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With the spread of COVID-19, our public health leaders have been very clear: The time is now to stay home, social distance and physically self-isolate to prevent the spread of this epidemic. It is important to remember that these sacrifices are not necessarily for you but will help the most vulnerable amongst us avoid this illness As we make such massive changes to our lives, we understand that these are extraordinary times and for many people the thought of making lifestyle changes may feel overwhelming. However, we at Wellness Garage believe that a healthy lifestyle is one of our best defenses we have against fighting off infections and disease. Now, as much as ever, is the time to make sure that you are taking care of yourself! And we want to be with you to support you on your health journey as we tackle these uncertain times together. Consider, we are here to support you so that you can continue to support those around you. Our staff has moved to work from home in order to follow social distancing recommendations from public health. And just like all of you, we are getting creative and finding resourceful ways to stay connected and stay healthy. 10 Things To Help You Stay Healthy (and sane) in a Time of COVID-19 Get outside (but remember social distancing): walk- bike- hike- whatever suits you! Nature is a powerful medicine and we are fortunate in BC to have an abundance of outdoor space. Social distancing recommendations are to stay 6 feet apart from each other- which isn’t hard to do when you consider how much green space there is all around us.  Try a new recipe: With many restaurants closed, it is a great time to try a new recipe. We have a number of favourites available through our meal planning resource. Reach out to us (recipes@wellnessgarage.ca) if there is something specific you are looking for.  Learn to cook more plant-based: Check out Rouxbe, a Vancouver-based professional online cooking school offers courses for as little as $39. That is less than a meal for two at many restaurants. Now just may be the time to learn to cook! Try yoga from home: Glo Yoga- has a variety of different yoga and meditation options to try for for FREE. YYOGA- (Vancouver & Toronto) studios are also offering online options with free trial memberships. Check with your local studios as many are offering virtual options.  Image by Benjamin Balazs from Pixabay Learn to meditate - now you cannot say that you don't have the time! Start with 5 min a day. Download an app: Calm, Headspace, 10% Happier, Waking Up are a few of our favorites. Meditation has many proven health benefits, but one of the first that you will realize is a reduction in stress - something we all can use a dose of right now!  Develop a home workout routine and stick to it! - Whether you have equipment or not, we have developed a number of minimalist workouts that might be just the thing you need to develop a new routine that you can easily do at home. Email fitness@wellnessgarage.ca and we will send you a quick & easy resource to guide you. We recommend planning your workouts and. keeping track of how many you do a week. Try a challenge with a family member or. co-worker to help keep you accountable. We are exploring ways to deliver virtual work-outs to you- Stay Tuned! Challenge yourself to stay off your phone: As the news of COVID-19 keeps rolling in, it will become more and more challenging to keep from reading the news as quickly as it pops up on your news feed. Try limiting yourself to specific times of the day to check for updates. Avoid reading or watching the news before bed when it can stimulate stress hormones known to interfere with sleep. With all the time you save, you can make it through that much neglected novel on your bedstand!  Image by Wokandapix from Pixabay Plan a family games night: and another one, and another one,... Consider this time to hang low with family and take out the Yahtzee, scrabble board or puzzle that is hiding in the cupboard. Try reaching out to other friends and play a virtual card game through Facetime of Google Hangouts! Laugh, Share Uplifting Stories: Take note of the funny and inspiring things that are happening all around us. During challenging times, it is difficult to notice all of the good that we share. Life will return to normal and in the meantime, laughter helps to keep us connected and releases necessary endorphins that send positive messages to the brain! Watch a documentary about health: Take the extra time when you may be homebound to watch some of the health documentaries that we have been talking about at the Garage: Game Changers: Explores the benefits of plant based eating with a focus on how athletes are benefitting from a plant-based diet. Definitely controversial in some of it's claims but it has emerged as one of the most popular documentaries ever! Fed Up: Explores the prevalence of sugar in the standard North American diet and how it is driving an obesity epidemic. Embrace: Is a powerful movie about embracing your body for what it can “do” rather than how it looks. Cooked: Michael Pollan explores the connection between food and culture through this Netflix series. Supersize Me: The documentary to stop your fast food habit! Food As Medicine: Explores the role of food in healing. One last word - remember to take care of yourself. Give yourself space to rejuvenate, explore your (at home) hobbies, take a long bath, stretch, drink tea. Whatever ritual you find comforting, find time to work it into your day! By taking care of ourselves, we will have more to offer others in this challenging time.
Stay safe, stay connected and be well!
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AuthorDr. Brendan Byrne Archives
March 2020
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