Hi...
So I woke up on Saturday with body aches, shortness of breath, and a low-grade fever.
I said, "oh well, here I go, I've got it".
I got tested on Sunday, even though I felt better, and results came back on Monday - NEGATIVE.
PS...I am in Park City, so no risk of contamination in the restaurant. I guess it what was just cold.
I was a little disappointed, to be honest. Since it was somewhat mild, I was hoping I had it and could then walk among the people like a superhero, totally shielded from the global pandemic. But that also got me thinking...it's not how it works.
I had the flu a few years ago and still have PTSD. 104 fever for 4 days, 7 days in bed, and 30 to fully recover. I had attended a trade show with 100,000 other people, spending 8 hours in an enclosed space, eating tons of food samples. Sounds freaky to think about now right?
And the bummer is, I am not immune to the flu, but I will never go back to that trade show.
There are hundreds of thousands of viruses on the planet...
Can they make a vaccine for all of them?
Do the vaccines work?
In 2016, way before COVID, they forecasted by 2020 the global vaccine market with reach almost $60B.
Viruses have different strains. They also have side effects that might be worse than the disease itself. I have strong feelings about vaccines in this modern age, but that's a discussion for another time. That time will be if they make the COVID 19 vaccine mandatory.
Ok, back to our immune system. When I stress about vaccines it's not good for my health.
The world is a sh*t show right now. In these times of uncertainty, it’s really hard to feel grounded, there are still so many questions, conflicting leadership from the government, and conflicting information in the media. I have friends that burst into tears, and some that think this whole thing is a joke. College kids are having COVID parties, some think the government will implant something in them if they get tested, and some think this is a global conspiracy to sell vaccines. Not sure someone could get the whole world all on the same page, but I do know that "disaster capitalism" is a real thing. Best book on the subject: Naomi Klein - The-Shock-Doctrine.
So how do we move forward, mitigating risk but not living in fear? And ultimately taking GOOD care of ourselves?
I have an idea...
Let's learn about and rock our immune systems.
For the next few months we will be sending out our newsletter in the hopes of helping you realize that YOU are in control, for the most part, and actually hold a tremendous amount of power. We will be discussing different topics to help you take back your immune system so you can be a superhero!
Welcome to Week 1: Positive Thinking
Understanding how your thoughts directly affect your immunity is crucial to overall health. In fact, it's #1 on my list b/c without it the other stuff won't be as effective. Check out the video below for info on a crazy study I learned about in nutrition school.
And also know this:
70% of your immune system is IN your digestive tract. The other bits are in your lymph, on your skin, etc. It makes sense that what goes IN and what goes ON your body is where your defenses are.
For every 1 signal that your brain sends to your gut, 9 go from the gut to the brain. 🤯 I wonder what signal a Snickers sends to the brain vs an organic apple?
Does it seem crazy that what we think and how we feel are connected? And that it could affect our immune system? I think not...It’s all inside the body, it’s literally connected. #notcrazy
5 minutes of negative thinking can affect your digestion for 8 hours. What does a day of negative thinking do? And see point one… your immunity depends on your digestion!
Homework for week 1 - Think about what you think about!!!
What thoughts are swirling around in your mind?
What stories are you telling yourself?
Have you ever thought about what you think about?
I promise you, this can change your life!
How do you do it?
Step 1: Identify what your thoughts are
Step 2: Journal them if desired. If they are positive, grateful, happy. You are done. Go have a Snickers (just kidding, do not do that) 😜 If they are negative in any way go to Step 3.
Step 3: Create a “Go-To Happy Thought".
Years ago, I went through something that had me really down for months. I was crying a lot and it was hard to focus at work. I was sad all the time and I knew I couldn’t keep going on like that, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was driving me crazy.
I talked to one of my Olympic teammates who has her PhD in counseling psychology. Her advice was gold. And don't ask, we came in 5th at the Olympics). 🙈🏑
She told me:
I deserved time to grieve the loss. But giving it all my waking hours was too much. She said to assign some time to think about it, have a good cry, and then make a conscious effort to change your thinking when the negative thought came into mind outside my designated time.
The conscious effort requires you to create a "Go-To Happy Thought". Mine was my niece. She was about 2 years old and so damn cute, so anytime I started going dark, I thought of her. I thought of her smiling, me holding her, her laughing, silly things we had done.... and it worked! Sounds simple. But seriously, it is! I paid attention to the negative thinking and swapped it for good thinking.
I also began to journal all that was positive in my life. Just being aware of all that I had, a home, food, my health, my family, great friends, my own business. I mean, really.....I was lucky! I learned how to control the thoughts in my head, added in what I was grateful for, and that changed my minutes and hours and then the day....... and those days added up.
It was a major turning point for me, and I hope it can help you when you need it.
Join us on this journey and I hope you become happy and healthier than you already are!
Love, Kris.