Author: hajaf

His symptoms are still high fevers but thankfully, with advice from all my amazing physician friends, he discontinued the Advil!

Unfortunately he developed a cough, which led to a  Pneumonia diagnosis. The positive news is he is being monitored by the best doctors and nurses. Health workers are totally on the front lines dealing with this virus, they are all so amazing and we should give them the utmost respect.

My stress level was pretty high today, so after my morning routine, and a few hours of work, I decided to bake. Baking helps me relax, I decided to bake a banana bread for Amir and blueberry muffins for myself. I wanted to use my hemp seeds and walnuts. Once they came out of the oven, I  sat down with the Michelle Obama book, a warm muffin and a cup of Matcha green tea. Green tea can help help with immunity too.

Blueberry hemp seed muffins

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 1Tbs butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6oz Fage non fat greek yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp cinammon

Method

Heat the oven to 375 degrees, beat the softened butter and sugar well, beat in the egg and and then beat the greek yogurt, vanilla essence and cinammon.

Mix the flour, baking powder, half the hemp seeds and salt in a seperate bowl and slowly mix with a spatula into the mixture, until just blended. The mixture will be thick. Fold in the blueberries. Use a tablespoon or scoop to put the mixture into the greased muffin pan. Sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 tsp of hemp seeds. Bake for 20 minutes.

The hemp seeds add a delicious crunch to the muffin and are high in omega 3 and many other beneficial micro nutrients. ( I need a photographer for my pics, sorry!!!)

Stress affects us all in different ways, but it is  not always the  stress that is harmful but our reaction to the stress. Thinking about the What ifs is not productive and can again lead to anxiety, which can then weaken the immune system.

One of my favorite quotes is ” Worrying about tomorrow, does not take away tomorrows troubles, it takes away todays peace.”

We all need to build a strong immune system, according to Dr. Amit Sood, “Immune resilience is having an immune system that attacks and eliminates the pathogen, without hurting your body cells or causing excessive inflammation.”

One of the ways we can build our resilience is through the food we eat.Foods contain nutrients and we need many of the micro-nutrients for disease prevention and wellbeing.

The best way to get those nutrients is from wholesome foods. Eating a variety of foods can help us get those nutrients. Fruits, vegetables and a variety of spices like turmeric, ginger and cinnamon can lower inflammation and help improve immunity. Fiber is also key in helping against over eating high calorie, high sugar processed foods.

We all have our favorites, pay attention to the color and if it is a grain, the fiber.

My personal favorites are:

• Blueberries
• Bananas
• Flax seeds, hemp and chia seeds
• Oats
• Kale & spinach
• Avocadoes
• Chickpeas
• Ginger/garlic/turmeric
• Lentils
• Nuts

Cooking at home, is a fun way to bond with your kids and teach them the importance of wholesome foods. Enjoy the indoor time in whatever way makes you happy.

Do not forget to keep moving in any way you can to keep your heart healthy.

Keep my husband in your prayers, I am very positive and so is he.

Good Night!

Had a rough night as his fevers spiked again, tried paracetamol instead of Advil, but fevers are pretty stubborn. He also started a cough, so has gone in for a chest X-ray and labs. He is staying overnight but hanging in there!

Since I also had a rough night, I decided to be be compassionate to myself and sleep in till later. Best decision, it is times like these, where we need to realize self-care. I also bought a vibrating foam roller for a mini massage for all of us.

I woke up and made myself a berry smoothie with yogurt, which is  is a great source of  of probiotics, which are friendly bacteria that can improve your health. I then started my day after a round of sun salutations.

For lunch, I had the same Brown rice cake with hummus and avocado as I needed the healthy fats.

In the middle of the day, when I started getting stir crazy, I walked down my empty stairwell of 13 floors to get my heart rate high, I was winded, when I walked back up. Being creative with movement is key, when you are stuck in small apartments.

For dinner a kind friend, sent me food, so I am taking a break and spending some more time praying and writing this blog after work. I am so thankful for all my supportive friends.

What is self-care: Doing things that benefit your mind and body.  Everyone has different interests, do something that makes you happy and relaxed.

1.   Quality Sleep. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, using an electronic device such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep, because the particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices is activating to the brain. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid electronics before bed or in the middle of the night.
2.  Doing relaxing stretches, I love doing  Sun salutations. They are a set of yoga poses, that show gratitude for the sun, which symbolizes life. This set of poses help the mind and the body and can also help with immunity. I teach a class at work and here is a clear picture, follow the breathing. Modify as needed as everyone is different. Start with 1 round, building up.
3. Avoid watching so much news and social media it can  causes fear and anxiety, both emotions lead to panic and hysteria. The hysteria is what is causing grocery stores to empty, buy what you need but always remember that many others are lacking. The CDC website is reliable and accurate.
4. Compassion for yourself and others is key as we all need to realize that we are important and we should prioritize our physical and mental well being. Try reaching out to the elderly and needy, as social distancing can cause social isolation for many people.

We will get through this, it will get worse before it gets better but being calm and optimistic is the way we can control our fear. Do not forget to remember to stop and breathe.

As I begin my first day working from home while being quarantined, some reflections from this weekend. The weekend was overall fine. In terms of my husbands symptoms, they are primarily consistent high fevers and chills. He alternates with Tylenol and Advil and is monitoring his breathing. I know he will get through it.

New York Hospitals are really bombarded, and I have a new found appreciation for all health care workers. Since my husband has been working from home, I can hear all the hard work that is being done preparing for this virus. They are on the front lines, saving lives. It is easy to get stuck in thinking about or feeling bad for ourselves being stuck indoors, but we are in the comfort of our homes, with all our luxuries. Meanwhile, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers are tirelessly working to keep our cities safe. Lets not forget that and thank those around us, and count our blessings!

Monday morning was really weird as I have not really worked from home in my role as a Health Coach, especially working out of my bedroom, since the living room has been taken over by A and his calls.

I woke up and after writing in my gratitude journal, decided to make a schedule. Working from home can sometimes be harder I’ve noticed, as we tend to just sit in front of our computers and forget to get up to hydrate or eat. I scheduled snack, movement and water breaks for myself throughout the day to keep myself on track.  Hydration is key for our wellbeing- and fluids- especially simple water keep us hydrated and can help avoid the emotional eating we all tend to do when we are home. I am keeping track of how much water I drink in the next 14 days.

For breakfast, I made oatmeal with bananas, hemp seeds, and almonds, sprinkled with honey. For lunch, I had a brown rice cake with Hummus and sliced avocado, I sprinkled the Trader Joes lime chili seasoning and drizzled some olive oil. I made a berry smoothie with flax as a snack. All the above are immune boosting foods. Eating plant based foods helps with inflammation.

At 3pm, I took out 5 minutes to listen to a 5 minute meditative session. Taking a break away from all the anxieties and fears is key in calming us down. It allows us to focus better and stay in the present. Different Apps have these short 5 minute sessions and I highly recommend them to any one who wants to focus better and decrease stress. The more you listen and practice the better you feel. Consistency is key.

After I finished my work day, I went out on my balcony and did the 7 minute workout by Johnson & Johnson.  Very effective in getting my heart rate high. I did 50 skips and some lunges. I do not think this equates to my gym time but something is better than nothing.

I then cooked a Turmeric yogurt soup called Karhi and lentil rice called khichri. Soups warm the body and hopefully will help the cough,also, the comfort foods that remind us of childhood and home have a certain nostalgia that warm the soul.

To make the meal balanced, Saniya and I made a delicious spinach salad.

Ingredients

• 1 bag spinach
• 1/2 a box of strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup of pecans
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp honey
• 1tsp dijon mustard

Method

Make the vinaigrette in a glass jar and shake it up. You can either candy your pecans (sautee chopped pecans in a pan with a tblspn brown sugar) or keep them plain.

Assemble all the ingredients, pour the dressing and toss.

Few thoughts for today:

1. Make a schedule when working from home and add in your food, movement, and water breaks!
2.  Don’t forget to take out time to breathe, spend some time doing nothing work or health related. I bought a coloring book and pencils and it is very soothing!
3. Eat a variety of fresh plant foods throughout the day and be conscious of your immune system’s strength. a good test is how naturally colorful your plate is!

The highlights of my day were receiving videos of my family around the world enjoying their time at home.

Watch a funny movie or video as we need to be optimistic! Make those around you laugh and smile 🙂

I am ending my day with a piece of dark chocolate from Royce. Delish!!!!

Hi friends,

My husband was diagnosed with covid19 yesterday and a dear friend suggested I blog my journey, so here I am blogging my 14 day journey.

As a Health and Wellbeing Coach, clients coming into my office are coming in scared and  fearful about the future and my advice again and again is to build your immune resilience and today I am going to talk about how I am trying to build mine, so hoping and praying that I do not catch this virus.

On Thursday evening 3/12, Amir had chills in the evening and when he came home he had a fever of 101, he decided to work from home on Friday after getting tested in his car.

Thursday night his fever spiked again at and he took Tylenol but unfortunately it was not very effective in reducing the fever, so he ended up taking an Advil, which finally did reduce the fever. Only take what works for you as everyone is different, always check with your health professional.

Saturday afternoon 3/14 the test came back as positive for the virus, he was optimistic but Saniya and I were quite sad, but after giving myself a few hours of pity time, I decided to be optimistic and write down all the things I have that many people do not, being grateful, improved my mood and psyche really quickly and I decided to start a gratitude journal to get me through the next few weeks..

Since it was a sunny day and I knew the importance of being active, I got my heart rate high by doing 100 skips and some lunges on the balcony, one of the many things I am grateful for!!!

Before I went to bed, I did some sun salutations to help relax me, in order to get a good night sleep.

Now to the food, since food deliveries are one week drop dates, I decided to take stock of all I had at home. Again I am so grateful for lentils, rice, chickpeas, eggs and rice- enough to last a very long time. Amir felt like eating hot and sour soup, so I  decided to use what I had and it turned out pretty good. Here is the recipe:

Hot and Sour soup made with what I have in the pantry and fridge:

Ingredients

• 1 box chicken stock
• 15 frozen shrimp
• 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
• 4 Tbs Soy sauce
• 4 Tbs Apple cider vinegar
• 4 tsp brown sugar
• Black pepper, salt and chili flakes
• 2 green chilies
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbs corn starch mixed well with some water to make a smooth paste
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 bag of frozen corn

Method

Whisk the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Boil the stock in a pot, then add the ketchup mixture. Once it is mixed well add the condiments to your taste. Then add the green chilies, carrots and corn, let them cook and add in your shrimp.

Once the shrimps turn pink, add the cornstarch mixture, keep stirring to prevent clots, once the soup is thick, beat 3 eggs and slowly pour into hot soup, stirring while pouring. Give it one last boil and Voila you have a hearty soup. Make a side salad and you have a balanced meal. Enjoy!

As I take all of you on this journey with us, I do believe the 2 most important things I have realized today are:

1. Do not spread misinformation and add to the growing hysteria
2.  Think of creative ways to stay connected to your network without exposing others
3. Stay positive and remember your blessings often

 

Over the past few days, myself and my connected daughter have been video chatting with friends and family far and near, and have been able to lean on those who care for  us. Their support and friendship is appreciated in these times, again something I am grateful for.

Saniya has mentioned that despite the quarantine, she feels happy and positive to see all those around her who are so loving and supportive, even just through the phone. Reach out to those around you, calm those down who are feeling stressed, and relax yourself in whichever way works best for you.

I for example pray, do yoga, read and indulge in some Netflix.

In this day and age of constant information overload, please do be mindful of misinformation. Speak to the medical professionals in your network and around you if you can, and if not please do use the WHO & CDC websites found here:

• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Finally, STAY POSITIVE! Despite being in a household with a doctor suffering, I am, as is my husband, very positive. Till tomorrow!!