The ancient Greek Father of Medicine, Hippocrates penned that “all diseases begin in the gut”. For true healing and optimum health we need to exercise, “let medicine be thy food and food thy medicine” and the “natural forces within us are the true healers of disease”.
The word “diet” comes from the ancient Greek “diaita,” which means “the way of life.” In Ancient Greece, a diet was about good health and one component of that was food. Good health required the nurturing of the mind, body and soul. The diet was a key component to ensuring a healthy immune system.
Our immune system plays a very important role for both our emotional and physical health. The immune system protects us from disease caused by bacteria, viruses and toxins, and helps remove foreign bodies and malignant cells from our system. In addition, the immune system is responsible for down-regulating immune responses against external harmless triggers such as food, or against the bodies’ own tissue.
The immune system is affected by our moods, emotions, environment, toxins including drugs, chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride in our water, food additives, preservatives, GMO’s, pesticides and other chemicals in our food.
It is vitally important to therefore take good care of the immune system, to keep it strong so that it is able to ward off viruses.
Below are some Ancient Greek practices and tools to boost your immune system and ward off viruses:
1. Eat & Drink Wholesome High Vibrational Energy Food & Liquids
“Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Thy Food: – Hippocrates
The ancient Greek Hippocratic way of healing was ‘wisdom healing’: using food to nourish the mind, body and soul. It is important to eat an abundance of food that is good for our immune system and to keep to a minimum or avoid all foods that are not beneficial to our immune system.
Cook and Eat ingredients and foods with a high vibrational frequency. These include fresh certified organic fruit and vegetables food, natural supplements e.g. Herbal Teas, Herbs and spices, good oils e.g. olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil, eat raw foods, dehydrated and lightly steamed food e.g. anything in its uncooked, minimally processed raw, sprouted and organic state, raw nuts and seeds, fermented foods, and Omega-3 to Omega-6 fats.
Keep to a minimum or avoid low vibrational foods and ingredients. These include genetically modified (GMO) food, and conventional food that has been treated with chemicals and pesticides, white rice and flours, sugars, artificial sweeteners (unhealthy bacteria thrives on sugar), coffee, sodas, alcohol, meat, fish and poultry, processed, packaged, canned and fast foods, unhealthy oils e.g. canola, soy, cottonseed, margarine, lard and vegetable oils, frozen foods, deep fried, and microwaved foods.
If you eat meat make sure it is organic or at the very least grass fed and grass finished. Ensure that fish and prawns are not farmed. In particularly avoid tilapia, farmed salmon and farmed prawns. These are usually fed toxic GMO feed.
When eating fruit and vegetables eat a variety of colors. All the colors if the rainbow are needed for a healthy immune system.
Drink plenty of water!
Some specific foods that were used in Ancient Greece included oregano, garlic and Greek yoghurt.
Others ingredients that boost the immune system heath include citrus fruit, spinach, red bell peppers, pineapple, sweet potatoes, dandelion, carrots, pomegranates, broccoli, garlic, sunflower seeds, almonds, salmon, sardines and shellfish.
You can learn more about what to eat and the Ancient Greek wisdom diet in my new online course on TEACHABLE.
2. Consider Taking a Supplement
Consider taking a natural supplement especially if your diet is lacking in generous amount of the fresh fruit and vegetables covering the full spectrum of the rainbow.
Make sure that supplements are organic and not synthetically made with added chemicals and genetically modified ingredients (GMO’s).
Vitamin D is especially important during the Winter when we don’t always get enough sunlight. Sunlight is vitally important for a healthy immune system. Sit in the sun for at least 15-20 minutes. The Ancient Greeks valued sun therapy so much that they built temples where people could go to soak up sunlight.
Consider taking a multivitamin, Spirulina, Vitamin C, D and zinc. I take the Gold Standard Organic Sulfur every day that detoxes my body and books my immune system!
3. Monitor and Manage Your Emotions and Thoughts
“Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become.” – Heraclitus
“Happiness depends upon ourselves”. Aristotle
Those who approached the Oracle at Delphi were encouraged to have “good thoughts”. An excess of unhappy thoughts can cause an imbalance in the body and lead to many illnesses. Inner balance and agapi cannot coexist with worry, stress, anger, frustration, fear, anxiety and competitiveness. These feelings or experiences do not create good feelings or good energy for our health. They compromise and suppress our immune system. Ultimately, we are responsible for our health and well-being, so it’s important to substitute fear with faith.
When negative thoughts enter your mind wave them goodbye and replace them with happy thoughts. Focus on the present and things that you are grateful for. Eliminate negative people around you and always surround yourself with positive and happy people.
To assist with emotional health the ancient Greeks incorporated many therapies including meditation therapy, affirmation therapy, prayer therapy, eating therapy, music therapy, light therapy, chakra therapy, massage therapy, sun therapy, and exercise therapy. For example, Aristotle knew that the power of music could heal the sick and many doctors in ancient Greece used vibration to aid in digestion, treat mental disturbance, and induce sleep.
When you are stressed, depressed, in emotionally turmoil distract yourself with a pleasant hobby or one of the many Ancient Greek Therapies. Focus on been present and breath!
4. Move Your Body
“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.” – Hippocrates
Incorporating periods of physical exercise into your routine will help to improve muscle control, make you feel healthier and increase self-esteem.
Exercise along with water help flush out toxins from our body. Incorporate anything active such as walking, hiking, dancing, stretching, Pilates. It doesn’t have to be anything grueling. Just move and have fun doing it.
5. Sleep and Rest
“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”- Homer
During sleep, your body works to build and repair your immune system. Adults need a minimum of seven hours sleep every night for improved health and well-being.
Many people do not include relaxation time in their schedules. Conscious relaxation is important for your body and mind and can help you deal with the negatives of stress. Rest also helps the immune system to rebuild and heal. Practicing good sleep hygiene along with stress-lowering tactics can help improve your quality of sleep.
You can find more healing wisdom and hints and tips for great health in my books sold on my AUTHOR PAGE
I also have an online course that shares the Ancient Greek secret tools and practices to health, happiness and harmony on Teachable.
