As I was revising this week’s originally planned post, the global spread of the coronavirus accelerated, and it was declared a pandemic. I found myself relieved to be on a flight returning back home to London amidst flurries of flight cancellations as countries began to close their borders. As I write this, my oldest daughter, along with countless other students in the U.S. and around the world, is packing her apartment to return home from college as classes have been canceled and the remainder of the semester will be completed online.
Nothing feels normal right now and there’s a sense of unease all around. The uncertainty of the situation over the next few weeks is uncomfortable. While there’s an urgency to be well in our bodies, we must remember that full wellness incorporates the body, mind, and spirit. Much of the spread of the virus is out of our individual control, but that doesn’t mean that we must be out of control as well. Remember, that it’s not what happens to us that matters most, but how we react to what happens.
This is a great time to increase restorative practices to combat the anxious energies that are swirling about. Practice taking deep breaths, take a bath, shut off all devices and read a good book (nothing too apocalyptic!), go for a long walk, pray or meditate, do a home spa day, write in a journal or write a letter to a friend, or release energy and have fun with music and dance. The days are getting longer and new life is bursting out everywhere, take a moment to notice the small changes each day. Look for the hidden gifts in the new and unexpected change of pace, they are most certainly there.
Nutrition matters. As long as your able to, continue to eat fresh vegetables as your main source of nutrition. Those who are malnourished are most vulnerable to being infected with any kind of virus. As you may be preparing for the most severe social isolation measures, consider stocking the most nutritious food possible. High consumption of processed foods is linked to reduced immunity, so stick to the most simple options. If you have a dark cool place to store them, root vegetables so last for a while, so it’s good to have plenty of those to have fresh food to add to your meals as long as possible. Buy dry beans to soak and prepare yourself for highest nutritional content. Best options for pantry include: nuts, nut butters, canned tomatoes, artichokes, tuna, salmon, anchovies, olives, coconut milk, olive oil, and of course if you have a freezer, you can include frozen vegetables and plenty of high quality fish, poultry and meat readily available. Be careful of sugar. If you want to have something sweet on hand, dried fruits and dark chocolate are good options to be consumed in moderation. Sugar (including alcohol) feeds most viruses, so if you consume a lot of sugar, you are creating an inviting environment that will be most susceptible to contracting the virus.
For a final practical note, vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin D3 have been shown to be most effective to bolster the immune system for increased response in combating viral threats.
May you and your families be well. Take a deep breath, get plenty of rest, and keep your bodies, minds, and spirits nourished.
