a top priority for all of us.
If you'd like, follow me on Instagram and let's do this together!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s story and as always let me know if you have any questions, comments, or stories. If you'd prefer to chat with me directly, I'd be delighted. I am taking online consultations and I would love to be helpful!
Love,
Thais
Photo by Carolyn V via Unsplash