I didn’t think we’d begin our ‘Healthful Indulgence’ with a dose of Immunity Boosting write-up, but if it literally does have that effect, then there’s no better time for it than now!

A Healthful Reminder: Cozy up with a nice warm cup of your favourite beverage and let’s dive in!

It is really easy to get carried away with everything that goes on around us, that we most often forget to look within. We may keep ourselves engaged over our mobile phones, in the name of connecting with the world, yet in the midst of it, we lose connection with our very own loved ones with whom we live. We are quick to criticise or speak up when it comes to others but we blatantly ignore the same issues that arise within our own homes or within ourselves or with our own families. This trend doesn’t waver when it comes to our very own immune system. We mostly seek superficial means of attaining health or worse still, only rouse to seek remedies when ill. But we forget that we have been naturally endowed with the greatest protection of our health, our immune system, a system which if well cared for and nurtured turns out to be our best chance against the various threats to our health we see in our environment today.  Instead, just as in the past with the rise of a global outbreak, we once again move into ‘jitter-mode’, filled with apprehension and worry about our unforeseeable future, once again ignoring the very promising answer to our health problems. 

So I say, why worry  when the best weapon against this situation is within us? As a matter of fact, our immune system is the best weapon we have against every illness we could possibly face and perhaps this is the best time for us to act on this fact. Besides we can only do whats within our capacity.

With January to March being a period of extreme weather fluctuations as our seasons desperately attempt a smooth transition from winter to summer (and also desperately fail, I might add); we face a season of allergies and viral infections doing the rounds. Along with my 2020 resolutions to adopt a healthy lifestyle for me and my family, I have found myself quite naturally taking up practices that are immune boosting. Let’s just say I feel its time we show our beloved immune system some love! So here’s what my family and I are attempting to adopt into our daily / weekly routine over the past couple of weeks and hope that these practices will evolve into effortless lifelong habits. 

Nutrition

1. Start the day with a mug of warm water, a dribble of honey and a squeeze of lemon 
2. Ensure we have enough roughage in our meals
3. Add immunity boosting ingredients (like cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, raw onion, sunflower and pumpkin seeds)  and recipes (chicken or vegetable broth) to our food
4. Hydrate at the sound of a water bell/ reminder on the hour, with water, lemon juice, coconut water, lassi
5. Aid digestion through  a whole spice tea post dinner 
6. Eat seasonal and local
7. Create a balanced meal plan each week

Exercise

1. Daily 30 minutes of sunshine 
2. 30 minutes of a specific physical exercise
3. Movement every half hour

Emotional Spa

1. Personal and Family Prayer 
2. Think Positive
3. Breathe Deep
4. Make the smallest moments with kids and spouse count – everyday
5. 2-minute tasks? – just do it!
6. Take up a hobby seriously – even if only a little at a time
7. Sleep Well

Personal Care

1. Moisturise
2. Practice responsible personal hygiene
3. Empower the kids and family to take up these lifestyle changes with ease and positive motivation

Healthy Home

1. Humidify the air if dry
2. Add effective disinfectants to household cleaning products 
3. Avoid harsh chemicals that can challenge our immunity or trigger allergies
4. Add home decor features that aid positive thinking and positive emotions
5. Stay organised and one step ahead to reduce stress

Community

1. Talk to neighbours and friends about finding effective safeguards for our health
2. Reducing unwarranted but common awkwardness around health promotion for the community
3. Empower each other

Stay tuned to my next post where I discuss how I am implementing these efforts in our daily routine.  Perhaps it will help you do the same with ease. If you have any more ideas for how we can boost our immunity, do leave us a comment because we can all learn from each other’s experiences. 

While the above have has been a relatively adhoc effort to strengthen my family’s immunity to fight off the flu season, I realise that my fight mode needs to transition to nurture mode sooner than later. So please check out my Human Immunity Series in posts to come.

Let’s Keep Calm and Strengthen Our Immunity. Why worry when the best weapon against this situation is within us?