update: I wrote this at the start of the covid-19 pandemic, but I think it’s just as relevant now than it was then, considering the world seems to be watching a livestream of the most televised man-made tragedy we’ve ever witnessed in our lives….please pray for the people of Gaza and of Palestine. And for humanity.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some serious bouts of anxiety listening to all the bad news about the covid-19 pandemic our world is facing. I’m missing my family and I worry about them being in the States right now with the world’s largest outbreak in terms of numbers, as well as the completely bizarre and unorganized way the pandemic has been handled there. It’s unnerving, to say the least, and now we have to brace ourselves for impact here in Turkey.
That said, t’s time to take the bull by the horns and feel a little more empowered by doing something about it. At a time when it seems we have so little control over the outcome of this extremely contagious virus, there are things we can do to calm the nerves and actually arm ourselves with the best fighting chance to not get infected, or at the very least to not get so affected by all the bad news that we literally stress ourselves out to the point that we do lower our immune systems and make ourselves more vulnerable to disease and illness, even those unrelated to covid-19.
Here’s what I’m doing to take control over my own life and I do hope that these tips might help or inspire you to do what’s best for you, in your world, and within your means. Here goes:
I’m drinking a LOT of herbal teas. Consuming less caffeine is one of the most relaxing things I’ve done for my body, which has been in effect for several months now, as I was way too addicted to coffee for my own liking. In the coming days I’ll be posting more recipes for some of the teas I’ve been experimenting with after doing the research about their overall health benefits, so stay tuned and make sure you’re subscribed to this website so that you can get those. For example, I’m drinking ihlamur (linden tea), hot water with lemon, olive leaf tea, chammomile, and my favorite so far: mountain sage & lavender combination.
Dried papatya (chammomile) tea in the local pazar in Fethiye, Turkey | My Halal Kitchen
I’m staying in touch with family and friends, a lot. Whether it’s through texting, FaceTime, or WhatsApp, I’m using whatever tools I can use to check in on my parents, aunts and uncles, cousins (one is a nurse, so of course I worry), and of course all of my closest friends. It not only helps me to know how they’re doing, but the connection is good for my soul. Laughing, crying, expressing emotions about how we feel about one another and how much we mean to one another can only be good for the heart, it’s that important to me.
I’m doing other things that feed my soul are gardening and working, yes working. I actually try to combine both these days so that I can work among my plants, which makes me so very happy. I’ve moved all of my plants to a cozier place where I can work right in the center of them. It inspires me visually, but it’s also the most wonderfully-scented place in my house. It makes me very productive, too, so it’s a great place to be during quarantine.
I’m watching some of my favorite youtube channels for uplifting content, inspiration and to give myself hope for the future. Here are a couple of my favorites:
The Chateau Diaries– I love Stephanie Jarvis’ cheery nature and what she’s doing around her French chateau during the quarantine. It’s quite uplifting, to say the least.
Lifestyle Si– I love this interior designer’s calm and soothing nature as she talks about simple ways to decorate your home that just look incredibly aesthetic, natural and beautiful.
Eating a variety of healthy, all-natural, chemical-free real foods to boost my immunity | My Halal Kitchen
Most importantly, I’m listening to my doctors and their good advice- not the advice of rumors or old wives tales. For example, in addition to eating healthy (no refined sugars and only a variety of real, seasonal all-natural, chemical-free foods) I’m making beef or chicken bone broths almost daily, taking black seed and honey, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, magnesium, bee propolis. I do need to do more fish oils, so that’s going to start again soon. Here are some of the doctors I listen to most:
What do I need to do better during this quarantine?
Mediate more (prayer and du’a/supplication)
Exercise (I need to find more good exercises to do from home)
Sleep earlier. Working long hours isn’t always a good thing and good quality sleep is crucial.
Stress less by reading less negative news and only what’s absolutely necessary. For a news junkie like me, it’s not easy but I’m going to do it.
How are you handling stress and boredom during the quarantine? I’d love to know in the comments below, so please share your tips and wisdom with the rest of us.
*This information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your physician before undertaking any of the advice or suggestions included in this post.
Once you’ve had your healthy dose of pistachios for the day, don’t throw out those precious shells! Here are a few ways you can re-use them (just be sure to remove any salt before doing any of this, as salt can kill plants pretty readily).
If you’re gardening on a small or large scale, you can use the shells to provide great soil drainage. No need to grind, just place at the bottom of the inside of the pot before adding dirt. They replace pebbles and other stones that are often purchased to provide proper drainage necessary to keep plants healthy.
You can also put shells underneath the pots much like you would if making a gravel or pebble stand in a tray underneath.
Pistachio shells can be used as a supplement to your garden mulch, so if you have any extra, simply throw them into the mix. It is best to soak the shells in water overnight first to prepare the tough shells for this job.
If you have an issue with cats using your garden or potted plants as a place to relieve themselves, put pistachio shells all around the plant, covering the dirt. This should deter them from digging in and getting a little too cozy around your precious plants.
If you’re a really serious gardener or just an eco-conscious person, you probably have a compost bin and know that you’ll never throw these precious shells out in the garbage because they’ll help turn the rest of your composted items into the black gold known as dirt.
Like much of the country recently, I’ve been glued to the television to find out every detail possible about Hurricane Sandy’s devastating effects on the East Coast and how everyone has been faring throughout. I’ve been reaching out to family, friends and colleagues in order to keep abreast of the situation we might not be seeing in the media. So far, so good, alhamdullilah (thank God) in that they are all safe and sound, albeit a bit shaken up by such events. I know so many other people have not had such an outcome and my heart goes out to them.
One thing that is a bit disheartening is the lack of coverage in so many other places such as Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and my home state of Ohio where there are still people without power and heat and many areas are completely devastated and suffered loss of life. Let’s not forget them, either. (more…)
I love freshly ground coffee and since I do it myself without any type of grinder attachment to a coffee maker, it does take an extra few minutes and effort to get out the separate grinder, grind the coffee beans (which is loud, especially in the morning) and then deal with measuring and pouring the coffee, plus cleaning up the mess which almost always ensues all over the counter top because I’m not quite awake when I’m in need of my favorite morning beverage.
If you love freshly ground coffee beans just as much as I do, why not take a little time at the beginning of the week to grind a whole bunch then keep it in a tightly-sealed container for easy prep every morning? It seems like such a small task, but it’s one that saves me a few precious moments in the morning, that I really wanted to share it with you.
Got any quick tips related to the morning routine that you’d like to share?
