When we had the cold, I was very irritated over it. I was doing all this good stuff but still getting sick. Not fair! It wasn't milder for some of us. It wasn't shorter. But realistically I couldn't expect to be at optimal health in just three weeks with just babysteps. I needed to detach myself from the results. Sometimes things will go good. Sometimes they will go bad. If the changes we are making have value then they should be continued. If they don't, I shouldn't start them.
My mom had heard that colds were the body's way of cleansing itself. I was skeptical since I knew it was viruses that cause colds. I looked it up and found this article that was intriguing and convincing that colds help eliminate weaker cells much faster than the body could locate and eliminate them on their own. I also read a scientific study about mice and how viruses impacted intestinal health. Our bodies are so very complex and these interactions with viruses and bacteria may not be completely black and white.
But I think the aggravation that I was feeling was a big factor in not being able to fight off the cold. I woke up this past Sunday morning with a sinus headache, sore throat, post nasal drip, chills, etc. I knew that I might have been exposed to a viral sinusitis or it might be a relapse. But thankfully it was a Sunday so my husband helped with the children and reheated leftovers for lunch. I made pomegranate oatmeal for breakfast and sourdough beignets for supper. I stayed home, rested, drank ginger tea w/ apple cider vinegar, ate well, and stayed calm. I also took ibuprofen and a decongestant. By afternoon, I was well. The next morning, I felt no evidence of any illness.
This article from Mayo Clinic demonstrates how positive thinking promotes health. I don't think we really give enough credit to how the thoughts in our head affect the health of our body and vice versa. I feel healthier emotionally and mentally as much as I do physically. I'm not sure how much of that is directly related or indirectly such as less IBS symptoms=more energy=more accomplished=better feeling about myself. But I suspect it's intricately intertwined.
Life is an ebb and flow process. I love Mark Lowry's description of life more abundant.
Bad things happen. It's inevitable. But instead of finding a bad attitude, I hope to look for the silver lining. And when a silver lining is hard to find, offer up those sufferings no matter how small they seem.
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