Hello my lovelies. With Corona Virus mayhem having fully hit South Africa (schools closing, travel restrictions and events cancelled), I thought I’d compile some useful or inspiring reads, recipes and inspiration to help us stay healthy and positive during this crazy time. I urge you all to take precautions and stay informed, but also be mindful of your media consumption and mindset.
Ok, so first up, I love this very well curated compilation of articles from Goop on how to stay well and bolster your immune system. Click here to read. There’s great medical information, health tips and lovely recipes.
Bespoke Body’s top picks for immune boosting supplements are
Vitamin C , Vitamin D3, Vitamin A, B6 and Zinc (do not take high doses of Vitamin A if you are pregnant or trying to conceive!) , Elderberry, Echinachea & Viral Choice. There are of course many many other supplements, superfoods, herbs and potions to choose from, but I wanted to keep things simple so as not to overwhelm! I know that a lot of people have panic shopped many pharmacies and health shops out of their stock of many of these immune boosting items. I managed to order online at Dis-chem. I just bought a single quantity of each, because it’s inconsiderate to others to stockpile and leave them without access. Just saying. Be kind. Share. Don’t hoard.
If you don’t have access or can’t afford to buy any of these supplements, please do not panic! There are so many other powerful ways to support your body and immune system. Most importantly, proper hydration, proper nutrition and GUT HEALTH.
70-80% of our immune cells are located in the gut.
This is why nourishing our gut microbiome is so vital to our wellbeing. Make sure you’re getting a wide variety of whole foods in your diet. Try to avoid or limit inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, refined vegetable oils and refined sugar. Try to incorporate some kind of fermented food or drink into your daily diet. Sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kombucha, kefir, sourdough bread, nato – these are all examples of gut-loving fermented foods and drinks. Don’t go overboard though. Too much of a good thing will lead to bloating and gas! You can also invest in a high quality probiotic if you are not able to digest fermented foods and drinks. PRE-biotics are just as important, as they are the food for your gut bacteria. Garlic, onions, apple, artichoke, asparagus and inulin fibre are all great examples of prebiotic foods.
Speaking of garlic… it’s one of nature’s most powerful anti-viral and antibiotic foods. Load up on it! I cook with garlic almost everyday and even eat raw garlic cloves with some raw honey when my immune system is feeling low. My husband won’t come near me and I could probably kill someone by breathing on them, but I’m healthy, so whatever! 🙂
Other wonderful immune boosting and anti-viral foods are: citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and lemons. Peppers and chilis. Broccoli. Ginger. Turmeric. Coconut oil. Kiwi. Dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, Swiss chard. Sunflower seeds. Oysters. Mushrooms. Shellfish. Berries. Bone broth.
Besides being vigilant with your personal and environmental hygiene practices, other ways to boost your immune system are…
Exercise and movement – not too intense as this can stress and suppress your immune system. Walk, stretch, dance… Keep moving your body! Train outdoors and breathe some fresh air if possible, otherwise there are loads of online training platforms to choose from if you’d rather stay at home. I also offer virtual training sessions if you’d like to train with me!
Sleep. Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep. When we sleep our bodies go into repair mode. Sleep is also one of the best medicines when you’re feeling tired and run down and on the brink of becoming ill. Stay home and sleep!
Manage your stress! Meditation, deep breathing, journaling, phoning a loved one. Stress and anxiety are immune suppressors, as are internalised toxic thoughts and emotions. Process what you’re feeling and thinking. Do not bottle things up. Speak up or write it down. Have a cry – it’s a wonderful release!
Laugh! Having a laugh is wonderful for releasing tension and flooding your body with healing biochemicals. So watch a comedy, read something funny, have a group video chat with your mates… do whatever you can to get those giggles going. Even doing a few minutes of fake laughing will eventually result in real belly laughs because it’s quite ridiculous!
I absolutely love this video of a Zumba instructor in Seville training people from a rooftop while they are in lockdown.
If you google FEEL GOOD NEWS you’ll find some other lovely, innovative and inspiring stories coming out of this global health crisis. Silver linings…
So I’ll leave it at that for today. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this virus. Stay strong. Stay well. We are all in this together and we will be OK!
Love and good vibes to you.
xoxo