Our New Normal

Today is our 16th day of quarantine in the Walter household, with only 25 more days to go. It’s a challenge mentally, physically, and emotionally to be isolated at home, unable to do so many of our favorite things. But ultimately, the whole reason we’re here is to protect our health. So as a family, we’ve been creating new habits and routines to keep our health and happiness at the forefront of this experience. It’s so much more productive and enjoyable to view this time as a cocoon of personal growth rather than a personal prison. It is my hope that you too have implemented new practices so that in a few weeks you can emerge as a new and improved version of yourself. If you haven’t quite gotten there yet, maybe these tips can provide some inspiration. 

Spend time with nature

Nature is one of our best guides during this time. Virus or not, quarantine or not, nature keeps moving and in Ohio spring has sprung. It’s so tempting to fall into the anxiety of this time, not knowing when things will get back to normal or if it’s an entirely new normal we are moving into. Unplugging from that anxiety, even if just for an hour a day, to instead charge up from being in nature, will fill you with a sense of “everything is going to be ok.” 

We’ve been walking a five mile loop around our house. It keeps our bodies active, which is a very necessary part of staying healthy. Even though it’s been about 55 degrees during our walks, we’ve gotten a little bit of color in our skin. Perhaps most importantly, the fresh air and sunshine naturally and nearly automatically puts us into a positive mindspace. 

How can you incorporate more nature into your daily life at this time? Maybe it’s going for a walk, it could be planting some flowers just in time for spring, or putting bare feet on the newly turned green grass. Nature is here to heal and provide clarity at this challenging time. 

Immune boosting nutrition 

You are what you eat, and while we are all preoccupied with keeping ourselves healthy, it’s as important as ever to put the best nutrition in your body. In addition to our normal habit of eating nutritionally balanced shakes, we have gotten very intentional about adding immune support to our meals. We simply add a scoop of our immune booster to each shake, giving our immune system nutritional support every day. The magic of this product is in its two main ingredients, mushrooms and beta glucans, which strengthen key immune cells enabling them to move more quickly in response to pathogens. What you put in your mouth is something you have full control over, and you can give yourself peace of mind by feeding yourself the right things. 

Daily yoga and meditation

Emotions are high at this time. Anyone else experienced a wave of emotion that you couldn’t control? It’s natural and normal to be feeling all sorts of ways right now. But it is also important to have awareness of what’s coming up and mindfulness about the way you deal with those things. More than just a way to stay active, yoga has been a saving grace in dealing with emotions and overwhelm. My daughter Katie started a facebook group where she teaches daily yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices. These classes will help you turn this time into a cocoon created for your personal growth. Add yourself to the group and we will see you there soon!

Plant based meals

In addition to our immune boosting shakes, we’ve made adjustments to our other meals as well. We’ve had one daughter practicing a vegan diet for nearly four years, and another daughter practicing a vegetarian diet for about six months. Back in December when our whole family was home for the holidays, a few of the kids weren’t feeling great. Our son, a non-vegan/vegetarian, said he’d heard before to not eat meat or dairy while you’re sick. Some holistic doctors suggest eating plant based can help you recover more quickly. Our son mentioned how interesting it is that people don’t just stay plant based to keep their immune system healthy when there is no sickness present. 

The past few weeks we’ve decided to adopt veganism just for that purpose, to keep ourselves healthy before reaching a point of sickness in our bodies. After several weeks on a vegan diet, you may realize just how much your body craves whole plant based nutrition. Going vegan is a big commitment and one that is very personal to each person. Even if going vegan sounds terrible to you, switching to an almond milk creamer, going meatless for dinner, and baking with an egg replacer are easy switches that you won’t even notice, but that will make a huge impact on your health. 

Support for restful sleep 

Repetitive daily stress takes a heavy toll on our sleep, and unfortunately, there is a lot of daily stress to be had right now. At the same time, our sleep is one of our strongest weapons against threats to our health. While we rest at night, our immune system gets charged up to protect us. If the sleep we receive is broken and shallow, our immune system doesn’t get the necessary charge it needs, meaning our immune strength is operating at a half charge. It is imperative that we support our sleep and get a good night of rest every night. Our secret sauce is this amazing CBD oil. Not only does it have all the benefits of the highest quality hemp extract (releasing anxiety and relaxing body tension), it also includes peppermint for increased soothing and relaxing, as well as MCT oil for easy application and improved brain function. Keep in mind that the brain is responsible for releasing chemicals which signal our body it is time to sleep, and if brain function is improved, falling asleep can become easier. Better sleep = better health. 

These are tips that can help get you started in making the most of your quarantine time, or they can be additions to your existing regimen. What I most want you to take away from this reading is that you get to decide what these weeks are about. Are they about improving yourself, getting healthier, and growing personally? Or are they about pain, discomfort, and anxiety? You get to choose. 

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