Physical Recovery

3 Ways to Recover Physically

Over the past year, have you…

been less active? 

indulged in food or drinks more than usual? 

slept less or inconsistently? 

and/or felt physically “off”? 

Whether suffering from the COVID-19 virus itself or just the effects of having to stay-at-home, this past year may have taken a toll on your body and now that we are slowly starting to climb out of “survival mode,” it can be time to recover physically.

The added stress of pretty much everything about COVID, along with the loss of many of our healthy tools such as in-person workout classes and team sports, access to hobbies and interests, the energy and desire to cook nutrient-dense food, and the overall sense-of-self, can easily all add up to physical effects that need to be addressed.

If you:

• have gained weight 
• feel less energetic 
• are experiencing brain fog 
• have added unhealthy habits to your lifestyle (such as eating more sugar and carbs, drinking more, etc.) 
• are experiencing sleep issues 
• have more pain
• are dealing with digestive upset

or have any other unusual symptom that has developed over the past year, now is the time to discover the underlying root cause of your issue and begin to treat and/or heal it.  If not, these can lead to long-term inflammation that may cause more serious issues and/or disease.

If you feel it’s time to pull yourself out from the hole many of us have been living in through all of this, the following 3 tips can help you begin to recover your whole self.

1. Become Active Again.

We’ve all spent a lot of time in our homes.  While this has been safe, it may also have resulted in more time on the couch, in front of the television, or on electronics leading to everything from weight gain to low energy.

As you slowly move forward, include some sort of movement in your daily life.  No, you don’t have to go back to the gym if you’re not ready, but walk for 20 minutes, go for a weekly hike, try yoga in your living room, or discover workout classes on demand.

Make a note of what movement you will get in for each day.  Start slow and build when you feel ready – or, just keep steady at the pace that feels right for you.

2. Make One Change to Your Diet.

Sure, there may be multiple things you’d like to change about the way you eat, but right now…just start with one.

Some goals may include:

• striving for 5-7 fruits and vegetables per day 
• cutting back or eliminating processed foods 
• consuming more protein and cutting back on unhealthy carbs
• cooking at home and eating out less 
• hydrating with at least your weight in ounces of water every day 
• reducing sugary desserts to just once a week 
• eating one superfood daily

in addition to so many more!  Pick one that you could benefit from and just focus on that for a month.

3. Seek Support or Make a Determination to Squelch Bad Habits.

An extra glass of wine after work?  An over-the-counter pill to help you fall asleep?  Coffee every morning to get you going?  Dessert most nights of the week?

When our usual stress-management tools are taken from us, we can reach for unhealthy options to help us cope.  And while this can be helpful for us to survive in the moment, they are typically not long-term solutions.

So now, we need to break those habits and let our bodies recover and heal.

For instance, consider:

• a 30 day stop of drinking (such as a “dry March”) 
• following the Whole30 diet for the next month 
• scheduling acupuncture to calm the nervous system for stress management and better sleep 
• a Vitamin B shot for weight management, energy balance, and adrenal support 
• supplements for stress, anxiety, sleep, digestion, etc. 

These can help you reset your body in a healthy way so you can make your way back to moderation and balance.

This past year hasn’t been easy – for our bodies or our minds.  But we can get back on track…starting now.  It may take some time, but that’s okay.  The important thing is that we start.

If you live in Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Centennial, Parker, Larkspur, Monument, Colorado Springs, or the greater Denver metro area and are in need of naturopathic support for your health, please call us at (303) 688-6698 or click here to schedule a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation with Dr. Graves to talk about your symptoms.