During the pandemic, we learned so many life lessons. We found stillness amid chaos while on lockdown. We were driven to appreciate the basic things in life, things that we have long taken for granted—the natural world.
We were unable to freely go out to enjoy the sunlight or the beach due to Covid-19 restrictions. We couldn’t even breathe freely as we had to wear face masks and the face shield. We didn’t see beautiful smiles anymore. We had to be more mindful about having fresh produce in our diet to boost immune system. Truly we didn’t know what we were missing until it was gone. Therefore, we were awakened to embrace something that we have been neglecting.
Post pandemic, let us continue to imbibe the nurturing and healing abilities that nature offers. This year, Global Wellness Day ambassadors and volunteers invite everyone to live a life in harmony with nature through the #MagentaNature campaign: “We believe that a harmonious connection with the natural world is essential for overall well-being. To us, nature is not just a place; it’s an experience that nurtures physical, mental, and spiritual health.”
The philosophy of #MagentaNature has four fundamental steps: Eat natural, be in nature, protect nature, and be the nature (spiritual). Let us delve deeper into how we can reconnect with nature by embracing a practical nature-centric lifestyle.
Eat natural
We know that we all have to eat our fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, a lot of us don’t. Eating natural does not just pertain to having fruits and vegetables. From a functional nutrition perspective, emphasis on consuming fresh, wholesome, minimally processed plant sources is vital to getting well-nourished.
Choose fresh fruits to replace snacks and desserts that are ultra processed. Fruits have natural sugars compared to snacks that are filled with refined sugars and unhealthy fats. How hard is it to have a banana as a snack? If you can buy boxed snacks and chips, then you can surely buy some fresh fruits.
Vegetables can be tricky because this will take more effort in preparing. One pot dishes however are easier to prepare than whipping a three-course menu for dinner. For example, if you’re having fish sinigang, then make the amount of kangkong, gabi and other veggies more than your animal protein. You can also cooked oil-less fried with chopped vegetables for breakfast. You can add sliced vegetables like tomatoes, onions and lettuce and fruits like apple or pineapple slices to a simple tuna sandwich. If you haven’t eaten your fresh produce when dining out, you can have fruit and vegetable smoothies when you get home or before you head out. Too lazy to prepare? Your go-to for wholesome options will be modified functional foods. These are plant foods that have been freeze dried and turned into powdered form or concentrated liquid to retain the phytochemicals or plant nutrients that are beneficial to one’s health. Some examples would be organic soy powder, pea protein, wheatgrass, berries and the like.
Be in nature
Exposing your arms and legs in sunlight for 10 minutes a day will not only boost your sunshine vitamin D but will also help your body regulate sleep. It will help you produce mood stabilizing hormones like serotonin.
Forest bathing or simply being surrounded by trees can stimulate your immune system to produce natural killer cells that fight cancer and infection. This can be challenging for those who live in highly urbanized locations. Scheduling a once a month trip to a park or forest, however, will boost your immune system for at least seven days to a month. You can also diffuse woody essential oils in your room to boost the activity of natural killer cells even if this method does not promote their production compared to forest bathing.
Hydrotherapy has numerous health benefits. The natural ultrasonic waves produced by the ocean, waterfalls and other bodies of water can stimulate internal warming and anti-inflammatory effects in the body. There is healing in water. Whenever you can, take your family to the beach from time to time. It need not be on a weekly basis.
Protect nature
Nature is a gift from our Creator. As a sign of gratitude, we should be good stewards of what was entrusted to us. Let us make an effort to reduce our ecological foot print by recycling and adapting sustainable practices.
Get used to carrying a reusable water bottle instead of purchasing water in plastic bottles all the time. Make it a habit to use reusable eco bags when grocery shopping. Bring out those retro style shopping bags (the ones that look like nets or bayong) when you go to the market.
Did you know that using glass containers for your lunch boxes is healthier than using plastic containers? Glass containers don’t harm your hormone balance unlike plastics.
Open windows and let natural air in at least a few hours a day instead of having the air conditioning on the whole day and night.
Be the nature (Spiritual)
We were created for a purpose. A man-made, inanimate object such as a paper clip has a sole purpose of keeping papers organized. Therefore I, with a mind, body, soul, and spirit, must have a bigger role and purpose in this world. We find meaning in life only when we seek what God has planned for us. That is why it is vital to pay attention to our spiritual well-being. Practice spiritual disciplines from praying, reading, and listening to God’s word, meditating, singing praises, practicing gratitude, dwelling in positive thoughts and emotions, and the like.
Studies have shown that those who nurture their faith are healthier. Sick individuals who have faith have hope. They also have been shown to have greater progress in terms of healing and recovery.
As the world recently celebrated Global Wellness Day on June 8, let us make this a reminder to live a more nature-centric lifestyle to promote transformation in our own little ways.