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Our days have certainly changed post Covid? It’s now been labeled a flu. While it was a crazy time, we witnessed humans  stepping up and showing love and kindnesses in the most remarkable, creative ways! We still see examples of them every day on Social Media, the news and in our own neighborhoods.

One of the greatest acts of love we can show fellow humans is sometimes staying home when we’re ill.  Challenging, yet it is the ultimate act in caring so that we all may stay safe and well, especially those that continue to be immunocompromised in some way or are living with someone who is.

Respect for Life. Respect for Self. Self-Love. In this post I’d like to talk a little about what you all may be doing for yourselves, too. To me, this is so very important, especially right now. I’m talking to all my readers: busy moms, those living alone, working professionals, healers, etc.

Today I’m going to share a few of the ways I’m practicing Self-Love, Self-Care, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Maybe one of these might resonate with you because as you know, we can’t care for others without nourishing ourselves. A silver lining in this stay at home directive is we have this amazing opportunity to take care of ourselves while sheltering in. Right?

Physical Nourishment

We all know that sleep, exercise and healthy eating are important to staying healthy. As a 16-year breast cancer survivor, this has been my go-to daily protocol to keep my immune system running at optimal level. Here’s what I’m finding helpful for me, especially during these days of COVID.

Note: Please remember, these are my dosages. Check with your doctor as everyone has different health issues.

Here is my morning routine:

One Mug of Water and Vinegar

One tablespoon of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar* in a mug of warm water first thing in the morning and before bed. It helps keep one’s PH level balanced. Infections and diseases don’t like alkaline environments.

*I like Bragg’s because it carries the “mother” or the cloudy floating substance which actually contains some enzymes, minerals and probiotics. It’s also gluten-free and provides tons of wellness at under $5 per 16-ounce bottle. Easily found at most grocery stores.

Two mugs of Green Tea

At lunch, and throughout the day:

Daily Vitamins and Supplements

Vitamin C w/Rose Hips-I take 1,000 mg twice daily with food

• Vitamin D-5,000 mg every other day with food
• Chelated Zinc-15 mg twice daily with food (Chelated means it’s more easily absorbed in the body)
• One tablespoon of Elderberry syrup three times weekly as a preventive and three times per day if I’m coming down with a cold or flu.

There are also great Elderberry supplements and Elderberry/Zinc lozenges on the market. I also take Magnesium at night which is wonderful for mood and offers so many other benefits. Click here if you missed it…

Emotional Nourishment

• Listening to my body. “How do I feel today? Right now? What will nourish or
  feed me today emotionally?
• Accepting all of the emotions that appear throughout the day without judging.
  ”Being” with gentleness.
• Letting go of the “shoulds” and the “expectations”
• Surrounding myself with nourishing music, art, food, people, books and all things
  that make me laugh and feel lighter
• Getting creative. I love playing with my camera when I go for a walk. I’m also taking a couple of online classes to enhance my skills.

Recipes for Emotional Nourishment

These little self-care recipes help me feel better physically and emotionally 🙂 A warm bath anytime during the day with Epsom Salts and essential oils of your choosing-uplifting for more energy or soothing for calmness.

The following recipes are from a favorite little book called “Lemons are a Girl’s Best Friend” by Janet Hayward. There are 60 superfood recipes to look and feel your best.  And most of us have these items in our homes.

To order, click the picture of the book next to the recipe for the Tomato Face Mask!

 

Lemon and Honey Face Mask – Revives dry skin and is super moisturizing.

You’ll need:

• Four tablespoons lemon juice
• Four tablespoons honey
• Four tablespoons Almond Oil

Do this:

1. Mix all of the above together and apply the mask to your face, avoiding your eyes.
2. After 15 minutes, rinse with warm water and pat dry.

To help brighten areas of skin pigmentation or acne scars, add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice and reduce the quantity of almond oil.

Tomato Face Mask – Great for oily skin and deep cleansing.

You’ll need:

• Two Ripe tomatoes
• One tablespoon honey

Do this:

1. Cut the tomatoes in half, scooping out the pulp and seeds into a small bowl.
2. Using a fork, mash the tomato flesh to a smooth paste, add the honey and mix thoroughly.
3. Smooth the paste over our face, avoiding eyes and lips.
4. After 10 minutes, use a washcloth to remove.
5. Rinse your skin with warm water and pat dry. A mild tingling is normal but if uncomfortable, remove quickly.

I also love rubbing a tomato half over my nose area as it removes blackheads beautifully. Just do it over the sink as it can be a bit messy 🙂

Green Tea Steam Facial Treatment – Add lavender for a powerful antibacterial cleanser

You will need:

• Two green tea bags
• One cup freshly boiled water
• Four drops lavender oil

Do this:

1. Place the tea bags in a small bowl and cover with the boiled water.
2. After around 2 minutes of infusing, add the lavender oil. The water should still be steaming.
3. Lean your face over the bowl with a hand-width distance from your nose to the water.
4. Breathing deeply, stay in this position as long as you are comfortable to allow the steam to open your pores.
5. Gently splash cool water over your face to refresh and close the pores.

Spiritual Nourishment

These are some of the practices I go that help me ground and stay in Lightness…

Meditating and Self-Reiki

• “Meditation is power. Enter chaos from the place of internal stillness, and your stillness becomes a chaos buster.” Marianne Williamson
• Get off the Grid – Avoid all media for a period each day
• Practice gratitude.
• Being with Quiet – “The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” Rumi

As I close, I want to share that I, too, struggle on certain days with the uncertainty and lifestyle changes that we’re all enduring. It can be really hard. Everything we’ve known in our lives has changed and continues to change each day. I truly believe that what comes from this will reveal itself to be a gentler, kinder world where all can shine their lights.

Sending Light and Love to you all and hoping that today’s post provides some little nugget that might help you too. Please stay well and find the nourishment that feeds you in all ways: mind, body and spirit.

Peace and Take Good Care of Yourself!

 

 

Sources:

Lemons are a Girl’s Best Friend: 60 Superfood Recipes to Look and Feel Your Best – Janet Hayward, March 2018. Click here.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Ways to Make your Body More Alkaline. Click here.
Vitamin C and D Finally Adopted as Corona Virus Treatment – Joseph Mercola, April 2020, Organic Consumers. Click here.
How Much Vitamin C is Safe – Mayo Clinic. Click here.
Vitamin D and Covid – Healthline. Click here.
Benefits of Elderberry Against Viruses – Science Daily, 2019. Click here.
Green Tea and the Immune System – Invite Health, 2015. Click here.
Chelated Zinc – Healthline. Click here.

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