Protection is Better than Cure

Bounce Back to Optimum Health after the Holidays

After all the indulgence on Thanksgiving, and with Christmas around the corner, we cannot afford to continue the festive lifestyle through to the end of the year. Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to recharge our batteries. It is a time to remember how important it is to take a step back, go through our health goals, and see where we need to make changes or get back on track. You may be asking: what is the fuss for, when we will be celebrating Christmas in a few weeks? That is the main reason to get back on track.

For starters, you need to boost your immune system before you subject your body to more rich foods and the undisciplined lifestyle of the holidays. Secondly, it will be a disaster to increase the imbalances caused by overindulgence before the Christmas feasts. And for many, this may be the right opportunity to shed off those extra pounds gained over the holidays.

Our objective is to boost our immune system and protect our health as we: Eliminate the toxins from the junk that might have snuck in. Get rid of any excess weight gained. Repair and restore gut health. Rejuvenate our whole being as we embark on our health goals.

This is an ongoing journey, with birthdays, graduations, and other celebrations throughout the year. We should be in control of our health goals. For some this may seem an impossible venture. I would like to encourage you to give it a shot. If by any reason you have been discouraged or found yourself off track with your health plans, do not give up. Do not cave in.

Let me share with you my personal experience. Two precious people, my mum and her sister departed from us within a period of 2 months. It was devastating. I found myself overeating and what was worse, I was eating more of the wrong foods most of the time. I wanted to improve, only to find myself lapsing. It is difficult to explain. Things got out of hand. My 2020 plans were somehow affected. I gained weight. I stopped writing and for a while I was just living. But that has not stopped me from starting anew. As I reflected on their lives, their legacy, their passions, I was determined to live my life even better than I normally did. I pulled myself together, reviewed my goals, and I am now be back on track.

So, how do you to get back on track?

Always remember, Protection is Better than Cure – Protection focuses on the positive – (health). Regardless of where you are, or what you are going through, acknowledge what you have. If you are still breathing, there are lots of healthy cells in your body which need nourishing, energizing. Some need repair while others need  replenishing. Y

That body is your house where you live. It needs to be protected against foreign attackers as well as internal invaders. These invaders creep in when we are too busy to do our regular exercises, when we eat food we should avoid, when we over indulge, when we stress, when we do not get quality sleep, and so on.

Your best defense to the invaders of health is to protect and boost your immune system. Though you should be doing this throughout the year, boosting your immune system has never been more critical than at the end of this year.  With further COVID outbreaks, flu warnings, plus the change of weather, you cannot afford to give your soldiers a holiday. 

After the celebrations, you may find yourself with extra pounds, other issues like higher blood pressure than usual, blood insulin levels out of control, gut, and digestive issues, etc. These problems are caused by toxins, refined sugar, bad fats, refined salt, lack of essentials, preservatives, etc. All these things compromise the immune system. Put them to work and protect your health. Even after you have messed up, your approach to better health should be positive. Stress will just pull you back down. “Protection is Better than Cure” is proactive. To reduce stress and utilize the abundant provisions God has freely given to us, we walk by faith with the help of the Holy Spirit. Remember, your body will repair and restore itself back to health if you give it the right tools.

What tools do you need to boost your immune system?

Our tool for boosting our immune system and protecting our health is represented by the acronym, NOW REST.

What does NOW REST stand for? Nourishment-Proper Nutrition, Oxygen and Fresh Air, Water and Hydration, Regeneration, Exercise, Supplementation and Trusting God

N – Nutrition Nourishment

Nutrition, or proper nourishment means that you eat wisely, making sure that you incorporate the vital nutrients in your meals. Your choice of nutrient dense foods mainly from the natural non-GMO plant foods will make the difference between protecting your health and compromising your immune system. Natural plant foods especially organic will supply you with the ammunitions you need for your soldiers to perform their duties properly. It is vital that you increase the amount and variety of vegetable dishes in your diet, flavoring them up without making them unhealthy. Roasting and grilling vegetables like asparagus, carrots, etc. can present vegetables rich in taste and bright in color. Starting with a salad and a healthy dressing will greatly reduce the damage caused by unhealthy dressings with trans fats, excess sugar, and refined salt.

Enjoy your food: when eating, take your time to chew and appreciate your food instead of rushing through it. This helps in digestion and utilization of food. Eating and drinking slowly gives the enzymes ample time to do their work. Do not be tempted to starve yourself. Over 95% of your cells are replaced every year (cell turnover). Proper cell turnover depends on the proper nutrition you provide for your body. If your nutrient intake is poor over a long period of time, your cells will adversely be affected. You may survive for several weeks without food, but overall, cells need to be replenished with fuel on a regular basis. If you starve cells of certain nutrients, or just provide an inadequate supply of certain nutrients, some cells will either be damaged or die. Eat when you are supposed to eat. The secret is to eat lots of live quality foods with low carbs, foods rich in fiber, quality healthy fats and clean proteins. These will fill you up and regenerate your body and keep it you optimal health. Intermittent fasting is part of our program. And though the term fasting is turbo to many people, you will later find out that intermittent fasting is different from starving yourself.

O – Oxygen, Fresh Air

We need constant and sufficient supply of oxygen for the tissues and cell to generate energy for their normal and proper functioning. Though we generally take it for granted, oxygen is the most vital element in the body. Our cells will quickly die or get damaged if there is a shortage of oxygen, even for a short time. Shortage of oxygen means shortage of energy to the cell. Without sufficient oxygen, the brain will not function properly which may cause serious complications.

Furthermore, the carbon dioxide given off in the respiratory process, needs to be removed from cells and tissues of the body to avoid accumulation of toxic levels in blood. So, we need to breathe in fresh air to supply us with sufficient oxygen.  Otherwise there will be reduced supply of oxygen which leads to reduced energy production for normal functioning of cells and tissues and all the systems in the body.

Airing your home and a walk outside for fresh will improve your oxygen supply. Try walking early in the morning before the heavy traffic. You will not only enjoy the cool fresh breeze, but you will also be breathing in the freshest, cleanest air before the day’s activity.

W – Water and Healthy fluids

Have you ever mistaken hunger for thirst? Staying well hydrated can help to curb cravings. Hydrate yourself with purified water. Water is the second most vital substance for the life of a cell after oxygen. Unfortunately, many people do not drink the minimum requirement which is 1 glass of water for every ten pounds of weight. Do you? Worse still, many depend on chlorinated water for everything, even for drinking. This is tragic as chlorinated water has been linked to various diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

This is the best beverage for your health is purified water. But freshly made juices from organic dark vegetables and fruits, eating water rich fresh fruits, juicy vegetables like cucumber can also contribute to your fluid intake.

Try flavoring your water with a touch of lemon, fresh mint, cucumber, etc. This will help to replace the sugar, high fructose laden beverages.

Hot drinks are especially useful during the cold season. There are many recommendations of hot fluids during the pandemic. So, incorporating light soups, broths, herbal teas will be good.

Both water and these other health beverages contribute to the body fluids which transport waste products in and out of your cells. And your kidneys and liver flush waste products and other toxins out of your body. The brain and kidneys regulate the amount of water excreted by the body. When the blood volume is low through dehydration, the brain responds by stimulating a hormone that signals the kidneys to reabsorb and recirculate water. When the overall blood volume falls so does one’s blood pressure. Low blood pressure is a leading cause of dizziness and feeling like you may faint when you stand up. A rapid heart rate is also a sign of dehydration. Therefore, for your body to function properly and efficiently you must be well hydrated. This is more vital during the detox program.

R – Regeneration: rest, sleep, detoxing , fasting,

What a marvelous and complex body God created! With all the various systems, the body keeps everything running smoothly. “But am not well. You are not alone. ware Sometimes problems do occur due to our lack of knowledge, negligence, or the enemy’s attack. Unfortunately. if we do not arrest them quickly the results can be quite overwhelming. Examples are compromised immune system, stress, disease which could have been prevented, large medical bills, etc. We should not forget that our body can restore itself to health, given the right provisions. Some of the provisions for this include quality sleep, rest, detoxing and fasting. It is important that we learn how to protect our health by focusing on wise choices, disciplined eating, quality sleep and physical activity rather than depend on medication.

Quality sleep and rest are important part of good health as it boosts the immune system and reduces stress and helps to maintain blood sugar balance and a healthy metabolism. Your body needs 7-8 hours of quality sleep to function properly. The less you sleep the more you compromise your immune system. This is because without rest and quality sleep, you will be fatigued, stressed, and you may even stress your cells. Sleep is also associated with learning, and memory functions. Quality sleep will help moderate the hunger hormone grehlin, which is associated with short sleep duration.

Detox: in order to restore our health, we are going to embark on a 7 day detox program,

Adapting our lifestyle to intermittent fasting

After our detox, we will learn how to incorporate fermented foods into our lifestyle: If Hippocrates believed that “all disease begins in the gut,” I think it is safe to say, ‘health begins in the gut’. This means that restoring your gut health should be the first step you take towards restoring health.

Your gut is sometimes referred to as the second brain. It serves as a communication center for the brain. It does not only ensure optimal digestion but also influences other important health functions. The food you eat and the food you omit from your diet, all have a great effect on the health of your gut. Consuming fresh nutrient dense live foods rich in enzymes and probiotics will protect and restore your gut health.  Over consumption of sugar, gluten containing products, bad fats, and over processed foods will damage your gut leading to poor digestion, accumulation of toxins and waste as well as imbalances in your gut. Bacteria imbalance can affect everything from immune system functioning to skin conditions, mood swings, brain fog, and may even cause sleeping problems. Since an imbalanced digestive system is the root cause, or a huge contributor, to many diseases and symptoms, incorporating fermented foods and probiotics in your lifestyle is vital.

E – Exercise and Physical Activity

Exercising is another way to get back on track as it helps control cravings, burns calories, and balance blood sugar and improve mood. Try doing your exercises first thing every morning.

This will give you a good start and it will help ensure the exercise is done before you start the busy day.

You will be less likely to overeat later considering the effort you have put in. It may also improve your mood all day.

Start with at least 20–30 minutes of moderate cardio. It is advisable to introduce some weights.

Exercise coupled with wise eating and stress management will help in reducing the insulin spikes.

Supplementation – Vitamins, trace minerals, probiotics, sunshine

Since we are in the middle of the pandemic, maximize on these foods and supplements which are antiviral: Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Zinc, Probiotics, Prebiotics, Multivitamins, and minerals

Eat enzyme and probiotic rich foods. This means incorporating fermented foods in your life. Learn how to make your own. Food such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented foods are particularly beneficial for your gut. Protecting your gut is number one priority during and after the holidays and in times of stress. These foods will not only increase your essential nutrients: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, but are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal.

Trust God

Having the assurance of God’s grace, provisions, and protection, can go a long way to helping you achieve your goal. Remember: God loves you and wants you whole. He has provided all you need for life and godliness.

Depending on the Holy Spirit for guidance and sustenance is one essential big step. Practice the presence of God to stay equipped and strong so that you may be able to stand in difficult times.

Meditation and prayer: these are a vital part of life. Your will power is not enough for the challenges you face during and after holiday indulgencies.

Renew your mind: Romans 12:1-2. Fill your heart with building blocks. Meditate on the Word of God. Meditate on what you are aiming at and not what you feel or see. Pray faith filled prayers and you will reap a big harvest.

Our spiritual weapon is the word of God. Be equipped with Psalm 91, Psalm 107:20, remembering that God loves you and wants you whole. Jeremiah 31:3 – 4 will encourage you to walk in faith no matter how you feel. Love yourself: Do you know that you can become your own enemy? If you think everything about you is bad, it will not only be difficult for you to protect your health but impossible to achieve your goals. Always remind yourself of God’s promises: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14. You are unique. You are a child of God. See yourself as God sees you and love yourself. God wants you to know and believe that you are special. Be thankful for who you are. This does not mean that you stop taking special care of your body. If something goes wrong, address it, and take steps to correct it. Your body is the house in which God put you. It is the temple of God. You are to treasure it and keep it in optimum health. 1 Corinthians 6:19

Protection is Better than Cure. Let the Holy Spirit be Your Mentor.

If you need to do any of the following: Boost your immune system and protect your health, eliminate toxins from the junk that might have snuck in during the festive season, get rid of any excess weight, repair and restore your gut health, rejuvenate your whole being as you revive your health goals, please subscribe below to join our program.