The world can feel crazy at times, but no matter what the future holds, we have the choice to bring in more peace and health into our lives starting now.  

How do we do this? …. One step at a time. This won’t solve everything, but we can choose to rise above and to focus on preparedness, taking action to improve our health, and receiving more compassion for ourselves.

Here are 3 tips to help you increase peace and health for yourself and your family.

1. Stock your pantry with high quality non-perishable food.

Having extra food for emergencies can bring peace into your home. Maybe it’s a temporary food shortage in grocery stores, or a weather disruption limiting travel or power. The challenge could be a health crisis leaving you without the energy to go shopping. Whatever the reason, stocking up on food can help you stay calm and confident knowing there will be healthy food ready to feed your family.

Here are a few emergency food storage tips:

• Buy something extra each time you go to the store … and purchase what you already eat. Spaghetti has been our family’s go-to meal for years so extra gluten free pasta and spaghetti sauce is something I always have on hand. I regularly rotate my emergency food items, by putting the newly purchased food in the emergency closet and rotating the stored food into my kitchen pantry.  This way I ensure my extra food doesn’t expire.
• Pick up an extra case of food on your next trip to Costco. They have lots of healthy options at reasonable prices.
• Have extra food you can cook and that doesn’t need to be cooked in case of a power outage.

Below is a list of some of the gluten free, preservative free clean food I have on hand:

1. A variety of gluten free pastas
2. Pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and tomato paste
3. Canned and boxed soups plus veggie broth
4. Canned and dried beans
5. Canned salmon (sardines are good too, but I don’t eat meat and my family members don’t like sardines)
6. Bob’s Red Mill potato flakes (potatoes are a great survival food)
7. Packaged pre-cooked food like Tasty Bites Indian Coconut Squash Dal
8. Oatmeal, both instant and regular
9. Coconut water, coconut milk and other non-dairy milks
10. Raw honey and maple syrup
11. Lots of applesauce
12. Dried fruit and nuts, and Kind Bars
13. Chia seeds to make chia seed pudding with non-dairy milk
14. Sprouting seeds (Microgreens are a  powerful superfood that can be used when fresh veggies are not readily available.)
15. Onions, garlic, carrots, celery, cabbage and russet potatoes are stored in our extra refrigerator which will keep for a month or longer.

• You might also consider having extra candles, matches, flashlights and batteries on hand, plus some extra cash.

2. Build up your immune system.

Your body will heal when given the right tools. Fruits and vegetables are powerful healing tools. It’s important to stay strong and healthy this year as we are up against influenza A and B, RSV, Covid, and even the bird flu which appears to be coming our way. Here are 5 easy tips to incorporate more healing foods and supplements into your day that will immediately improve your immune system:

1. Lemon Water: Start your day with lemon honey water to flush your system first thing in the morning. Hydration is key to helping your body efficiently remove toxins and viruses. Though lemons have an acidic taste, they are actually very alkaline in the body and will help your body cleanse and detox. Raw Honey Miracles states that honey is a medicine that helps strengthen our immune systems. 
2. Smoothie: Make a daily smoothie using wild blueberries. Wild blueberries are a food of abundance. Medical Medium: Wild Blueberries states that these berries are one of the most powerful foods on the planet. When burned to the ground, the wild blueberry plant will grow back stronger. When frozen, the nutrients in wild blueberries are enhanced. Try adding wild blueberries (not to be confused with cultivated blueberries) to your diet and see how they will help you overcome the extremes in your life. I buy wild blueberries in the freezer section at Trader Joes or Wyman’s brand from Walmart.
3. Elderberry Syrup: Make your own elderberry syrup and start taking 1 tablespoon every day. I add elderberry syrup to my morning smoothie with wild blueberries and love the flavor!  Make your own syrup quickly and inexpensively using the recipe from How to Make Elderberry Syrup: Immune Support & Virus Protection or I would suggest purchasing this Elderberry Syrup.
4. Apples: Eat 1-3 apples per day. Apples are great for your heart, liver and digestive system. Medical Medium: Apples state that apples have immune boosting and disease preventing properties. I currently buy organic Fuji apples from Costco and eat 1 – 2 per day.  It’s such a delicious and satisfying way to improve my health. 
5. Supplements: Consider taking a few high-quality supplements daily especially, during the flu and cold season. I recommend liquid zinc sulfate and buffered Vitamin C. If you feel a sore throat coming on, have some alcohol-free Goldenseal or Cats Claw on hand to kill off the virus (don’t take Goldenseal or Cats Claw if you are pregnant). I purchase most of my supplements from vimergy.com.

For more helpful health information you might enjoy Teresa’s Top 5 Healthy Tips and  3 Steps to Better Health.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the added peace I’m experiencing as my body heals. The liver is the physical peacemaker in our body and as our liver heals, our body has more peace. I have experienced this first hand and honestly it’s mind blowing. My nervous system has calmed down, my brain has cleared, my S.A.D. and anxiety are gone. I’m truly at peace, and I’m deeply grateful.

3. Add more compassion into your life.

Compassion brings peace. Are you hard on yourself, quick to criticize when you make a mistake, or are you disappointed with your past actions? Consider forgiving yourself. Most likely you were doing your best under the circumstances and with the information you had at the time. Humans make mistakes; it’s just what happens here on planet earth. Having more compassion for yourself and others will bring more peace into your life. You may struggle with giving yourself more compassion. Do you believe God is unconditional love? You could start by receiving God’s compassionate love for you and asking for God’s forgiveness. Consider making prayer or meditation a daily practice. “Dear God, please help me to see your love and compassion for me. I ask that my life be filled with more light, peace and healing. Amen”.   

Join me in a 6-minute tapping meditation for more self-compassion.

Tapping has been a healing tool in my life bringing in more peace and compassion. Introduction to Tapping: Energy Healing Technique to Reduce Stress and Anxiety has a brief video explaining tapping techniques and a list of helpful resources. Below are a few other free resources that have recently help me:

1. Anthony William, the Medical Medium, has 7 meditations on Apple Podcast. The Free as a Bird Meditation is one of my favorites. 
2. Surrounded by Trees is a wonderful grounding meditation. I listen to it on All Storms Pass Coaching YouTube channel.
3. The Tapping Solution Free Tapping Meditations has an app with free meditations. I sometimes use the sleep tapping meditations before bed.

Now is the time to plan and prepare and be your best self in 2025. You can rise above the struggles of the day by taking action to be prepared with emergency food, strengthening your immune system, and being kinder to yourself. May the blessing of peace and health be yours abundantly in 2025!