by Andy Gricevich, Newsletter Writer
It’s been a challenging year. It’s also been a year of opportunities for individuals and societies to do things differently. Many of us have taken up new interests and projects, and many of us have been looking for new ways to take care of ourselves, physically and emotionally—to alleviate feelings of isolation and strife, and to stay healthy, safe and engaged with others. Caring for ourselves can be challenging under “normal” circumstances, and figuring out how to do it now can feel particularly stressful and serious. Does it have to be?
ENJOY
It’s probably safe to say that no form of self-care will work all that well if it doesn’t bring us some kind of real satisfaction. It might take trying something a number of times before we really know whether we like it or not, so persistence is worth it. If, however, we just can’t bring ourselves to care about food, or to stop detesting running, it’s worth looking at some other aspect of our lives, rather than adding stress by trying to find the perfect dietary or exercise regimen. It’s not about a big, heavy project of self-improvement; it’s about quality of life, and a good life obviously involves experiencing joy. Where that’s found, whether in things we already do or in new practices, will vary from person to person, and it’s up to each of us to figure out our own way.
ATTENTION
The only universal requirement for finding what works for us is the ability to truly experience what we’re doing. That’s harder than it sounds for most of us, in a culture that encourages or requires near-constant activity, multi-tasking and worry. It’s not only that stress without periods of reset does a great deal of physical and psychological damage; it also blinds us to the possibility of doing anything differently. We can all benefit from some form of mindfulness practice that aids us in getting out of our own heads, pauses the sense of immediate urgency, and lets us refresh our awareness of what’s going on with us and the world around us right now.
Mindfulness practices can take countless forms, many of which don’t bear any obvious resemblance to “meditation”—but the traditional approach is still great. A typical meditation begins by sitting comfortably in an upright position, methodically relaxing all the muscles we can, from head to toe. Then we simply try to pay attention to our natural breathing, whether by counting breaths up to ten and then starting over, by thinking “in” and “out” as we inhale and exhale, or through any other method that helps us feel our breath somewhere in our bodies. When our minds wander, as they nearly always do, we just gently start again.
If you find it hard to sit still and do nothing, join the club! It doesn’t come easily to any of us, but it’s worth practicing, even for five or ten minutes a day. Go easy on yourself, thinking of it as a lighthearted game, or even as a mischievous refusal to be productive during those moments. Try sitting outside and widening your vision, letting your eyes take in motion and changes in light, or listen for the farthest and nearest sounds. Awakening your senses can be a fun and deeply satisfying mindfulness practice, and getting outdoors regularly is always a good form of self-care.
If you still can’t stand sitting, there are plenty of other possibilities. A slow walk, counting steps and really trying to feel the contact of your feet with the ground, is a great way to tune in to your surroundings and calm yourself. Any activity can also be more satisfying when performed with a meditative attitude; just try using attention to your breath to clear your mind of anything but gentle focus on what you’re doing: playing a musical instrument, throwing a ball, washing dishes or driving a car. Even five conscious breaths in line at the grocery store can give us the gift of pausing our usual streams of thought and activity, allowing us the possibility of seeing things in a new light--and a moment taken to remember to taste our food after we’ve brought it home can transform a daily necessity into a joy.
LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE
That’s Hippocrates writing, in what’s considered the foundational text of Western medical theory and practice. It’s a recommendation more worth following now than ever. We know that many of our modern ailments can be linked to poor diet, and that eating well is one of the keys to good health. There’s a dizzying kaleidoscope of dietary regimens constantly proliferating and collapsing in our modern culture, but comparing them with long-lived food traditions largely dissolves them into a smaller number of basic factors. Good eating has (we’ll say provisionally) four crucial components.
First there are the basics: what we actually need in order to live. That comes down to fats more than anything. “Good fats” include those famously found in fish, olives, coconuts and avocados, as well as nuts and some seeds, and—surprisingly to many—saturated fats from animal foods (see the article “Fats and Fiction” in the May 2019 issue of the Reader for more on fat). We also need some protein and some carbohydrates. In all cases, we’re better off getting these critical macronutrients from whole foods, rather than from supplements or extracts.
“Food as medicine” becomes increasingly important in a daily environment saturated with historically high levels of all kinds of toxins. It’s here that plants are our greatest allies. They provide us with a range of phytochemicals and micronutrients that regulate, amplify, repair and support every system of our bodies and minds. These compounds are often produced by the plant as defenses against insect and fungal pests—but for us they’re incredible protective and healing substances. We can live without many fruits and vegetables, but we’ll live better and longer eating a lot of them.
That’s linked to the third component: variety and seasonality. We’ve evolved eating what’s in season, and that’s made us the kind of organisms who get the most benefits out of changing our diet in accordance with natural cycles. For example, the often spicy or bitter flavors of early spring greens are signs of the detoxifying and immune-supportive properties of the first tender leaves of the year, while the high resveratrol content of summer berries helps protect our skin against ultraviolet radiation. In addition, eating the same vegetables year-round can lead to a harmful accumulation of some compounds found in those plants—compounds that are no problem at all for us when we largely stick to a seasonal diet, and have the time to flush out what we’ve been ingesting. Switch things up regularly, and explore all the colors and flavors of your local produce department or farmers’ market!
The fourth component is enjoyment of our food. Some studies have found that digestion and nutrient absorption increase when people slow down and take the time to appreciate their food, whether that’s having a mindful moment of gratitude before the meal, talking and resting throughout a long dinner, or simply gathering at the table with others. If you like food and feel like you’d benefit from changing something about your diet, think about trying new things as fun and interesting, and you’re likely to end up eating pretty well. After a few months of basing meals around a wider variety of organic plant foods, your body can reset itself, so that it knows what it needs—which might include just about anything you want!
IMMUNITY
We can strengthen our natural response to disease in many ways. In terms of diet, one of the most significant things we can do is to care for our gut health. Our gut lining forms the most crucial part of our immune system, and what we eat changes the strength of the lining and the population of microorganisms that play an integral role in its functioning. Eating prebiotic- and probiotic-rich foods helps keep our gut strong and healthy (for more on the gut microbiome, see “The Gut Ecosystem” in the December 2019 Reader).
Regular exercise also seems to strengthen our immune response. Though the evidence isn’t conclusive, it’s clear that exercise alters our production of white blood cells and antibodies, and that it reduces stress and improves sleep—both definite aids to immunity. It needn’t, and probably shouldn’t, be extremely strenuous. A good walk or bike ride on a cold day gets us warmed up and into the fresh air, and can help alleviate the blues that challenge many of us as we move into winter.
HERBS
Herbs are just plant foods we tend to use mostly in small quantities—and herbal medicine is essentially a set of practices for using herbs for their other-than-culinary benefits. Most plants we call “herbs” have particularly high concentrations of particular compounds that can support our bodies and minds in various ways. Exploring herbs as medicine can be fascinating, fun and even delicious.
While there are plenty of tinctures and extracts employed to help us survive and thrive, not all herbal medicine puts the focus on arcane combinations of mysterious and exotic roots and flowers. Drinking a simple cup of green or herbal tea is already a healthful way to get some of the benefits of plant medicine. Teas and syrups made from common plants can have many benefits.
Plants in the mint family (which includes oregano, wild bergamot, and other herbs that don’t necessarily taste “minty”) are used to combat colds and respiratory ailments, and to help regulate body temperature. Elderberry, while boasting many of the antioxidant benefits of other dark purple fruits, has also been found to disrupt the reproduction of flu viruses. A range of plants and mushrooms have recently been studied for their adaptogenic properties—their support of the adrenal system and our ability to de-stress. As always, we suggest checking with a healthcare practitioner before making changes to your diet or taking supplements.
We can also get a lot out of thinking of herbs as more primary components of our meals. For example, a truly traditional tabbouleh salad is composed primarily of finely chopped parsley and mint. Add some diced raw or cooked beets to that, along with plenty of very good olive oil and fresh lemon juice, and you have a delicious, refreshing meal packed with macro- and micro-nutrients. Garlic has antimicrobial properties (apparently unlocked by finely mincing and smashing it, then letting it sit for ten minutes before cooking or eating raw), while onions provide good food for gut bacteria. Many of our most common seasonings and spices have medicinal value.
In the region where herbal medicine and good food meet, boundaries get pretty blurry. Add to that the fact that most of our commercially produced pharmaceuticals are derived from plants and mushrooms, and it becomes even more clear: medicine is, at bottom, food. We should add one caveat here: the most important medical practices have always been preventative rather than curative. It’s when preventative measures fail to keep us healthy that we turn to professionals. When it comes to food-medicine in our daily diet, it’s pretty easy to do our own research. If we want to try to use herbs to treat a specific condition, it can be helpful to consult with an experienced herbalist. There are plenty around, and they’re likely to be enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and passion.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
It can feel great to help others. If you find anything in this article—or any other practices—beneficial, spread the joy and support, whether by letting other people know what you’ve discovered, or by taking whatever extra oomph you have and putting some of it toward easing the burden for somebody else. Everyone’s circumstances are unique, and the available time and energy to find ways to care for ourselves vary from person to person. With gratitude for the opportunities we do have, we can keep gifts moving, and in the process alleviate the sense of isolation many people feel. Community-making might be the highest form of self-care! We’re all here together.