Being healthy is important all the time and especially now since COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown has taken over the globe…
I have been trying to become even healthier than before. Below explained is what has prompted this change and my health improvement tips. I hope you will enjoy this post 🙂
Here is my story :
2019 was a super tough year for me and my family.
I spent most of it working from home when abroad and then on my sabbatical. It was due to my father’s illness. I ‘paused’ my life and became obsessed with fighting my dad’s illness, nothing else mattered to me… Sadly my dad left us at the beginning of 2020 crushing my heart to pieces & making it a truly awful year. Now coronavirus continues to make it even harder.
As I experienced huge stress daily for longer than a year I had to figure out how to get rid of my adrenal fatigue. Mind you half a year since the dramatic event and I still suffer from it ;-(. I believe some of those points could be handy for you during lockdown as many feel fear and uncertainty which causes stress. Prolonged stress takes its toll on the body and leads to some health issues when one’s cortisol is elevated for way too long….
When you struggle please remember that this will pass, and we will have positive times to come and joyful things to look forward to unlike when fighting a terminal illness! – it’s very harsh of me to say that but that’s true…
New perspective on life
Ever since losing my dad, I have a very different perspective on life… His illness and our family’s emotional and mental struggle have changed me and reminded me of what is really important in life.
I suppose I have been trying to live more in the present than in the past or in the future and slowed down to ruminate… Hence for me, lockdown is not the beginning of a transformation phase but its continuation. I hope you can also SLOW DOWN and reflect on many aspects of your life to make the best of it and be thankful that it was ‘just’ the lockdown not a terminal illness of your beloved one prompting such a reflection.
Plus there are two commodities which none of us is going to get back: health and time, so we ought to ’waste’ both wisely. Ever since my dad got ill I have been trying to make wiser choices in either of these areas.
How to keep healthy and sane during the lockdown?
I am lucky to have a very understanding partner and we live in a huge house with a nice garden, park nearby and a lovely dog, so my stress level is hopefully minimal now. Although having said that I do suffer from ad hoc tension headaches or stress-induced pain. I know when I experienced stress or emotional strain as usually, my weird symptoms appear just a few days after the event. That is why I have been concentrating on self-care and wellbeing more and more starting since January. I take care of my health on multiple levels from the diet, exercise through supplementation and mindfulness.
What are my top tips for you?
My plan involves:
1. Spending more time with my partner and our dog – no one gives me as much oxytocin!
2. Mindfulness practice through evening journaling.
3. Practicing gratefulness – I try to note down 3 things I am grateful for!
4. Meditation and yoga using apps such as Calms and Keep Yoga to bring emotional balance and positive energy. I have also started tai chi classes but can’t continue them now.
5. Sleeping 7-8 hour everyday ideally with guided meditation from Joe Dispenza allowing me to fall asleep as I struggle with that the most.
6. Having a super healthy anti-cancer diet, so I can fill my body with nutrients and not just empty calories and I am more mindful about the food I eat. 7. Blogging- Money Saving Girl is my hobby but I am always happy to see many keywords ranking high up in Google – I must know what I am doing for a living.
8. Supporting my calm mind and aiding restful sleeping when taking some herbal supplements: ashwagandha, tulsi, and honokiol these are my top three supplements to aid my nervous system. Feverfew helps immensely with my tension headaches.
9. Self-development through reading books- currently reading ‘How not to die’. When I am tired or on the go or cleaning the house, I listen to the podcasts or an app that summarises books – Blinkist.
10. Exercise– I love cross fit so me and freeletics are new best friends.
11. Gardening as its proven it helps to reduce stress and its aiding longevity.
12. Talking to my friends – phone and Internet help to make the most of it.
13. Cooking – cooking calms me down. I couldn’t do it without my instant pressure cooker, food processor and blender…
14. Motorcycling – but of course now only when riding to do essential food shopping.
What is on your healthy food menu?
I start my day with gluten-free oats with turmeric powder, maca, flax seeds, milk thistle, and oat milk. I top it up with dry or fresh fruits and seeds. I will also have a glass of freshly prepared carrot juice.
For my lunches, I love salads or veggie-cheese bakes (preferably with halloumi or a sparse amount of parmesan as I try not to have dairy). The tasty app gives me some ideas.
For my dinners I love soups. My diet is based on plants and anything anti-inflammatory
I usually sauté onion on olive oil and put all the veggies I have at hand (cabbage, carrot, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, etc.) to my instant pressure pot and top up with veggie broth, lentil quinoa and some spices, then cook and blend. I garnish it with the broccoli sprouts or dry-fried sunflower or pumpkin seeds of course
For snacks I eat marinated artichoke as I love it, nuts or home baked flapjack! I love the light ricotta cake.
I discovered a new interest: veggie fermenting – rather popular back home in Poland. Since in lockdown I keep doing sour beets juice and sauerkraut. Both fantastic for our gut microbiomes. If you are curious about either email me for recipes or follow my guru Sandor Katz or Stacey Clare.
