{"id":7231,"date":"2020-05-07T08:45:31","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T06:45:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stedtnitz.ch\/?p=7231"},"modified":"2020-07-21T06:16:56","modified_gmt":"2020-07-21T04:16:56","slug":"coming-back-to-our-body-with-or-without-supplements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stedtnitz.ch\/en\/coming-back-to-our-body-with-or-without-supplements\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pros and Cons of Taking Supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even though many of us have been spending a lot of time staring out the window and yearning for the moment we can step outdoors again, the situation that we\u2019re in could also be seen as an extraordinary opportunity to turn our attention back to our bodies.<\/p>\n

\u201cExtraordinary\u201d to be understood as uncommon, and magnificent.<\/p>\n

It’s been a few weeks since the beginning of the lockdown. In some countries, the measures seem to be enforced more strictly than in others. Some people experience it with fear and worry; others with anger, frustration and a certain tone of resentment for everything they had to give up or postpone. There are also those who add a touch of humor, calm, acceptance and\/or resignation.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the dominant mindset, there is something that most of us share: an uncomfortable sense of helplessness and vulnerability towards what is happening out in the world.<\/p>\n

And it is precisely here where the “return to our body” can help us find an appropriate anchoring.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Christophe Hautier on Unsplash<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

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Focusing On Our Body to Strengthen the Immune System<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meditation, conscious breathing, yoga… any practice focused on mindfulness is an example of turning the attention to our body, back to our essence.<\/p>\n

I’m not going to talk about the benefits of these practices, since they\u2019re all over the Internet, and their countless health benefits clearly explained.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to focus here on the body from a more physiological angle.<\/p>\n

By that I mean focusing on our immune system: an innate intelligence, finely honed and polished after millennia of evolution, which operates within us autonomously, without us having to consciously manage it.<\/p>\n

Our body has a perfectly organized defense system, with an intelligence and functioning strategy that even today science is only just beginning to understand.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>In the midst of this information whirlpool, where the news seems to leave us more helpless than empowered, I think it\u2019s worth emphasizing, now more than ever, that there is something we can do to defend ourselves, and that is to help our immune system do its job, as it has been doing it, continuously and with no interruption, ever since we were born.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Christian Escobar on Unsplash<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

How Do We Support Our Immune System?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I discussed this topic in this post<\/a>, as well as the importance of maintaining a healthy balance in relation to four fundamental pillars so as to move out of the spiral of our day-to-day stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nutrition, rest, exercise (even if it’s indoors), sitting in the sun (even if it’s behind the window), finding moments to laugh and smile throughout the day (too much exasperating news literally undermines our immune system), looking for (or re-discovering) activities that allow us to relax…<\/p>\n

All these actions contribute differently to support and strengthen our immune system.<\/p>\n

Something to emphasize here: none of the above-mentioned activities is more important than the others.<\/p>\n

None of them. There is no hierarchy.<\/p>\n

And why am I highlighting this? Shouldn’t I be talking about food and supplements?<\/p>\n


\nSeeking the “Magic” Supplement (Or Natural Remedy)<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this attempt to strengthen our immune system at all costs, we seem to have started to panic over the last few weeks by rushing to buy (in addition to the mysteriously elusive toilet paper) food supplements, vitamins and other “natural\u201d remedies.<\/p>\n

We are conditioned to discount what is available to us for free.<\/p>\n

… and we tend to believe that “the XYZ supplement just discussed on the radio or on social networks is the one that will help me,” while we underestimate the value of looking through the window, with the rays of the sun shining on our faces, closing our eyes and turning our attention to our breath, while listening to a piece of music<\/a> that uplifts the soul a few levels\u2026<\/p>\n

Continuing with the same example, both supplements XYZ and sitting for a few minutes under the sunlight can equally contribute to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Decrease blood cortisol (herb “X” is usually recommended for this, along with supplement “Y”)<\/li>\n
  2. Stimulate the pineal gland, which, among many other functions, produces melatonin that helps us sleep at night (another trendy supplement)<\/li>\n
  3. The conversion of vitamin D through our skin (another \u201dsupplement\u201d for which pharmacies already have a waiting list these days)<\/li>\n
  4. The production of serotonin (a chemical messenger that, when the levels of it in our brain are low, we are prescribed antidepressants – yet another pill)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Yes, there are supplements (and I will talk about them in future posts) that can support our immune system, without a doubt. However, they don’t work miraculously.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThere is no supplement that will compensate for a poor diet, interrupted sleep, lack of exercise or the permanent state of stress and anxiety to which we can expose our bodies on a daily basis.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    Every day people ask me about what I think about this or that supplement or herbal remedy, or what they can take as a substitute for supplement “A”, since it is sold out in pharmacies or even on Amazon (this is the moment I stop and wonder about the huge amount of money some companies must be generating these days).<\/p>\n

    I listen to them and note the distress in their voice, as if that supplement<\/em> were the last resort we have left to escape this pandemic.<\/p>\n

    “Nature is the best pharmacy the universe could make accessible to us.”<\/p>\n

    All necessary nutrients (vitamins, minerals, enzymes, co-factors, transcription factors etc.) that our body needs can be obtained from food, water, air, and sun.<\/p>\n

    Our body’s wisdom and immune system know how to reorganize and combine these nutrients to make them available for life\u2013 for our life.<\/p>\n

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    Photo by Masaaki Komori on Unsplash<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

    Can some supplements be helpful?<\/strong><\/p>\n