A Few of My Favorite Things: Self-Care and Well-Being

If the last year has taught us anything as a whole, it’s that a cellular or whole body approach to our health and wholeness is important. While much focus has been on minimizing our contact with germs and pathogens, it is important to keep our bodies as strong and uninviting to said germs and pathogens as possible. 

I’m sure you’ve all come in contact one way or another with the rivalry between modern medicine and more ayurvedic, traditional wholistic medicine. And while many may think that this rivalry is relatively new, it’s actually one that dates back centuries between two French chemists, Louis Pasteur and Antione Béchamp. 

Louis Pasteur promoted what has come to be known as germ theory, wherein the human body is continually assaulted by germs (bacteria, virus, etc) and ultimately loses the battle when a corpse becomes overtaken by bacteria and begins to decay. 

Antione Béchamp offered another approach, one which has come to be known as cellular or microzymian theory. Rather than seeing a human body in a continual war, as it were, with the germs one encounters naturally in their surrounding environment, he believed that a healthy human body would provide no habitiat for bacteria, virus, et. al. to make their home. 

Both these theories, it must be noted, are still considered theories. Neither has been adopted formally by the scientific community as scientific law. However, most of modern medicine has adopted Louis Pasteur’s germ theory as gold regardless of the increasing evidence to the contrary as reported in innumerable medical and holistic journals as well as from such notable bureaurocratic agencies as the CDC and WHO.

The most significant difference I see between these two theories is that one blames bacteria, viruses, and germs ad infinitum for the cause of all disease in the body and then promotes treating only that disease while the other understands that the body will invariably encounter germs wherever it goes and therefore promotes a more preventative approach in making the host uninviting to said disease. 

This has been something I have been keenly interested in reading and studying for years. I enjoy the push and pull of debating both sides of this argument. Sadly, I have of late been noticing more shaming of one side and idolizing of the other, which saddens me as I believe only true progress in this arena can be achieve through this push and pull dialogue. If this is all new to you, I would encourage you to read about these two men and the ideas they put forth into the scientific dialogue. (You can read about their theories more comprehensively in Bechamp or Pasteur?: A Lost Chapter in the history of biology and Five Papers On The Germ-Terrain Duality (G-T-D)Theory.) It is my hope that this dialogue is allowed to continue as that is how any scientific growth is made, through debating opposing ideas, tearing them down, finding their strengths and weakness. 

I say all this to come to the crux of this post. I believe we all want to cultivate the healthiest versions of ourselves. For the last several years, my family has been on this journey, discovering new ways in which we can build up our immune systems and make our bodies as unfriendly as possible to any germs. One of the benefits of strengthening our immune systems is that when we do succumb to some illness, whether a cold, the flu, or COVID, our immune system goes to work fighting the invader and emerges stronger and healthier once it defeats it.

Our bodies are truly magnificent warriors, they simply need the right weapons in order to engage in battle properly. 

Especially because the world has now been through a pandemic, true self-care is more important than ever. Your health and well-being are your responsibility, and self-care is tantamount in importance where health and well-being are concerned. 

In our household, we’re making these self-care decisions. It’s a process and we’re continuing to learn and grow. Much of it started with an effort to detox our systems. Whether you’re super healthy or not, the world in which we live is toxic from pollutants in the air to genetically modified seeds and foods which our bodies are not sure how to process to the beauty, skincare, and cleaning products we use. Many medications have toxic properties as well. So, just living a normal life puts a toxic tax on our bodies. One way to combat this is to detox our bodies. This is never particular fun, but when it comes to self-care, it’s a vital step in the right direction.

How do you detox? There are numerous ways you can go about it. Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest any denial diets like Keto or Paleo or what have you. I figured a good place to start was with our biggest organ, our skin. After all, our skin takes the most abuse. 

There are several simple ways you can detox through your skin without going nuts or breaking the bank. Heck, I think some of these are actually really relaxing, and nothing says self-care like relaxing, am I right?

Dry Brushing

Get yourself a natural bristle bath brush with a handle and do some dry brushing. Dry brushing is starting to see a boost in popularity and rightly so. It’s a simple technique that you can do from the comfort of your home and it has a myriad of benefits, from stimulating blood circulation, to exfoliating dead skin, to boosting energy. It’s thought to reduce cellulite as well as help stimulate your lymphatic system to allow for proper drainage. All of these are A+ benefits for your body and your soul. 

FYI- this is best done before you bathe or shower. I’ve included an infographic here from Holistic Kenko which also has a comprehensive instruction guide on how to dry brush. It must be noted that there are various ways in which to do dry brushing. What I have included today is the way in which I do it as it is the most time efficient for this mama. However, I encourage you to explore the topic more (Pinterest is a great resource for this) and find what works the best for you. 

Detox Bath

I have actually spoken about detox baths before, but I’ll touch on it briefly here. A detox bath is fantastic for so many reasons. Epsom salt is the primary ingredient in a detox bath. It serves two functions. The first is to actually draw toxins out of your body through your skin. The other is the absorption of magnesium. A quick search will show you the necessity of magnesium in the body for the purpose of absorbing nutrients properly as well as promoting proper function for so many body systems. And considering that most Americans are deficient in magnesium, any way you can get it, GET IT! 

Check out this post.

The next ingredient in a detox bath is baking soda, preferably aluminum free. Baking soda is known for its cleansing properties. If you’re dealing with any sort of skin issues, from fungal to poison ivy to eczema, adding baking soda to your bath water is a must. It will help to not only relieve the symptoms, but in many cases may even kill off what’s causing them.

There are other things which you can add, such a ground ginger or ginger tea or a few drops of ginger essential oil. Ginger helps to raise the body temperature and, combined with hot bath water, can really help you build up a good sweat. I’ve never done this step, opting instead to add a little lavender essential oil instead for its relaxing properties. 

You want to aim for at least 20 minutes in the tub, so some relaxing music and a book could be a good idea, too.

This is something you can do several times during the week. It is particularly efficacious if you are feeling the beginnings of any sort of ailment, such as a cold. 

Infrared Sauna

The ancient world knew this well. Saunas are excellent for your immune health. Why? Because they make you sweat. Add some modern technology and you get infrared saunas. Where a traditional sauna will heat the air around you, infrared saunas use electromagnetic radiation or infrared lamps to specifically heat up your body more than the air around you. Why is this good? Because it raises your core temperature allowing for a deeper sweat, and, since the air around you isn’t so insufferably hot, you can stay in the sauna for more time- if you would like. Sweating is the best way to remove toxins from the skin. And, rather than have to go to a spa, which is always a fantastic idea for some self-care mixed with self-indulgence even if it can get pricey, you can get an infrared sauna in the comfort of your own home. There are numerous options from the splurge of getting an actual infrared ‘room’ assembled in your home to the more economical options of infrared sauna ‘blankets’ or one person sauna ‘pop-ups.’ 

If you do sauna time, make sure of two things. First, allow yourself to cool off naturally when you get out. And second, stay hydrated, which takes us to the next section.  

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

There’s a famous Slovakian proverb:

“Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine. ”

So, it stands to reason that hydration is a very important part of our personal wellbeing.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? However, there’s a lot more to drinking water than just turning on the tap and drinking it. First is the sort of water you’re drinking. Tap water and even water filtered through the filter on your refrigerator or your Brita maker, doesn’t take nearly all the harmful properties that are in your water out of it. You’ll still find chlorine and flouride there to name two. Both those chemicals have truly negative effects on the body. Science is only beginning to catch up with what those effects are, but they’re there. There are several ways to handle this. You can drink bottled water, preferably purified, distilled or alkaline water. Or you can go full on hard core and install a water purification or filtration system in your home. It’s a worthy investment, but on the pricier end.

Both those options can get expensive over time. I get it. So, if a Brita filter or a refrigerator filter are all you have, then just use them. Seriously. Just drink more water. I got myself a refillable water bottle- BPA free if plastic, please; preventative maintenance, y’all- that is 26 oz. That way I know how many ounces I’m drinking a day. The rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces AT LEAST. So, if you weigh 100lbs, drink 50 ounces of water. 

If you’re interested in reading more about the affects of water on the body, check out Save Your Life with the Elixir of Water: Becoming pH Balanced in an Unbalanced World by Blythe Ayne.

Vibration Plate

This one is a new addition in our home. In an effort to continue to keep our lymphatic systems in optimal condition, we’ve learned about the importance of lymphatic drainage and stimulation. Just a quick refresher here. The lymphatic system is a network of tissues, organs, and vessels throughout your entire body that work as a drainage system to combat viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other foreign invaders that try to make your body their host. Suffice it to say, keeping your lymphatic system in tip top shape is a HUGE benefit for your immune system. One way to do that is to make sure that it’s working properly where drainage is concerned. Like anything else, it can get backed up. And while there are many ways to get it back on track, such as massages, using a vibration plate at the frequency of 30 hz or more is a way you can do it from the comfort of your own home, while, perhaps even binging a TV show. (ha, see, you can have your cake and eat it too- though if you’re serious about boosting your immune system and helping out your lymphatic, don’t eat cake. Seriously.) The price on a vibration plate is not exorbitant. They can range from $200-500, so they are doable. The benefits are manifold, too. 

However, if that’s not something in your budget, get yourself a trampoline. They make small, personal ones that are easy to store under a bed or behind a couch. Get a trampoline and do some jumping for ten minutes a day. This is called rebounding and is slightly different from using a vibration plate, but many of the benefits are the same. Plus, if you have kids, they’ll think you’re an uber-cool parent when they see you jumping.

Or, explore some of the lymphatic massages that you can do for yourself. They are not hard, and can be fun in the evening when you’re moisturizing for the night. 

Sunshine

Perhaps this is the most elemental and economical option of all. Going way back into the ancient world, you will actually find writings about the medicinal value of sitting in the sun. Perhaps they may not have known about the benefits of Vitamin D, or maybe they did, but regardless, they knew that sitting in the sun for ten minutes a day boosted how they felt physically as well as mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The sun is so important and provides so many benefits for us. Andreas Moritz wrote a great book on this called Heal Yourself with Sunlight, and I would encourage you to read it if you’re curious about the manifold benefits the sun has.

That being said, be wise about sun exposure. You don’t want to go out and burn yourself. That does not benefit you. However, limited, sun-screen free time in the sun has massive benefits for you. 

Heck, when you go outside, kick off your shoes and try your hand at some grounding or earthing. It may sound strange, but standing barefoot in the grass does actually have documented benefits to your wellbeing. Without getting too scientific, the theory behind grounding is that it puts the living matrix within your body in touch electrically with the living matrix of the earth, thereby boosting your immune functions as well as various other systems of the body, such as nervous and cardiovascular. While much of the research is still ongoing, what is being found is thoroughly promising. So, if you’ve had a day that’s consistently raised your blood pressure, head outside, get you some sun, and stand in the dirt. 

All of these things have true benefits for your body. For you, some may be more beneficial than others. Find what works for you. That’s part of the health journey, learning how your body works and what it responds to the best and then making that a part of your daily life. (I do think we all can drink more water, honestly. And going outside for a walk in the sun is just good for the soul, y’all.)

So, whether your a germ theorist, a cellular theorist, or somewhere in the middle, I hope this post is something that will help you on your way to a better, healthier, happier, more whole self. 

AND… as I’m always open to trying new things, what are some things you’ve implemented to help build up your immune system?