If this is you, then you really need to read what I have to say...
You’ve taken all the government advice and you’ve stocked up on immune-boosting vitamins. You’re trying to eat as healthily as possible and ensuring you’re getting some natural vitamin D by getting outside for that daily walk. You’ve taken every possible precaution but you’re still feeling nervous that you might be the next one to catch Covid.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO? STOP STRESSING. SHOOT DOWN THAT FEAR! I’d say this is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING right now and I’ll tell you WHY from a Nutritional Therapist’s point of view:
Mental stress of any kind has a cascading effect of harmful biological reactions in each and every cell of the body. Read that again to yourself, slowly.
This means that even if you are eating all the ‘good’ things and ensuring you’re doing everything ‘right’; if you are worried about doing everything perfectly, scared that you’re not doing enough or nervous that nothing is going to save you regardless of all the advice out there, you are undoing all the good just by thinking these thoughts!
When the body is in a happy, unworried, stress-free state it is able to grow and repair. When you think or feel any ‘negative’ thoughts or emotions, the body goes into a stressed state and all your energy goes into defence – we call it ‘fight or flight’ mode. Quite simply, the body cannot do both at the same time!
But don’t I want my body to be in a defence mode with Covid lurking round the corner?...
This mode is available to humans and is vital to our existence ONLY IN EMERGENCIES. It can be helpful in extreme situations. When we were cave-men, this stressed state would have helped us run away from other mammals trying to attack us. Adrenaline is produced and blood is re-directed from internal organs to the outer limbs so that we could run faster and escape the jaws of that tiger!
Covid is extremely serious, of course. But it’s not visible and its not chasing after you in quite the same way. If you are wearing your mask and being sensible with social-distancing etc, eating well and getting enough exercise, then that is enough. There is little point in worrying and stressing about it on top of taking those precautions.
This stress state, where the body goes into defence, is REALLY DEHYDRATING to our bodies. When you are dehydrated, the body is trying to function optimally against the odds! So it is not helping your immune system being the strongest it wants to be.
Dehydration also causes calcium to buffer the acidity in the cells, destabilizing blood sugar, leading to frayed emotions and mood swings. It can be the root cause of headaches, PMS, indigestion and so many other ailments.
Here's the part that makes my mind boggle...
The body creates receptor sites for emotions that it is fed regularly, so it is annoyingly cyclic. The more negative thoughts you have like fear, the more the body recognises fear as a frequent emotion and creates more sites for that specific emotion to latch on to – forming ‘habits’.
So if we get good at feeling fearful, the body gets good at producing receptor sites for fear. When we are stressed, we revert back to what we know.
The frontal cortex of the brain shuts down and the body automatically thinks “I’ve got to produce more of those receptor sites for fear and I know I’m good at that”. We actively have to re-learn not to do this! In the end, feeling a positive emotion is something the body almost doesn’t recognise!
Following still? So in order to re-wire thought pathways, practice is required until new habits of thinking more positive thoughts are recognised internally as ‘the norm’. Gradually the body starts to relax and be in a state of happiness and not stress. And guess what? Immunity is boosted because the body can get on with healing and growing – the thing it likes doing!
So it is vital that we are feeding the body well and nourishing it on a physical level which will help keep us hydrated and calm but EQUALLY VITAL is that we are constantly nourishing ourselves mentally.
· Start connecting to your purpose and what is joyful in your life
· Pretend to feel better than maybe you are – this is often enough to lift us slightly and reassure our minds that feeling ‘relaxed’ is ok.
· Talk to people who you know are positive people and who make you feel stronger and happier
· Laughter is the Best Medicine! Try swapping fear-inducing thrillers for watching silly comedy instead - Dad's Army is a fave for me!!
There is nothing as transformative or as healing as having private consultations. We look at not only your nutritional requirements but also look at the other important pillars of health - your emotional and mental wellbeing. Contact me at treatyourselfnutri@gmail.com or call me on 07858-994088 for a no-obligation preliminary chat to find out more.
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