WE GOT COVID. HERE'S WHAT HELPED
Time to Rest.
DISCLAIMER**
I will never pretend to know the full scope of action of any given supplement, or how they interact with each other or with other medications. Though the list of supplements I'll share is for educational purposes only, I'll do my best to cite credible sources for my reasoning behind each, so you can make the best decision for your own self should you be looking for a supplement protocol.
Woof. Last week sucked.
COVID hit our house, and - just like with every other virus - the kids got sick for a couple of days, and then fully better (and back to being loud and messy) just in time for me to get it.
For me it felt like a bad cold.
I didn't get a fever,
no cough,
not even really a snotty nose.
I just ... felt like shit. Ya know?
Maybe I was one of the lucky ones who just didn't develop more severe symptoms.
But just in case that's not the case, I wanted to share the things I did, right from the day my son's symptoms first showed up, to try to be proactive about the whole thing.
There is ennnnnnndless info out there on which supplements might ease the burden of COVID, and I've posted what I used down below,
but what I think has been FAR more impactful, were these TWO little changes.
There are 2 things I focused on last week, that made a HUGE difference in my energy levels, sleep quality, and overall feeling of being sick.
1. Fasting
Holy energy preservation batman. Fasting goes a long way in making space for your body to do its restorative work. Every function of the human body requires energetic focus. Fighting a virus takes a huge energetic load, and adding the task of digestion is a burden.
Of course I didn't starve myself. But I did cut down to 2 meals a day, with an 18-hour fasting window over night. I had breakfast (usually fruit salad because it's high in fibre, antioxidants and nutrients) around 10:30am,
and supper (usually sautéed brussels sprouts and beets on a bed of dark leafy greens with hemp hearts and umami dressing, and a side cup of bone broth) around 4:30pm.
On days when I was feeling hungry, I had a Turmeric Latte in the evening. Otherwise I stuck to water > room temp, or tea hot with ginger or cinnamon.
So. Much. Water.
2. Sensory Deprivation
Known as "Pratyahara" in sanskrit, sensory deprivation is the medicine your nervous system is asking for when sick.
Like I mentioned with the fasting, I needed to conserve energy wherever possible. As a business owner with 2 little ones and a husband out of town for work (lucky), there was more than one thing being asked of me at any given moment.... It wasn't like I had an option to spend my days in a float tank or something.
I did my best to assert some boundaries with my miraculously all-better littles (aka they watched a lot of tv),
I let go of a lot of deadlines I had set for the week at work (good thing I'm the boss),
and only did the dishes when we ran out of any clean option (really, opting for a cup of broth when I ran out of bowls might have changed my life).
But the GREATEST move I made to conserve energy,
was to DELETE MY SOCIAL MEDIA.
A body engaged in scrolling is not a body at rest. The nervous system is being stimulated. Dopamine, cortisol, adrenaline all firing. I opted out of all that, and spent my quiet time working on a paint by number of me and my husband.
Removing social from my phone helped me be with myself.
It helped me listen to my needs. The messages that get missed when I'm deep in the scroll (if you've ever stood up from the couch, phone in hand, parched and body aching, stunned that it's 11pm, you know what I mean).
#we’rethefreakingcutest
Rather than 1am googling my symptoms, I listened.
Carly needs a bath now.
Carly needs water now.
Carly needs to go for a walk around the block. Carly needs some light movement now.
Carly needs to go to sleep now.
I got quiet.
I listened.
I did the things.
And I felt better.
:)
A couple of times I strayed from the 2 things above. I reinstalled the apps. I ate a bowl of Barbara's organic cheetos. And in both cases, I pretty much immediately felt more flu-ish.
Lastly, here's my Daily Supplement protocol. I did this for 7 days. PLEASE refer to the disclaimer up top, and click each item to do your own research / discuss with your doctor before implementing any high-dose vitamin protocol:
100mg K2
That's it; what helped me the most through our week with Covid.
I'd love to know, have you had it? What helped you the most?
And if you haven't had it, well I wish you continued success in not having it lol.
Carly
ps - with any conversation on Covid it's common to question a person's vaccine status. I encourage us all to remove this from the chat. Each person's medical status is private. I am "pro" you doing what feels right for you, and encourage individuals to review up to date statistics to help them determine the best course of action for themselves.
pps - I talk a lot more about the little things we can do daily to bring rest & restoration to our bodies daily, inside my free class. Click here to grab a spot, and learn more about yourself through the lens of Ayurveda.