YOUR BODY NEVER LIES…learn to listen to it!
You have a cold/cough, your doctor (rightfully) prescribes you some medication (it’s their job to rid you of symptoms). You pop the pills as required and slowly start feeling better physically, and mentally relieved…especially with Covid still lurking. Let’s pause for a minute, did you think about what caused the illness? Or more importantly, what your body is trying to communicate through the cold or persisting symptoms?
Did you know our body’s original state is to be in health? When we get sick, our body naturally navigates back to wellness. This is an important reminder in order for us to keep faith in the natural potential of our body.
Anju Venkat (she runs the Health Awareness Centre in Mumbai) once said to me, “Only a dead body has no symptoms”, and so true that is! From basic signals like hunger and pain, to softer ones like brittle nails and hair fall…they all mean something! The body requires attention and specific inputs. If we don’t pay heed, the whispers get louder and that’s when disease manifest.
SNOT TALK
One of the biggest banes of an illness, like the common flu, is the unwanted mucus that’s synonymous with a cold, and if in our upper respiratory tract, a cough. This plagues us with all sorts of uncomfortable symptoms from laboured breathing, fatigue, light headedness, brain fog and many more.
The sticky fluid we develop when we get a cold is not the virus itself, but your immune system fighting the virus and pathogens; it’s an indication that your body is consciously working to get you back to health! Mucus gets diluted by a separate, watery secretion (called serous fluid), whose quantity varies widely based on your health. This means mucus technically isn’t the issue, but the amount of serous…so don’t hate on the mucus.
We naturally produce about 1 litre of mucus a day! But why do we need so much mucus every day?
- It acts as fly paper: all the debris that enter our nose and mouth stick to the mucus which is swallowed into the stomach, rather than infecting our lungs
- It keeps our nasal cavities moist, which is required given the amount of air passing through them, which would otherwise dry them out
LISTEN AND SUPPORT
Moving on from snot talk, some of the other common symptoms we tend to experience are feeling run down, dehydrated, and sometimes running a fever. What if we changed our POV and looked at these symptoms as the body screaming for attention to be understood? When we experience any form of illness (please be sensible here, I don’t mean anything serious), let’s shift perspective to supporting the body, rather than shutting it up every time (with OTC medication); let’s consciously provide the body with basic necessities: extra rest through the day, increased hydration (not just water, but fluids with naturally high electrolytes like coconut water and blended fruit drinks) and higher nourishment (read plant-based foods). An increase in temperature (fever) is simply our body fighting an infection- it has to reach that specific temperature in order to kill the virus/bacteria/germs, exactly like when we boil water!
Getting sick is not our body working against us, it’s actually doing just the opposite; it’s demanding additional TLC. While I am not your doctor, and don’t intend to contradict their diagnosis/prescriptions, I strongly urge you to first understand what your body is communicating, build awareness and find ways to support the transition back to health; focus on the root issue!
SOME HOME REMEDIES
A simple steam with some cabbage leaves could relieve a blocked or stuffy nose, a spoonful of turmeric and honey can calm a sore throat, a drink made with date paste + lemon + ginger will enable your bronchi to dilate letting you breathe easier…these are just a few options! Your kitchen can be your pharmacy- just learn to listen to your body and navigate your pantry!
As a health coach I work with clients to empower them to understand how the human body works, to honour its natural state and consciously achieve their health goals. At Wholesome bio-individuality is the cornerstone to navigate life and ensure we are thriving every day; health is NOT merely the absence of disease. We don’t believe in a diet culture, quick fixes or consuming foods we don’t enjoy; we route ourselves in a routine and rhythm that’s sustainable and keeps us internally and eternally happy!
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