The Coronavirus – Two Ways to Keep the Virus Out
In these times of challenge, with the COVID-19 navigating around the world and attacking fellow humans, and impacting our day-to-day lives in a whole variety of ways, it’s very easy to get caught up in the panic and to end up feeling helpless.
The advice coming from the media tends to focus on hygiene: washing your hands, not touching your face, not shaking hands, sneezing into your elbow (!), not touching surfaces, wearing face masks, and so on.
But there’s a great deal more that we can do to protect ourselves. Each of our physical bodies is like a world within a world, made up trillions of cells, with each cell surrounded by its own walls and boundaries. The younger we are and the healthier we are, the stronger the cellular boundaries and the better job they will do to protect us from viral attack.
The older we are, or the sicker we are, the more vulnerable we are to attack and so, more “at risk.”
But what should I eat?
As a health coach, a question that I often get asked is “What should I eat for health?” The answer will vary depending on the individual – after all, we are all different – but there are some common principles. The evidence suggests that a diet full of whole, fresh, preferably organic, plant-based foods is going to be health-promoting. This doesn’t mean that it needs to be 100% plants, it’s not about all or nothing, but a commitment and action plan to move in this direction and dial it all up during times of crisis (ie now) will increase protection for our bodies.
This will make us a lot less likely to contract the virus in the first place, and if we were to get it, we would be much more equipped to fight it off. And quickly.
Where to start?
It doesn’t have to be complex, or difficult and you can start tomorrow, or even today. An easy way to start is simply by committing to add a fresh vegetable juice to your daily diet. Even if you didn’t make any other changes, the consistent addition of veg juice will have a positive nutritious impact on your body and the effects will magnify over time.
Drinking vegetable juice has been part of my personal wellbeing plan for many years. I’m not into juice fasting which has its pros and cons, but I am into the consistent consumption of vegetable juice and have drunk a lot of juice over the years, so I’ve got it down to a ‘T’ now. I’m happy to share recipes – my personal favourite is a mixture of celery, kale, parsley, ginger and beets. A word of warning, this may not be the best juice to start with if you’re new to juicing as it’s very bitter, but you can add apple to make it more palatable.
When drinking it, for maximum effect, visualise the ‘liquid gold’ entering your body, strengthening your cell walls and building solid protection to your whole body. This may sound ‘woo woo’, but the evidence suggests that it does make a difference.
What herbs can I take to boost immunity?
As well as eating fresh, whole plant-based foods, another key thing that you can do is to take targeted herbs, the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant. Herbs are packed with nutrients, so small amounts can have a big impact.
I caught up with Sydney-based Ayurvedic health practitioner and the Founder of The Medicine Man, Benjamin Haynes, to find out what herbs he would recommend to boost immunity and reduce risk:
“One of the best options to boost the immune system is Chywanprash. This is one of the most ancient Ayuredic formulas which contains a number of different herbs all geared towards improving immunity. Another option, Guduchi also commonly known as Giloy which is rich in antioxidants, and I’d also recommend Amalaki, the Indian Gooseberry, which provides the highest naturally occurring source of vitamin C on the planet.”
But how much and how best to take these herbs? “The actual dosage will vary based on the individual context, and each of us will need different levels of herbs to protect our organs, and boost and balance the digestive fire (Agni)”, says Benjamin. However, if you are concerned in general, Benjamin’s advice is to take Chaywanpras and Guduchi or else his own, powerful Flu Fighter Blend which contains all of the herbs and can be taken as a preventative measure or during the first signs of flu. I’ve taken it and it really works! You can purchase all of these herbs through the Medicine Man Website.
History has shown us that on the other side of adversity is growth, and it’s in the moments of struggle that true innovation can occur. From your perspective, that innovation could be starting on the journey to transform your habits; upgrade the ones that are not serving you and move towards a situation of total wellbeing to protect against the Coronavirus and the others that will come along in the future.
In this dynamic world that we live in, where the media do a brilliant job at grabbing our attention using emotionally charged headlines, it’s very easy to feel fear, vulnerability and panic. However, as an individual, you have a lot more choice than you may realise. You can choose what media to consume; you can choose who to speak to; you can choose whether to exercise and above all else; only you get to choose what food, herbs and drink your put into your bodies. By upgrading these choices, you will help to strengthen your boundaries and protect yourself from viral attack.
We live in a free world, which means we get to choose, so choose well. Be well.
About the Author
Lawrence is the Founder and Creator of RAW Energy that helps people build Resilience, Authenticity and balanced wellbeing. RAW Stands for:
Resilience Life is full of ups, downs, twists and turns. Resilience is all about building a core inner strength so that you can bounce forward.
Authenticity Each of us has natural strengths and areas of development. Deep self-knowledge enables us to put ourselves in environments that help us thrive.
Wellbeing Harmony and balance in all areas of life. The RAW Energy Total Wellbeing model has 5 pillars which each represent a segment of life and provides the framework to take positive and consistent action to upgrade.
