An Ounce of Prevention
Let’s talk about immune functions and how we can both cultivate and support them.
“My God people, do you not see? The Bug is NOTHING. The Terrain is EVERYTHING!”
Terrain, being your internal ecosystem, is actually your front line defense against pathogens. In the case of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) we need to give it a good fight - the virus is taking down aged and immunocompromised folks because their terrain is not as vibrant. This is the call for healthy, young, and strong constitutional folks to support themselves! Strengthen your soldiers to fight this superbug while decreasing the likelihood of spreading because your soldiers are doing due diligence to take it down. COVID-19 specifically targets the lungs because it is an easy and vulnerable target, but your immune system does not reside in the lungs. For this, we look to the gut, making sure our inner ecology is adequately fed with foods that are:
Warm: It takes a significant amount of energy for your body to warm cold/raw food during the digestive process. Give your body less work to do by consuming more warm foods.
Nourishing: Eat the rainbow, root vegetables, protein, whole grains, and where possible, organic is best.
Homemade with Love: Put the time and energy in because you will get it back in health!
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
The methodology is we build our reserves inside so we have strength to fight should any pathogenic factor come our way. The stronger you are, the more resilient you are against the little superbugs that are sweeping the globe. This is why the elderly and immunocompromised folks are affected, because their reserves are low and we need our Qi strong to withstand pathogenic adversity.
Another thing to consider is the quality of this virus — it is not heat-resistant, meaning the fever symptoms we present is our body fighting hard to take down the virus. COVID-19 first presents with fever and dry cough, drying up the lungs and spiking body temperature, the higher the fever, the harder your body is fighting. However, we need to prepare our bodies to be equipped to handle it. Pantry staples like garlic, ginger, cayenne, and plenty of hot water and tea will bolster your body’s response.
Looks like we are getting back to basics here, people. So, I encourage you to see what you have in your home that can help you build your immunity. Look to your spice cupboards and your kitchen as your medicine cabinet.
Here are some additional at-home suggestions to support your immunity:
Get strong from the inside-out by strengthening your vitality and Qi with yoga, Qi gong, and herbs.
Eating hydrating foods and nourish deeply with “wet” foods like soups, stews, congees, pho, etc.
Avoid processed, sugary, refined foods as they do nothing for your reserves and give your body more work to mitigate inflammation and dampness — a breeding ground for sickness.
Strengthen your lungs with deep breathing exercises that open the bronchioles and bring oxygen into the body. As an added bonus, breathing exercises down-regulate the ‘fight or flight’ response!
Wear a scarf or a high collar on windy days, even when sunny out, protecting the nape of the neck.
Drink plenty of ginger tea, warm yourself from the inside out and help strengthen your defenses. → pro tip: Slice (no need to peel) and boil a bunch of ginger root in water for 30 minutes and drink it like a tonic daily. After making the concentrate, dilute it with hot water for homemade tea as desired throughout the day.
Finish your showers with cold water to close the pores. This protects your defensive Qi and strengthens your immunity. Try the Wim Hof method if you really want to be a superhuman!
Take immune-boosting supplements and herbs. If you are unsure about what’s right for you, schedule a free COVID-19 Herbal Phone Consultation with me.
Tap your sternum to stimulate the thymus gland — located underneath the sternum/chest 3-5” below your clavicle in the center of the chest.
Get creative with your activities! Use your living room for workouts, meditation, or yoga. Turn your bathroom in a personal sauna or take an extra hot shower. Generally, doing activities that are regulating, moving, and/or down-regulating of the stress response are encouraged when healthy to maintain health.
“When a crisis occurs, the least helpful thing is to panic.”
The stakes are high and I’m seeing the collective going into primal panic-doomsday-apocalyptic mode, which is more concerning than the virus. I’ve been seeing a lot on ‘what to do’ and 'how to prevent’ on the physical side of this virus, and rightfully so. But let’s talk about what you can do and then discuss the emotional and spiritual aspect of current affairs.
Spiritual aspects being affected:
Willpower, known as the Zhi (pronounced- ‘sh-jur’, the ‘zh’ has a j sound), is the deep will to survive. The spirit of Zhi/Will, is stored in the kidneys/urinary bladder which also house fear. When fear sets in we are tested to see what resources we have. If we look around and don’t have resources, we might experience a debilitating elevation of panic or loss of hope. The remedy is to resource and know what to resource with. Having to do with the element of water, our most vital resource in which Kidneys filter in our body, we must make sure to tend to them. Through Qi Gong exercises enacting the lower dan tien and the gate of life located near the umbilicus on the front and back body respectively, we begin to strengthen our will. Resource our water reserves and ease the fear as we strengthen our Qi. Gaining adequate resources at this time and distilling what is important gives the Zhi the safety and security we all need.
Supportive foods/activities: black/dark blue foods (forbidden rice, adzuki beans, black tea), plenty of water, minerals, getting plenty of rest.
Emotional aspects being affected:
Another aspect I see in the collective right now is depleting untamed worry. The spirit of the spleen/stomach is the Yi or known as the intellect. When rumination takes hold, the mind is carried away in a story that may not actually be happening- think about the mind on the hamster wheel. This creates imbalance and destabilizes our core, as our Earth and our Zheng Qi are no longer consolidated. The energy is rerouted to the mind and we are not able to anchor to our center. Now, this is different than making a plan, assessing resources, and using our intellect. When our Earth is in balance, it is actually our intellect that shines with its ability to think clearly; learning what is the best course of action. If the Will of the Water is about resources and survival, the Intellect of the Earth is about stabilization of the center. No surprise that it correlates to the digestive center of the body.
It is important while eating to not reroute the Qi to the mind, as it needs to focus on the one job it has to do. It is suggested to not watch TV, read books, drive, stand, or have heavy conversations during mealtime. If you find yourself worrying while eating, try to redirect to gratitudes and enjoyments instead. Give the body less to do at a time so that it can perform each task adequately. If you are finding yourself with a lack of appetite due to worry, please take the time to prepare your meals and do as suggested to maintain strength at this time, and always.
Supportive foods/activities: yellow foods (squash, eggs, whole grains) and meditating.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The best tools are knowledge to prepare and equip ourselves so that we can prevent the prevalence and spreading of infection. Here are a few additional resources for your use.
CDC tested cleaners that kill COVID-19 and the proper hand washing techniques.
The CDC is your most up to date source for information.
A broader perspective would be the WHO.
Other sites worth visiting for information are the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and Johns Hopkins.
A good reference on how to prepare your office for COVID-19 can be found at OSHA which I will be abiding by at Point of Balance.
