Let’s Talk Immunity!
Here we are, almost three months into this COVID-19 pandemic! I remember Friday, March 13th well. We'd gone to the movie theatre and had a private viewing that evening, as things were just beginning to shut down. It was funny, yet weird, and a bit eerie. Following that night, I, like many, hunkered down and followed instructions. No work at the office, no visiting clients in their homes, stay clear of public places...maintain personal distance, etc.
I'll admit, initially, I was not too concerned. Then, a couple of weeks in I remember being slightly anxious for about a day, wondering how long it could go on, and what the world would be like post-COVID. When I sat back and took a few deep breaths, I quickly realized that it didn't really matter so much when it would end and what it could look like. I am healthy, and in actual fact, not too much had changed for me. Thanks to a strong immune system and the daily habits I’ve learned, and now teach, and stick to no matter what crisis we are in, life is quite stress free.
Fast forward to June 1st. The more we find out and analyze this virus, the clearer I am about how vital our immune systems are. I am so grateful for the health habits training I’ve taken, and for my continued good health.
The fact is, our health depends on the lifestyle choices we make. They will either boost our resiliency (immunity) or deteriorate it. This pandemic serves as a huge reality check for all of us. We can use this time to pay attention to our thoughts and actions and awaken to their impacts on our lives.
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What thoughts dominate your mind throughout the day? Our thoughts determine how we feel and react to life. Are they more positive or negative? Do they make you more or less anxious?
How is your body expressing your feelings? Stress and anxiety often show up as pain, inflammation, and/or minor injuries. Feelings of stress trigger our body to release cortisol. High levels of cortisol in the body over a sustained period of time can lead to weight gain, fatigue, high blood pressure, and even heart disease.
How are you sleeping? If you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep throughout the night, your body isn’t getting the rest it needs daily to repair, detoxify, and restore itself for the next day, week, month, year(s). Poor habits accumulate throughout the body and manifest as decreased immunity and disease down the road.
Particularly during this mandated lock down, how are your old (or new) eating habits showing up? If you are like many, working at home gives you more opportunity to pop your head in the fridge more often than usual! This can lead to a digestive system in overdrive. A constant state of processing the steady flow of food can affect your immune system in a negative manner; more energy is diverted to digesting, making you tired, and perpetuating the cycle.
We often want to cite genetics as the cause of our health conditions. However, studies have consistently proven that it’s our environment, our thoughts, and our habits that affect us, more than our genetics, which are actually only to blame for 5-10% of our ailments. Many of our afflictions are the result of uninformed or poor choices.
Three things in particular are unknowingly the cause of much that ails us:
1) Making negligent choices. This means disregarding what you already know or not learning from your experience to correct behaviours that cause harm.
2) Living out of rhythm. It’s important to pay attention to and align to the circadian, seasonal, and time-of-life rhythms. To live in rhythm is to live well.
3) Disrespecting your senses. Pay very close attention to what you taste, see, hear, feel, and smell. Your senses will tell you when they've had enough. Your job is to pay attention and respond appropriately.
There are some basic body rules and habits that will completely change the trajectory of your health and increase your immunity. My habits course teaches you these basic 10 rules to live by. Yes, each body is unique, but we all have the same organs, senses, and rhythms that serve the same functions, and there are “best practices” for caring for the body, mind and spirit.
Following these best practices will dramatically improve your health, demeanor, energy and immunity. They will build resiliency.
Recent statistics have shown us that those in concentrated areas in cities, particularly with high pollution, and stressed immune systems, are the most susceptible to the COVID-19. Our best defense is to take care of our bodies, minds, and spirits. My passion is teaching others to do this. Join our next round of the Blissful Habits program!