This soup is packed with organic veggies, Adzuki beans, and spices. Yum!
I have self-healed from asthma, insomnia, chronic pain, and numerous other chronic health issues, and I have stopped the growth of cancer, through self-care strategies that I have developed over the years – through personal experimentation (my body and life are living laboratories!) and consultations with integrative and holistic medical doctors who have tremendous integrity and insight, and who have done profound healing work on themselves and their clientele. I additionally have consulted with my integrative oncologist and holistic nutritionist about how to practice self-care during the Coronavirus pandemic. With all this in mind, I am sharing with you how I am practicing self-care during this time. Many of these things I already do, but I am boosting the rigorousness with which I do them.
1. Powering up on Vitamins A, D, and C, as well as mushroom supplements, elderberry, and echinacea.
2. Eating and drinking copious amounts of raw and cooked vegetables – in particular, throwing heaps of garlic into salads and soups. I find soups to be particularly nourishing, as they warm my entire system. They are also an easy-breezy way of consuming veggies, because I just chop every item of produce I can get my hands on, throw it into a pot with some beans or organic and pasture raised meat or poultry, and let it boil until it is ready to eat.
3. Getting rest and sleep. I am not the best at this during normal circumstances, because as a self-employed entrepreneur in general, and now a musician in particular, I have to work hard to get enterprises off the ground. But I’m turning off the alarm, scheduling things in the afternoon or evening, and sleeping nine or ten hours a night wherever possible.
4. Going to my happy place. Fear and panic cause stress, which puts the body into flight-or-fight response, which triggers the sympathetic nervous system, which wears down the body’s adrenaline supply and immune activity. So I am breathing, meditating, drumming, dancing, hiking in nature, biking in nature, spending quality time with my boyfriend and getting heaps of hugs and cuddles, to stay grounded, peaceful, and in my happy place – in turn optimizing my immune system (and just enjoying Life!)
5. Doing all the other stuff that’s been recommended – which, again, I do as a general rule, as a germ-conscious and slightly anti-social individual. While I don’t typically go out much anyhow, I’m making a point of staying away from the outside world except when I need to go grocery shopping. When I come home, I immediately wash those clothes and stick my coat in the closet, then wash my hands.
I hope my reflections are helpful to you, and I welcome your comments! May we all stay healthy, safe, and sane during this weird time.
