8 ways to go holistic for 2023.

Excuse us? Go ‘holistic’? Surely ‘ballistic’ would be more apt after the couple of years we’ve had?!

In a nutshell, holistic health means caring about the whole person i.e. ALL of yourself.

It is more than the awareness of ‘self-care’-  in a spiritual sense. But also looking out for your mental wellbeing, physical and social needs. It means appreciating that if you aren’t feeling too happy in one part of yourself, it has a knock on effect. Aiming for a balance between all parts of your being and life is key for your overall health.

Stress, over-extending yourself, not getting enough sleep, too much booze, smoking and bad diet are sure fire ingredients for ailments, viral infections, lethargy and a depressed immune system. Looking after your mind, body and boosting your immune system is vital in order to prevent small issues deteriorating.

‘Health is wealth' as they say! Prevention is your savings account. 

Read on for ways to boost your immune system, maintain good nutrition and maximise your wellbeing.

What is Holistic Care?

Our bodies are truly amazing. They deserve to be well maintained. Like a new car. (Maybe more of a vintage model in our case!) 

All our working parts, from our engine, to our wheels, our trim … are intricate and interconnected.

The immune system is no exception. Immunity cells are all through the body (including skin, blood, bone marrow & intestines). Our digestive system, nasal passages, and skin serve as the front line of defence. If these areas are healthy (good mucus production and lubrication and plenty of stomach acid) they’ll block any nasty invaders before they can do proper damage.

We’re born with an innate immune system that has a reliable, non-specific response including stomach acid, fever response, mucus, beneficial bacteria, and certain types of immune cells. Rest as much as possible, stay hydrated, and let your immune system do its job when you start to feel the first signs of illness.

1: Stay well hydrated

So simple, yet something few of us really do well! As well as keeping up our water intake, there are other pleasurable ways to stay hydrated. Avoid the caffeine in tea and coffee and switch to drinking plenty of warm herbal teas. We got some fab teas. Like Oriental Organics Organic Butterfly Pea and Lemongrass - unusual and so refreshing.

Aim for 3 - 4 cups of herbal tea a day and 2 litres of fluid intake every 24 hrs.

2: Sleep like a baby

Bad sleep is one of the most common complaints when it comes to stress and depression. Prioritise sleep as much as you can. Solid sleep will help you and your immune system thrive. 

First up. Ditch the screen! Blue light from your ipad, tablet or phone is proven to keep your brain stimulated, so avoid your screen for at least one hour before bedtime. If you can bear it, leave your phone out of your bedroom and buy an old fashioned alarm clock.

Create the perfect sleep environment. Keep your bedroom cool, well ventilated, and try winding down before bed with a bath, lighting a candle, or using an ambient room spray.  Lavender is the prefect essential oil to wind down to. 

We love  Coopers atmospheric room sprays, as well our relaxing candles that contain no nasty chemicals by Hoof and Paw.

3: Eat good stuff, naturally.

Part of  holistic health is educating yourself and getting an achievable diet plan in place  for yourself, or the whole family. 

Ditch (most of) the sugar. It’s hard to avoid the stuff when you realise where its secretly hidden (hello white bread, pasta, store sauces ..) 

A high sugar diet including refined carbohydrates can actually work against the immune system. High sugar diets increase intestinal wall permeability and feed the wrong microbes in our gut and worsen low-grade inflammation. Yep, that's not good!

If you have a sweet tooth try adding cinnamon to your diet to balance blood sugar and curb sweet cravings. One teaspoon a day with porridge, in smoothies, or simply in water really helps. Actively search for sugar-free foods that offer great natural alternatives to sugar. Heart does a great range of sugar free alternatives.

4: Eat organic stuff that helps your body digest.

Organic foods mean no toxins, chemicals, and artificial colourants and preservatives. These are the little blighters that so often cause gut and intestinal problems and allergies and intolerances. 

Eating organic means reducing your toxic load, providing more nutrients for your body, helping your environment, and improving your overall wellbeing. Organic farming uses less energy and produces less waste than other farming methods, which means that organic farming is kinder to the environment too.

Try Heart's range of organic goodies like this delicious Cinnamon and apple granola

We have a whole collection of organic, gluten free, sugar free and natural larder goodies  right here There is a variety of foods that aid with immune support and gut health, there is a range of organic colourful produce and leafy greens, healthy fats, vitamin C, pungent aromatics such as garlic and ginger, medicinal mushrooms, fermented foods, and fluids. Get as much of the good stuff as you can into your diet! You'll notice the difference, we promise.

5: Make Fruit Smoothies

Here’s one of our favorite recipes.

You’ll need one Banana, a cup of almond milk, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of turmeric and spirulina, a handful of blueberries, a square of ginger, and a teaspoon of organic coconut oil

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If you have a nut allergy simply replace the almond milk with coconut water or water…. Cinnamon is blood sugar balancing and antiviral, turmeric is anti-inflammatory as is ginger (and antiviral) and the blueberries are full of Vitamin C, flavonoids, and antioxidants. The organic cold-pressed coconut oil will help you stay fuller for longer and facilitates the absorption of the turmeric by the liver.

What is not to like here?

6: Organic food is not boring!

Cooking food from scratch is the best way to know precisely what you are putting into your body. Making soups is the perfect and easy way to support the immune system and stay well hydrated.

Try this - Organic Asian Immune Boosting Chicken Soup Recipe ( replace the chicken with tofu or sweet potato if you are veggie or vegan)

In a large casserole dish, melt a tablespoon of organic coconut oil. Brown 4 x organic chicken thighs, add 3 – 6 chopped garlic cloves, chopped onion, or spring onion if you prefer, and chopped up ginger (at least 5 cm).

Turn and brown the chicken then add stock (chicken or veggie stock – the equivalent of 6 cups) leave to simmer for 25 minutes during which time you add 4 tablespoons of The Coconut Company Amino Multi-Purpose Sauce, and 3 tablespoons of their Teriyaki Sauce and add lemongrass and sesame seeds if you have them in the pantry.

After twenty minutes add chopped chilies to taste and chopped courgettes (1 large courgette), broccoli (1/2 a broccoli), and noodles (enough for 4 people). Simmer for another 5 mins, then garnish with plenty of fresh coriander, mint, spring onion, and serve with fresh lime! If you don’t have access to a variety of fresh, healthy, organic ingredients, then consider supplementing with Vitamin C, Zinc, Vitamin D, quercetin, and a probiotic. (If you are pregnant or considering supplementation in the long term make sure you always consult your doctor and a qualified nutritionist first).

7: Clean up your act.

In these weird times of no hugging, no crowds and social distancing, one of the most effective things we can do to reduce transmission of any illness is keep hands super clean after all contact.

Treat yourself to gorgeous organic and natural soaps and handwashes. If we’re using something this much, it may as well be fabulous, right? And with natural brands, your skin will thank you for it. Try the No Ordinary range of soaps and body washes. 

Isabella's Clearly does some amazing products for hands and great organic hand sanitisers.

8: Smile. Stay positive

During times of uncertainty, we can bring out the best in each other. As human beings, we are innovative and good at adapting. Positive thinking and seeing the silver lining as it were, is one of the  best things you can do for your own health - mental and physical. And for the health and wellbeing of those around you. Be it your closest family, neighbour or the guy on the till in the supermarket. Smile. Be kind. Bring light and you’ll find your own ‘inner light’ will shine a little brighter. That .. is holistic at work.

No matter what’s going on right now, it will pass, it will change. We will have to adapt again, and that's ok. We’ll be better at it! 

Be holistic in 2023. Stay hydrated, eat well, sleep well, take care of your body and your body will take care of you. 

Take it one day at a time. We’ll leave you with this ..

“And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed”. Kitty O-Meara