· By Fei Nie
Ready to Go on Defense?
Ready to go on defense?
Over the next few weeks we’ll take a deeper look at each of the five natural elements (wood, fire, water, earth, and metal) our tonics are based on, and how incorporating them into your routine can help you maintain balance in life. Each of us has a natural inclination toward one of these five natural elements — if you haven’t yet taken our quiz, now is the time to find your element! This week we’re taking a closer look at THRIVE Immunity Support Plant Tonic.
The immune system is in its heyday — it kinda feels like that’s all that gets talked about anymore, no? Of course, there is good reason for this! The immune system protects your body from outside threats, like bacteria, viruses, and toxins. It is a complex system made up of different organs, cells, and proteins that work together to defend our bodies’ health and wellbeing.
The western medical world is conflicted about whether or not you can actually “boost” your immune system, but there is no conflict when it comes to knowing what keeps an immune system strong: Overall health. Keeping a healthy lifestyle is essential to keeping your defense thriving. That’s a tall order and fairly ambiguous.
Let’s take a look at what it means to maintain a healthy lifestyle
- Eat a healthy diet that’s heavy on the fruits and vegetables
- Exercise regularly
- Get adequate sleep
- Minimize stress
- Maintain good hygiene
- Don’t smoke, and drink only in moderation
Nothing on there is shocking, right? These are the basic tenets of health that we’ve been hearing our whole lives. Living them fully, though, can be challenging! When looking to enhance our overall health (and thus the foundation of our immune system), it’s important to think of the body as a whole. The more we learn about the body and its functions, the more we realize how interconnected everything is. Every element of our being comes into play with our health, from our state of mind to our physiology to our emotional needs.
In classical oriental medicine, an incredible system of medicine that has withstood the test of time, it’s often this interconnectivity that is looked to when hoping to cure an ailment. The Five Element Theory states that everything must work together to create balance and harmony within the body. Having too much or too little of any certain element will throw your system out of tune.
The element of metal is all about structure, persistence, and strength. It’s a problem-solver that is ready to create solutions through wisdom and preparation. The lungs are associated with metal, which is no coincidence! The lungs are the tool that enable us to breathe — the foundation of health, and the foundation of a healthy defense. The metal element is courageous, has the power to transform, and seeks beauty and success.
Take a moment to consider your own self — your whole self. What areas of your body, mind, and spirit feel like they could use a little more metal? Living in a global pandemic has surely deflated our defenses in so many ways. Are you feeling uninspired? Supremely tired? Like you’re constantly under the weather? Or even lonely? Each of these is a message that we can listen to. And though there is no cure-all, we are lucky to be able to equip ourselves with some tools to support our immune system.
Nourishing all elements of ourselves — from diet to sleep to mood to movement — is our surest line of defense against invaders. Everyone has their own unique ways to empower themselves to live a healthy lifestyle. We recently asked our team what works for them, click over to read their answers for some ideas.
At Plants by People, we created our THRIVE Immunity Support Plant Tonic for this exact purpose — to provide a moment of whole-body nourishment that can not only strengthen your system through superfoods and adaptogens, but could provide you with a bit of joy and delight. We love that our tonics are so versatile and that they take a brief moment to prepare. That moment is an invitation to pause, to check in with yourself, and to serve as a reminder that your life is not only valuable, but worth caring for!