Q: How can I stay well in a crisis?
Dr. Allegra says…
A: Recent events revealed just how tenuous our balance with health can be. Epidemics such as these often leave people feeling panicked and confused. In the midst of all this fear and confusion, you have a choice to make. How are you going to respond? It really depends on your goals. Do you want to cultivate love and health in the world, or chaos?
Let's be clear, yes, life is out of our control, and the only thing you have control over is how you choose to respond. How you choose to treat yourself and others during a crisis says a lot about you and your habits. Ask yourself: “Am I nourishing my life? Am I cultivating love or fear?”. Reroute and reassess your choices if you don’t like your answer.
So what can you do to help yourself and everyone else during these difficult times? Practice honest, mindful self-care. These tools can help boost your immune system and speed healing, as well as enhance your ability to cope with stress. We can all use a little help right about now.
Get back to the basics.
Keep it simple and easy. Yes, it can be easy.
Eat right.
Just eat real food. Highly processed foods are never a good idea, but these days we must be even more vigilant about our food choices. Put simply, real whole food gives your body more of the building blocks required for healing and repair, while highly processed foods can deplete your nutrients over time, thereby stripping you of the resources needed to heal more efficiently.
Plenty of clean water.
The rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of hydrating liquid every day. Adequate hydration helps your lymphatic system work properly. Your lymphatic system is one of your garbage collectors, it removes waste from your tissues so you want to ensure that you have enough water every day to help it work effectively.
Sleep right.
Getting enough sleep is essential to give your body time to do regular maintenance. Aim for at least 7-9 hours of restful sleep every night.
Slow down.
We are all being forced to slow down, and I think this is a good skill to cultivate. Keep in mind that rest- mental, emotional, and physical- is productive and pivotal to wellness on all levels.
Take media breaks.
Let’s face it, the news can be stressful. We are not meant to know what is going on in every part of the world at all times. It is ok to take media breaks. I often will prescribe news fasts to my patients.
By using this opportunity to become a more positive force in the world, we become the healer for ourselves and those around us.
It all starts with you, right here, right now.
ABOUT DR. ALLEGRA HART
Dr. Allegra Hart is a licensed naturopathic physician, speaker, author of Nourishing Space Within: Essentials of Self-Care, founder of Naturae Naturopathic Clinic and Dr. Allegra’s Apothecary, and works with patients worldwide.
Dr. Allegra specializes in helping women rebuild their health from the inside out by cultivating natural self-care. If we as individuals create healing foundations on our own- the ripple effect will inevitably inspire others to do the same, and together we can be the change we wish to see in the world. Check out Dr. Allegra’s healthy living online course for your next level of support at naturaeclinic.com/wellness-programs
If you have a question for Dr. Allegra, email us at info@naturaeclinic.com with the subject “The Doctor Is In Question”.