Our Health, Our Power!

Today I am writing to you as a parent concerned about our children’s future. Since the beginning of this pandemic I have been finding myself questioning on a daily basis what I can do to protect my own and my children’s health during these unprecedented times. I think this is the case for all parents as I am writing these words.

As many are waiting impatiently for health officials to tell us they’ve finally found ”something” that works that will protect us, they are meanwhile worried and anxious about what lies ahead, especially in the Fall when schools open up again. Even when health officials will come up with a ”solution”, which might provide for some, relief in the short term, I can’t help but ask myself, isn’t this a slightly narrow view of health? Doesn’t health also include our mental health, our social connections, living in harmony with our values, the food we eat, the level of stress we are exposed to, and the list goes on. Health has multiple facets that are interconnected because we as human being have multiple systems and facets that are interconnected. We are holistic beings with a mind, body and spirit, that is why we need a holistic approach to health.

As parents, if we can start viewing and thinking of health in all its complexity, we will quick realize that the solution to this present virus is not as simple as we think. If we don’t want to live another pandemic like this one, we need to start taking responsability as a society for our own health. Just think of the consequences if we don’t.

Now when you think of it, at a micro level, society starts with each and every family that takes part in it. I believe as parents, we have a huge responsability to play in determining the future of our society. However, right now, parents are extremely taxed. They are tired, and are very anxious as to what lies ahead, not necessarily in the ”far future” but as close as this coming September, with the start of the new school year! We are all feeling the stress of not knowing what to expect, and the fear that our children might get Covid and get sick. At the present moment, I think we need to seriously be supporting parents mental health!

Where can we start? How can we empower parents to be the role models they are called to be for their children and for society? I believe the first place to start is with their own health. If we want to protect our children from the ill effects of this virus, parents need to focus their energy and attention on building resilient immune systems for themselves and their children. I say ill effects because I don’t think it is realistic to think, or even a good thing to hope for, that as long as we take all the necessary precautions, we won’t get it and we’ll be safe. What is a resilient immune system? At a cellular level, it means being able to take a hit, and afterwards to bounce back quickly, fully and stronger than before!

Your IMMUNE SYSTEM is what will protect you if you get sick. And how do you build a strong resilient immune system? I recommend you first start with the basics that we often all forget to do because we are so busy, that is eat quality whole foods, get enough sleep, make movement a part of your daily routine, work on your mindset because your thoughts do influence your reality, nurture social connections, and live a life in harmony with your values. Everything I’ve just mentioned will impact not only your own immune resilience, but also your children’s resilience.

The Solution

Now let’s summarize what I’ve just shared with you:

• Health has multiple facets that are interconnected because we are holistic beings with a mind, body and spirit
• For this reason, there doesn’t exist a single solution to an illness, infection or virus.
• The long term solution lies in us taking responsability as a society for our own health
• At a micro level, the long term solution lies in the health of each and every family
• The best way to protect yourself and your family in the coming Fall is to start building strong resilient immune systems, starting with an holistic approach in mind

I would like to finish by mentioning that I think we need more than ever to be thinking of parent’s mental health during these stressful and uncertain times. And, the first place to start is to empower them with the knowledge. If you ask me, I believe there has never been a better time to start taking full responsability of our own health. Our children’s future depends on it!

If you are curious what you can do to start improving your immune resilience, you can check out my website at brainhealthpourlavie.com for some additional free content. I’ve also recently created a brand new private Facebook Group called ”Our Health, Our Power”. This is meant to be a group for parents to share ideas and resources so they can be empowered to build healthy families and communities. Hope to see you there!