How to Never Get Sick in 7 Simple Steps
Nov 05, 2024
Back in the day, I used to get sick as much as the next yahoo. Colds, flus, fevers, digestive distress - they all made regular appearances.
Then I made some helpful discoveries that have ensured full health for over a decade and a half. Even if my husband or kids catch something, I stay healthy. The only symptoms I’ve had in recent years are some mild sniffles that have disappeared within a day. Want to know how?
Here are seven things you can do for optimal health that are simple enough to start tout de suite (or right away, if you prefer English expressions).
Step 1: Master Your Mindset
The first step I took was to implement a practice I learned in the book Na’auao Ola Hawaii by Maka’ala Yates. The recommendation was to say the following mantra to yourself 100 times for 100 days: I am strong and healthy.
That’s it! Simple, right? The only trick is making time to do it. I chose to recite it in bed at night before going to sleep. It only took a few minutes and I tracked it by counting on my fingers.
It’s also important to watch your words and thoughts because they are powerful and you can have what you say.
If you want to be healthy, your words and thoughts should match that intention. For example, don’t go around declaring to anyone who will listen that you get sick all the time. Choose powerful language that aligns with your vision for health.
Step 2: Befriend a Neti Pot
I love my Neti pot and use it daily. I fill it with water and then add a tiny scoop of salt and half a tiny scoop of baking soda. Shake it up, run it through one nostril and then repeat on the other side, blowing your nose gently in between. Follow up the rinse by applying sesame oil (not the food kind and definitely not the toasted kind) in each nostril and sniffing it up into the sinuses. Yummy!
This practice keeps everything in working order, especially during the colder and dryer times of the year because germs have a hard time adhering to a moist nasal passage.
Step 3: Daily Energy Routine
Almost a decade ago, I learned the Daily Energy Routine from Donna Eden. I’ve done it pretty much every day since and attribute my strong immune system to this 5-minute practice. It’s basically a breathing exercise with corresponding movements that shift the body from fight or flight to rest and digest.
Lately, I’ve been doing the Daily Energy Routine outside during my morning walk which feels like an extra boost of awesome.
Step 4: Move with Joy Daily
Speaking of morning walks, as a former PE teacher, the benefits of exercise were drilled into my head during my Kinesiology degree. If we could put all the perks of exercise into a pill, it would be the best-selling and most effective thing out there. However, moving the body takes effort and the inner fortitude to make it happen so many people don’t have a regular practice.
I like to think of exercising as moving my body with joy. My favourite things to do are brisk walking with hills and stairs thrown in for good measure, a 12-minute running ritual I learned from Dr John Douillard and getting on the yoga mat daily. I also love hiking and cross-country skiing.
The most helpful thing to get joyful movement into your life is to take baby steps if you don’t have a regular practice yet. Make the task so small that even the part of your mind that doesn’t want to do it can’t come up with an excuse.
For example, you could start with 5 squats a day or a 5 minute walk or 3 sun salutations. Maybe you dance for a song or do 10 bicep curls with soup cans (or butternut squashes… that would be fun). Make it so doable that there are no valid excuses your rebellious little mind can trick you with.
Then, as that baby step becomes a regular habit, you can add more. You can always do more than your bare minimum once you get going but you don’t have to. The point is to be in integrity with yourself and do what you promised yourself you would do. Experiment with different ways of moving until you find what feels less like work and more like vitality.
Moving daily with joy keeps all of your systems running optimally.
Step 5: Eat Live Foods and Take High-Quality Supplements
Nutrition is something I’ve been passionate about since I was 3 years old. Apparently, I was quite militant about following the food guide when I learned about it in play school!
I wouldn’t follow it these days, though, and instead choose to fill my plate with 70-80% fruits and vegetables because if you want to feel alive and vibrant, it’s helpful to eat live foods.
I also choose to take supplements that keep stress levels in check and support the optimal functioning of my brain, liver and other organs. My dailies include lemon balm, goldenseal, olive leaf, zinc, Vitamin C, B12, D, a B complex, curcumin and ashwaganda. I also include sea vegetables like dulse and spirulina in my smoothies, along with barley grass.
Do your own research and see what would be beneficial for your body.
(I really love the company Vimergy because their supplements are very clean and potent, plus they provide helpful information on their site. (I’m not an affiliate - I just love their mission.)
Step 6: If you feel run down - listen and take action
If I feel the tiniest hint of something brewing, I do three things.
One - I have a rest, often in the form of a 20 minute savasana. That often does the trick. Rather than push through like I used to, I honour the message that’s coming through instead and take a break.
Two - I’ll make thyme tea because it’s a natural anti-viral. Put a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme in boiled water and steep for a few minutes (or you can use a tsp of dried thyme if you don’t have fresh). Then add some unprocessed honey and the juice of a lemon as options. It tastes great and I can feel it working instantly.
Three - Propolis is another helpful supplement if you have sniffles or a tickle in the throat. I don’t take this one daily - just if I need an extra boost.
Step 7: Breathwork
Breathwork is a regular practice that I incorporate into my daily life. Any issue that shows up either in your body, mind or in your outer world is only ever the result of one thing: stuck energy. Conscious breathing helps that energy move again and ta dah! You become your own instant healer.
I love the Central Channel Breathing practice that I learned from my mentor, Dr Sue Morter. Essentially, you use the mind to follow the breath up and down the core of the body. The simplest version is to inhale up from the earth to the heart and then inhale out of the top of the head, all through the nose. Then you reverse it, inhaling from overhead into the heart and exhaling into the earth. I do it as often as possible throughout the day.
If I feel run down, I learned to increase the intensity of the breath, making the inhales and exhales strong and long. Keep the breathing intensified until you feel perspiration start to form on your back. Then you’re done. It usually takes me under five minutes. This version of Central Channel Breathing helps activate the immune system and burn up any intruders.
There you have it; seven ideas that will keep you healthy and vital. I recommend choosing one and getting started with it. If you try to do them all at once, it could be overwhelming so keep it simple and when you’ve got a handle on one step, bring in another.
To your optimal health!
With robust love and vital courage,
Christina
>Creator of Courageous Self-Care
>still wondering how we got from celebrating our ancestors with La Dia Del Los Muertes to encouraging the consumption of many tons of sugar
>having recently felt called to get on Instagram again, I'm quite proud of the reel I made recently (you know that moment when...) (@ChristinaMarlett)
PS - Our 9D Breathwork Journey for this month is Releasing Stress & Anxiety. Come one come all to this soothing and relaxing experience that will help melt away stress and anxiety while giving you tools to maintain your newfound inner peace. Click the 9D image below under Calendar of Events for details.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the sheer joy of being a guest on the Virgin Beauty B*tch podcast.
I must say that in my professional life, there’s nothing more fun to me than talking about what I love to talk about, especially in the hopes that it will help someone transform their life.
Some juicy takeaways were:
>Emotional Embrace: Christina shares a powerful approach to emotions like shame and betrayal—embracing them with love rather than dismissing them. She explains that such acknowledgment often leads to quicker dissipation of often difficult emotions.
>Courage Over Fear: Christina explains the differences between bravery and courage. While bravery might involve the absence of fear, true courage is about taking action despite fear and becomes even more powerful when aligned with one's values.
>Shifting Self-talk: Christina advocates for practicing mindfulness and transforming negative self-talk into positive affirmations, which can significantly improve internal dialogue and personal well-being.
This podcast is super thought-provoking and the hosts, Christopher and Heather, ask stimulating questions.
I love a lively song on a scenic car ride. This song fits the bill. It just makes everyone in the car feel so good, nodding our heads in unison and singing the chorus together.
For an uplifting tune, this week I recommend Milk and Honey by Hollow Coves. I suspect it will make your heart happy. If you can listen in the car, even better.
