Preparing For A Healthy Quarantine
Given the nature of current events, the fear and panic that’s spreading, I felt that it was crucial to share whatever knowledge and information I have to help you during this time. In what feels like uncertain times, it is crucial that we make informed decisions about our health and our lives. If and when we act out of fear or panic, we are making poor decisions that can have a lasting impact on not only ourselves but our families and the ones we love. This entire situation will eventually come to pass. Let’s do the best we can now rather than being left with the consequences of poor, irrational choices.
Whether you’re staying home by choice or you have to for health reasons, these are my tips to prepare for healthy quarantining. I will be focusing primarily on food purchases, I have no idea how much toilet paper you should buy — that is totally up to you! When it comes to what you are consuming, it is crucial for everyone to make the most conscious choices possible. This is because, in order to maintain good health, you need nutrient-dense foods. Foods that are nutrient-dense contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, healthy fats, etc. Rather than foods with empty calories, void of nutrients such as most conventional frozen, boxed or canned processed food.
Tip #1: You Can Buy Fresh Food!
Most people solely go for the non-perishable items. My suggestion would be to use non-perishables as a last resort. Instead, buy fresh food. Food prep and make large meals. There are so many youtube videos you can access for easy recipes. Freeze them in glass or storage containers. I use glass to avoid plastic but whatever you use is going to be better than canned or frozen meals from the store. All of which are loaded with tons of salt and preservatives that are very much unhealthy.
Tip #2: Prep For Smoothies
Buy fresh fruits and veggies, chop them up, freeze them for smoothies. You don’t need much to make a smoothie. Bananas are super cheap. I got organic bananas for .59 cents a pound. You can peel and freeze those easily. You can get frozen fruit as well. However, if there’s a sale you want to take advantage of, getting fresh items and freezing them yourself is going to be way better. What’s that saying, “A smoothie a day keeps the doctor away?”
Tip #3: Hemp Seeds
Buy hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are chock full of healthy omega fats and beneficial minerals. You can read more about them here.
Remember, the more nutrient-dense your food is, the less of it you need to consume! Hemp seeds are so versatile. They can be blended with water to make hemp milk which can be used in smoothies, to mix with tea, oatmeal, etc.
If you do not want to go with hemp seeds, other seeds like raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds are great sources. Canned coconut milk will last longer than containers of plant-based or cows milk. Although much of the plant-based milk won’t expire for a few months if left unopened.
Tip #4: Hit Up The Bulk Section
Bulk dried items such as quinoa, rice, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, dried fruit… are going to be some of the easiest items to store. Many of these items can also be used to make delicious soups, dips, trail mix, and other foods which are going to be fiber and protein-rich. They will fill you up in a healthy way. Soup can be eaten over the course of multiple days. Plus, you have saved a good amount of money and are feeding your family something that will benefit their health rather than make it worse.
Be sure to remember, processed foods are full of salt, sugar, food dyes, natural flavors that are laboratory made chemicals, hydrogented fats, preservatives etc. Not one of those ingredients will help you in ANY WAY. The more of these foods that you consume, you are putting yourself in at risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and overall being unwell. As a result you were risking degrading your immunity and thus increasing chances for becoming ill.
Tip #5: Cleaning Product - We Consume Those, Too
The cleaning products we use in our home are inhaled into our body. Safe cleaning products are crucial to your health. In a previous Instagram post, I wrote about how toxic cleaning products with harmful cancer-causing chemicals are only going to make your health worse. Most will impact your lungs because of the harsh ingredients you are spraying into your home environment. With the Coronavirus being described as a “pneumonia-like” sickness, you are only setting yourself up for a terrible situation if your lungs have already been degraded from using so many chemicals.
Tip #5: Soap Works
You Can Use Bar Soap. You really do not need tons of bottles of hand sanitizer and disinfectants. So many of these products are not only harmful to your skin but will not kill all the bacteria on and around you. The bacteria left behind builds immunity to what it’s been exposed to, becomes stronger, reproduces and passes off that immunity to its offspring. Soap is absolutely effective at cleaning the skin. As long as you are conscious and diligent about washing hands regularly, not touching your face, picking your nose your eyes or your ears. You are going to naturally avoid anything getting to you.
Tip #6: Supplements
If the virus is airborne, you cannot sanitize the air! You’re really going to want to make sure that your health and your immune system is top-notch. Best way to do that would be to take high-quality supplements, if possible. Vitamin C is a lifesaver. People have been put on Vitamin C IVs and have seen significant improvements in their health when they’re sick.
Large amounts of vitamin C can be very helpful if you are already sick or if you feel like you’re getting sick. These vitamins and minerals should not be discounted or made fun of. Why do you think God made them a part of the food we consume? It is our body’s natural defense against illness, bacteria, and viruses. Many health conditions are the result of vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies. We can literally change our health for the better if we were to supplement our bodies from what we are not getting from our food. Magnesium, zinc, Vitamin D3, are all great to have on hand for your immunity.
Tip #7: Water Is Life
Water is a huge part of this scenario. Most of us do not drink tap-water or unfiltered water. For those of us that do not have quality filters in our home, we will buy water from the store. However, water in the store is almost always in plastic. These plastic bottles will only become trashed and end up in our oceans just like they have in the past except now on a larger scale. If possible, purchase large 5 or 3-gallon reusable water containers that can be used over the course of many, many years. These containers can be filled with filtered water from the grocery store. Although we don’t know how much water we would need based on quarantining, I bought two 5 gallon containers because that is what was available. I will use these and fill them up as needed. I highly recommend finding these 5 gallon and/or 3 gallon reusable water containers that you can have in your home. Avoiding plastic should continue on even during these crucial times. The reality is eventually we will get past this and the world will no longer seem so crazy. Yet, we will be overwhelmed even further with trash issues and even more plastics in our ocean.
Tip #8: Check Your Energy
Above all, your thoughts have power. If you are in a state of fear and panic, your body will produce higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. This leads to fight or flight which makes us more likely to make negative choices. Stress also leads to poor health, especially if you suffer from anxiety or other health issues. Although this is admittedly a strange time, this too shall pass. If you can, connect with family, friends and loved ones. Stay active and moving. Tap into Self, read that book you haven't been able to get to. Let us use this as a means of bringing us together, rather than pulling us apart. Sending you love, light, and positivity!
