Staying Healthy and Happy

The tension is high and we are all affected in one way or another.

Let’s all stop and take 3 deep cleansing breaths.  Do you feel the difference? Can you feel the tension release from different parts of your body?  The shoulders, stomach, neck and back?

Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calmness, thus helping us to make clearer, more intelligent decisions. It also helps us feel more connected to our body and boosts the function of our immune system. ​                 
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Clear your mind, reduce anxiety, relax and unwind for 10 minutes:
 
https://youtu.be/2TwVpPijRAI

​Here is a amazing simple and effective breathing method from Wim Hof:

https://youtu.be/tybOi4hjZFQ

This is an incredible Anxiety Relief Workshop from Gabby Bernstein that she is giving away for free. In this 45-minute workshop she gives us 6 wonderful tools to help us maintain a steady sense of peace during this difficult time. She is genuine and caring and I have personally used these techniques over the years with great success.  I hope you can start implementing this practice into your daily routine right away to get relief and strengthen your immune system. I listen to her 5-minute guided meditation at least once every day, sometimes more.    
Get her free workshop at:

 http://gabbybernstein.com/relief
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Boosting Our Immune System

In the list below, I did not include a recommended dosage, since it is different for every individual and circumstance. There are many different thoughts on what the correct dosages are during a viral attack.   

You do not need to take everything on this list.  This is just a suggestion of what things work to boost the immune system.

In alphabetical order:

Alpha Lipoic Acid
Andrographis 
Astragalus
Blessed Thistle
Curcumin (active component in Turmeric)
Echinacea
Elderberry (there is controversy about taking it during the Covid-19 virus)
Garlic
Goldenseal
Licorice (not the candy source)
Magnesium (Magnesium L-Threonate is one of the best form for helping with sleep)
Medicinal mushrooms (such as cordyceps, lion’s mane, maitake, shitake, reishi, and turkey tail)
Melaleuca
Melatonin 1-2 mg. at night is usually enough
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Nattokinase
Oregano
Probiotics
Quercetin
Selenium 
Vitamin A
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Vitamin C
Vitamin D3
Vitamin K2
Zinc

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Start and end every day writing three things in a notebook that you are grateful for. 

Open the windows and get some fresh air flowing through your home. 

If you own plants that help purify the air, move them to your bedroom while you sleep.

Turn off all electronics (cell phone, TV, computer, WIFI) 1-2 hours before bedtime.

Rub magnesium cream on your feet at night or take magnesium L-Threonate 1-2 hours before bedtime for better sleep.

Take a warm relaxing bath with lavender and/or epsom salts (the magnesium is calming).

Run a diffuser with air purifying essential oils or calming oils, such as lavender oil, to help you sleep at night.

If you live where it is safe to go outside, go for walks out in nature.  If not, walk outside where it is safe and stand barefoot doing a few stretches or yoga. 

Make a cup of tea and call or video chat with a friend.

Dietary Suggestions

Many people are being told to consume Gatorade if they become dehydrated. That may not be the best idea, since a 20 oz. bottle of Gatorade contains 36 gm of sugar which is equivalent to over 7 teaspoons of sugar.

Please, avoid sugar.  Sucrose inhibits the immune system for six hours after it's consumed, leaving the body prone to bacteria and viruses. Stress does the same thing and when we are stressed, we often reach for the sugary foods.  

Avoid packaged foods, they are often loaded with sugar.  Even those you wouldn’t expect. Especially avoid foods labeled as “low fat”, they have added extra sugar to replace the fat in these items.  Read the food labels or better yet, avoid food labels by eating whole foods from the produce section.   

Make a list of your favorite comfort foods and look for healthy alternatives and recipes to them. An example of this would be frozen bananas and fruit mixed for about 30 seconds in a high-speed blender, making a delicious substitute for ice cream.  There are several healthy alternatives to all those foods you crave on my site.    

Following is our grocery list from the Transitioning to Living Cuisine Book.  These foods will all help to build your immune system and you can find lots of great recipes at http://www.GratefulWayHealth.com/Recipes.html

Exercise & Get the Joy Back

Go for a walk.

Jump on a rebounder.

Dance to your favorite music, even if you are alone, dance and sing, they are both great for your emotional health, lymphatic drainage, mood, serotonin level, the list goes on and on.  There are no bad side effects to singing and dancing! I just FaceTimed a friend and we danced together, it was so much fun and made us laugh, so there’s another benefit! 

Do yoga or strength training exercises. The “Down Dog” app is offering a free subscription for all health care professionals, students and teachers until July 1, 2020.

If you have access to stairs in your home, go up and down the stairs for exercise.

Fill a canvas bag with 10 lb. of rice and you can do strength training.

If you have children in your home, play games where you crawl around on your hands and knees, running games, hide and seek, tossing them in the air (is great for strength training and cardiovascular health)

If you are a tennis player (like my husband and I), play tennis in the house with a foam ball or play table tennis.

There are several exercise apps that provide ideas for getting a workout in your home.  Several of the gyms are now also providing online classes (several are free of charge).
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Turn off the news and watch a funny movie. Belly laughs boost the immune system and feel great. Participate in a laughter yoga class online. 
https://youtu.be/QvAkyoA7l4U  
https://youtu.be/wtoXb6_oxck  

Video chat with your children and/or grandchildren to get you smiling.  Read them a book or play a game with them. 

Start a vegetable or herb garden. If you don’t have room outside, start growing microgreens in the house.

When Not Feeling Well

Postural drainage for chest congestion:
https://youtu.be/vxFUPdFc1eM 

Lymphatic Facial Massage for sinus congestion:  
https://youtu.be/0KQYXVjjpio

Using a Neti Pot for sinus and nasal congestion:
https://youtu.be/WA44cMcgOiY


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