The 3 Keys to Restore & Repair It is a miracle that our body is undergoing constant renewal of body cells, recovery and repair - and most of the time - the body does a fantastic job dealing with all we throw at it.
However, sometimes things aren't going so well, and we might experience this as physical illness or emotional and mental stress.
Here are our 3 Keys to help us restore, recover & repair
1 – REST
Getting enough rest, and having deep sleep is essential for our health. Dr Chatterjee names this as one of his 4 pillars of health.
Several vital things happen in deep sleep:
- Our pituitary gland releases growth hormone which helps repair muscle and other tissue.
- Our immune system is strengthened.
- Supports good memory.
- Removes toxins from the brain.
- Helps process emotions.
- Regulates melatonin, a powerful antioxidant.
But HOW do I get a good night’s sleep you ask?
- Try to establish a bed-time routine of going to sleep and waking at the same time. This forms a habit and patterns the body and brain. You might do some evening yoga, meditation, sauna, hot bath etc.
- Sleep in a comfortable bed in a room with ventilation and a pleasant temperature. Try to be as far away from electrical devices, LED lights, mobile phones and wi-fi as you can.
- Look into principles of Feng Shui – looking at your bed position, removing mirrors, TVs and angular furniture and creating a temple of rest instead.
- Try to keep away from a screen 60 minutes before sleep. The blue light emitted from screens stimulates brain activity, making deep sleep harder to achieve.
- Don’t go to bed on a full stomach (and an empty one might keep you awake). Some foods, such as bananas can help calm the mid before sleep due to potassium content. Simple carbs can also be calming at night.
- Herbs can help; camomile, valerian, oats and hops all have a calming effect. You can buy a ‘sleepytime tea’ blend from health food stores.
- Read a good book at night – something inspiring and relaxing.
2 – FUEL
Getting the right fuel allows the body to repair effectively. The best foods are:Protein is necessary to promote growth and repair damaged cells, but the key is absorbable protein (this is why All You Need has bio-fermented plant protein with digestive enzymes)Leafy greens (like morninga, nettles, wheatgrass - found in All You Need)High Vitamin C foods and other antioxidants helps the body repair from oxidative stress, which causes disease and old age. (good sources found in All You Need are camu camu, rosehip and acerola cherry)Medicinal mushrooms are a super-potent tool in recovery, with enormous scientific data showing their effectiveness in helping healing and repair. (All You Need has reishi, turkey tail and lions mane mushrooms)
3 – Relax
Good sleep is vital, but chilling out and having time relaxing is also so important for recovery and rejuvenation.
This is demonstrated by many body systems. Our immune system is affected by our mental state (there is a whole branch of medicine that studies this called psychoneuroimmunology) – stress lowers immune function and prevents us from restoring and repairing.
Our nervous system is hard-wired to respond to our perceived environment. High stress levels stimulate the nerves into activity. A calm mind and relaxed body activates our parasympathetic nervous system into what is called ‘rest and digest’ – allowing regeneration to take place.
Our hormonal system (which is very connected to our immune and nervous systems) comes into play here. Under ‘fight or flight’ conditions the sympathetic nervous system is activated and hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released into the body. Due to ‘micro-stress moments’, many people are in a low level of ‘fight or flight’ most of the time. Relaxation techniques reduce these hormones allowing us to relax, and also promotes the release of life-giving hormones into our system.
How do you like to relax?
All You Need's Jonny likes cold water therapy, and sister Juliette like to lay on a lounger in the sun. How do you like to relax?
