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Immunity - your best line of defence

The other day I was listening to a radio programme, where a group of experts discussed the best measures of protection against Covid. The programme was rather long and used the habitual language- war on the virus, line of defence etc. The thing that really blew me away, however, was the fact that not one person at any moment during the entire programme mentioned the idea of strengthening your own natural immunity.
Between the scientists, politicians and other health officials all kind of measures and rules were discussed, that can be roughly summarised as:

• Wear a mask
• Keep a distance
• Stay at home
• Wait for the vaccine

Voilà, that was it.

Not one person mentioned the many things that we can and need to do, to strengthen our natural immunity, which in times of illness and upcoming winter would seem like the first thing to do.
(The absence of public information on strengthening our immunity, the sheer silence on this anywhere in the media I find deeply questionable, but is not the object of this article.)

So, in order to strengthen your mental and physical health, here is a list of things that can support your immunity. It goes without saying that I do not imply that this list is complete, you surely know a lot more things you can do, nor do we imply that these tips give you full protection. We merely want to offer a list of things that can help to strengthen your holistic health:

1. Have fun - do something you enjoy at least three times a week. Make sure that you enjoy your life! A single pleasurable experience can boost your immune system for as much as two days, according to research conducted by Dr. Arthur Stone, psychologist of State University NY.
2. Avoid sugar and artificial sweeteners that cause an inflammatory cascade. Inflammation is an immune reaction to disease causing agents found in your system.
By robbing the body of minerals, sugar and processed food raise the acid levels of your blood, which makes it more susceptible to disease.
3. Eat leafy green vegetables every day (eg. broccoli, bok choi, kale, spring onions, Brussels sprouts, parsley etc) as they boost the health of your liver and your immune system in general.
4. Have a miso soup every day - nothing but a small miso soup to alkalize your blood and your intestines, the best way to protect against pathogens!
5. In terms of food supplements, it might be an idea to take a zinc supplement, as well as vitamin D3 with K2, as well as vitamin C. You can take these when you feel exhausted or are starting a bit of a cold, or take them for longer periods just for immune strengthening.
6. In case you are feeling a little low, or have a cold, make sure to drink a lemon tea with freshly grated ginger in it- a great way to clear your lungs.
7. Reduce or stop all dairy products throughout the autumn and winter- as milk products congest your respiratory system, as well as your intestines. You want to keep both in great shape throughout the winter!
8. Eat cooked grains, such as rice, amaranth, quinoa, millet, buckwheat as often as possible. They ground your nervous system and elevate serotonin levels, thereby promoting immune boosting optimism.
9. Exercise - and this can be gentle exercise such as a nice walk or qi gong, as long as it makes you breathe deeply and sweat a tiny bit. The deeper you breathe and the more you sweat, the more pathogens you will eliminate from your body.
10. Keep a journal and write about your feelings. Take the fall and winter to get in touch with your inner life. Purge your anger on the page, feel your sadness, experience compassion for yourself and allow yourself to dream.
11. Set a number of small achievable and fun goals. Something you have been wanting to do for a long time and – that give you joy!! Try to meet one goal a week.

As a member of the BSF, which stands for a holistic approach for health, I firmly believe that body, mind and soul are one.
For holistic health, it’s important to keep the balance by strengthening your body, to support your emotional well-being, just as much as sustaining a hopeful outlook on life is to keep your body in good shape.

I hope that these tips and ideas- which are just a small list of ideas (you surely have a lot more ideas!) can support you through the coming months.

I feel like adding that in this time of crisis, we, as a shiatsu community play such a pivotal role in society.
As shiatsu practitioners we are in a unique position in which we can actually help people feel better, get better and support their mental and physical health.
We can be key agents in other people’s lives, many of whom do not have health literacy.
By that I mean a general understanding and education of how their health functions and what they can personally do to support themselves. Most people for instance don’t even know on which side of their abdomen the liver is, how they can best sustain its health. Many people, in times of respiratory illness, have never heard of the link between milk products and a congested nose or cough.

Through our shiatsu training, we gained a thorough understanding of how the body functions, how physical and mental health are interlinked and we have learned ways we can address our health- both physical, emotional and mental.
Many people don’t have that.
We can do so much for people in helping them gain a better awareness of who they are and what they can do to support themselves.

Irene Nolte is a member of the BSF board, as well as vice president of the European Shiatsu Federation
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