Cold and wet days in autumn or winter are when we may feel more fragile and can easily get sick. We all know when our body starts feeling achy or when we have a funny feeling in our nose or throat.
I do not always prioritise looking after myself and my laziness helps the unwelcome bug to get stronger and spend more time with me than I may wish. Of course, the best prevention is to develop a healthy, strong and balanced environment within our body that can resist any outside intruder but sometimes we need to do something extra to help.
So here are some of the methods I use when my body gets sick.
- REST – the most important is to rest. Throughout the centuries doctors have always recommended resting, ideally in bed. I know that most of you will say ‘but, I can’t’. We all can at some degree. Look at all the activities that need to be done and everyone that you need to look after. Prioritise your health. Most activities can wait and if you have little ones they can stay with you, playing around, drawing, watching or reading together. Remember that the less time you take to rest, the longer it will take you to get better.
- PROPER REST – lay down in the bed with no lights on and with fully closed curtains. Have a glass of water on the bedside table. Snuggle yourself under the duvet, make yourself comfortable and warm. Use a hot water bottle if that helps. Close your eyes. Don’t read or watch a film. Allow your body to rest and start its repairing and healing process. Our body is an amazing organism and it just needs time and space to look after itself. If you don’t fall asleep straight away, focus on the body; how it feels and silently in your mind encourage your body to heal, to get better. Trust and believe in the strength and healing powers of your body. Allow your body to let go of all needs, to do lists, goals and fully focus on your recovery. Have a bit of water if you get thirsty and try to stay in bed as long as you can.
- FLUIDS – it is important to have plenty of fluids during your recovery. Herbal teas and soups are the best. Avoid black tea with milk, coffee and soft drinks. Fluids are very helpful to flush your system. Herbs are like soldiers that help to fight the bugs or create a good environment for recovery.
- Ginger tea – ideally fresh but tea bags are fine too.
- How to make Ginger tea: Great using a ginger grater/cheese grater/or just chop with a knife about 2cm of fresh ginger. Place ginger in a pan of 300ml boiling water and place a lid on top. Keep boiling for about 5-10min. You can add cinnamon and/or a few cloves. Use a strainer and pour the boiled water into a cup. Leave it for a while to cool down. Once it is cool enough to drink add some fresh lemon juice and honey. Make sure that you don’t put lemon and honey into very hot water as you would kill all beneficial vitamins and enzymes.
- Ginger tea – ideally fresh but tea bags are fine too.
- FOOD – less is better. Our system uses too much energy for digesting and there is not enough left for repairing and healing the body. There’s no need to fast. Focus on light, easy to digest food, especially soups. Avoid refined sugar and dairy products that create mucus within our body.
- Great helpers – fresh or lightly cooked garlic, fresh fruit and vegetables (especially greens), sourkraut, onion, honey, ginger.
- A few tips:
- onion syrup – cut onion into small pieces. Use a small glass jar with a lid and place the first layer of chopped onion, then use a teaspoon of honey or agave syrup and pour over, then another layer of onion and again a bit of honey or agave syrup and continue until the jar is full. Leave it in the fridge for a few hours. The onion will release the juice. Take a few teaspoons a day. Leave it to melt in your mouth before you swallow.
- honey – eat honey from a spoon rather than mixing in a drink. It is more beneficial to suck or leave the honey in your mouth for a while than to drink it mixed with something else as some of the enzymes, minerals and vitamins will be already absorbed in your mouth. Make sure that you use good quality honey, ideally from the local beekeeper than from the supermarket as the quality may not be very good (lots of sugar and no beneficial enzymes).
- HOME – our home can be sometimes very noisy, cluttered with stuff and full of old exhausted air. It is important to open all windows every day at least for 5-10min. It is easier to open all doors and windows and create a draft that quickly exchanges the air at home during winter. It can also be nice to sometimes switch all electronic devices off, dim the light and just be. Try it, it’s worth it!
- CLOTHES – I can clearly hear my mum saying ‘Cover your kidneys, take a longer jumper!’, now I understand. Keeping your feet and your back warm is very important. So take more clothes if in doubt. It is always easier to take some off.
- CLEANSING – cleansing techniques are very helpful and beneficial and they really work!
- Steam inhaling – boil water and pour it into a sink. Make sure that the steam is not too hot. Take a big towel and cover your head and shoulders with it. Lean above the sink and inhale deeply through the nose, exhale through the mouth. If you have a Tea Tree oil or Peppermint oil you can use a few drops to enhance the effect. Steam as long as it is comfortable. The cold should naturally run from the sinuses. Blow your nose properly. More information can be found here.
- Scraping your tongue – very easy and effective way how to reduce germs entering your body. Find more about it here.
- Neti Pot – is a cleansing technique using warm salty water that helps to clean the nasal passages
- Breathing exercise (Pranayama) – deep abdominal breath and especially Kapalabhati is a very effective practice. Read more here.
- Gargling – gargling warm water, salt water or water with tea tree oil may help to prevent or heal your throat and upper respiratory system.
- Meditation – strengthens the immune system and helps to quiet and relax the body and the mind. It also supports the self-healing process.
All these above techniques are very helpful once you get ill or you are feeling that you are getting ill but all of them can be also used to prevent getting ill in the first place.
Learn to listen to your body and when you feel the first signs of being ill, try not to overlook them or fight them by being more active or just by swallowing a few pills in the hope of feeling better. Support your body, take rest and other beneficial steps.
Your body might be telling you to stop, to slow down, to look after yourself. Try to listen, don’t ignore it. Be patient with yourself and with your body and heal yourself properly as a quick fix never lasts too long and you may soon get ill again.
Be happy and healthy
Please inspire others and share some of the ways that you use to heal the body when you are not feeling well. Thank you!
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