Healthy mind equals healthy body

We have all heard about the saying, “Healthy mind equals healthy body,” unfortunately I had to learn the hard why statements like that weren’t meant for people like me. Not only did I experience the worst fever ever, but my state of mind was affected by the way my body was feeling.
I had fallen ill before but never had I felt such pain and weakness. As I write this, I am still feeling under the weather and it is probably as most people would say “winter sickness”. Oh well, I guess the winter really got to me this time around.

They say winter is all about comfort, guess I missed the memo. I must admit, I was careless with taking precautions when winter arrived. Usually I would tuck my tiny self in a thick winter jacket, way before the cruel winters cold start, but this year I had so much going on in my life that I had forgotten to stock up on jerseys and jackets.
For over two weeks, my body started to weaken and I started to show symptoms of fever such as wet cough, rising temperature and flu. I tried every remedy I could Google, every over the counter medicine I could get from cough syrups and even painkillers but i still had the flu.
I kept myself warm, ate the right kind of food, stayed in bed for the most part of the weekend but to no avail. At one point, I decided to consult my doctor and he prescribed me some medicine. Still, no medicine was having any effect on my deteriorating health. I lay awake thinking of all the possible things that could have contributed to my ill health. Was it work- related stress? Was it my diet perhaps (I have a weakness for all things meaty, especially biltong) or maybe it was simply just a “winter sickness” gone worse. I prayed every night to get better and although I had stopped coughing, I was still experiencing tension headaches and still had flu.
At this point in time, I eventually came to the conclusion that I was going to remain sick, and had given up all chances of getting better. Then it hit me early Monday morning, I wasn’t just physically sick; my mind was simply not feeling well.
Gone was my cheerful self and in came the agitated, worn out, sick self that I hate so much. I felt sick to my stomach whenever someone spoke about food. Suddenly I couldn’t stand the sight of someone chewing, it made me feel nauseous.
Just as I was on the verge of losing hope, my colleague suggested I try a remedy that has helped her in the past. She told me to buy ginger, honey, cinnamon and garlic and cook the mixture. Yuck! I thought to myself but since I had tried everything I decided to give this concoction a try. Surprisingly enough, the remedy worked after only a few hours of drinking it. I woke up the following day feeling fresh as a daisy and pain free.
I have now learned to appreciate my health and take proper care of myself as best as I can. This means not only physically but emotionally as well. Many people tend to forget that health isn’t simply about the outer self but also one’s mental state of health. If your body is taken care of, so will your mental health.
Try to have regular check ups and exercise as much as you can. Winter bugs can be worrisome but they are avoidable. Avoid having stress at all cost and maintain your diet. Eat the right kind of food and consume just the right amount of alcohol and eat just the right amount of so called bad food such as fatty food and fizz drinks. And most importantly, have plenty of rest, it could just end up being your best fighting tool against the “winter sickness”.