Modern Guide to COVID-19

I want to first start by saying that I am not a doctor nor do I work for the CDC so nothing that I am putting in this blog should deter you from following their instructions; however, due to lack of education I wanted to share some things that I have added into my daily routine as a result of COVID-19. Some we all have heard and others not so much. 

• I have continued to pray and give it to God. I know that all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed and I have been operating on that. Praying that he continues to shield my family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, elderly, etc. but also not stressing over it because it will all work out according to his plan. That alone has given me comfort when I have to go to grocery stores or get gas etc. and especially when the news and all of social media is discussing the number of people infected and the deaths associated. During these times, you have to have faith to know that things will be ok, even when you are constantly told otherwise. 

• Taking vitamins. This is a common thing and one that I practice daily anyway but I have made sure to not skip a day during this outbreak. I had a virtual appointment with a Nurse Practitioner (NP) this past Saturday to discuss ways to prevent COVID-19 and she stated that taking a vitamin is a good thing to add in (if not already doing so). Since there are no cures for the virus the best thing you can do is to make sure your immune system is strong and vitamins help with that. 

• Stay hydrated. I've been told by the same Novant NP and my doctor that this virus would not be able to survive if you flush it out of your system. Drink as much water as you can stand/handle (not too much, because that can cause impacts as well). I have a water tracker called, Drink Water, which reminds me every 2 hours to drink water and has a daily goal for me of 83oz based on my age and weight. Since meeting with my doctor I have increased that to over 100oz because I can handle a few more ounces. 

• I was also told that the moment you feel a tickle in your throat, you should start gargling hot saltwater. Allegedly, the virus will remain in your throat for days and create a cough. If you can attack it there and dilute it, you can stop the spread of it to your lungs. 

• Celery juicing. I started juicing maybe a year ago and then stopped due to the amount of work it required. Just to clean the juicer felt like a job even before I went to work. So I cut that out of my routine and honestly had not even thought about it until COVID-19. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the benefits of celery juice, here are a few big benefits for me: 

• Helps Boost Immune System 

• Fights infection 

• Prevents High Blood Pressure 

• Protects Liver Health 

• Helps Heal Digestion 

  To get full details or learn about other benefits you can continue reading at celeryjuice.com or on IG @celeryjuicebenefits). 

• Black Seed Oil. This is one that is completely new to me until COVID-19, but after doing some research, I found that this is not a new treatment option and has been used for ages and all across the world (Dr. Sebi was a huge advocate for this form of holistic healing). To me, it has more benefits than celery juice and can be a game-changer for those concerned about the virus. If you simply Google the benefits over 10+ pop up but the ones that are most impactful and can help with the virus are: 

• Supports Immune System Health 

• Supports Healthy Lung Function (this is key since the virus is said to attack your lung and give you flu-like symptoms) 

The recommended way to take this oil is one teaspoon in the morning after you have consumed food and one in the evening. You can purchase this at a vitamin shop like GNC or online via Amazon. Please note, this oil may not be for everyone so read and determine if this should work for you. 

• Stay Lysol’d up. This one is obvious but wanted to call out something that I read yesterday. The virus can stay on surfaces hours and sometimes days or so before it dies off, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. It can live in Air for 3 hours, Copper (like a penny) for 4 hours, Cardboard for 24 hours, Stainless Steel for 2-3 days and Polypropylene Plastic for 3 days. So this means not only spraying down items that are obvious like doorknobs and phones but also your household appliances and computers. So, as a result, multiple times a day I have sprayed down my computers, toaster, juicer, fridge, keys and even my mail. If it can leave on cardboard then it definitely can live on paper.

I wanted to share these tips in the hopes that it provides faith and some new methods for helping us all stay safe. I am not a doctor or in the medical field but since the preventative steps are limited, I wanted to share things that I have done that may help stop the spread of the virus. All of these tips lead to a stronger immune system so all should be bonuses to your body in general. Let me know if you try any of these tips (especially celery juice and Black Seed Oil). 

Love, Brown Girl 

“Stay prayed up, stay strong and stay healthy.” -Brittany Dunlap

New Year.... Improved Me

I know we have all heard it before. It’s the start of the new year and so many of us have declared that this year will be ours and all of our old habits will be left behind. This post isn’t to say that that mindset is good or bad, it’s more to tell you about what I am committed to doing in 2020 to help make a more improved self.

If you’re anything like me, I’m sure there are hundreds of things that you want to improve about yourself. Getting healthier by working out or eating better, going to church more, spending time with family or paying off debt and making better financial decisions - just to name a few. But let's be realistic, we must take small strides in our lives to get us to achieve these big goals. A friend of mine once asked me, “how do you eat an elephant?”. Like you might be right now, I was confused and said “huh?”, but her point was that you take it one bite at a time and that is simply how you have to handle these New Year resolutions.

For me, I want to work on a lot of the things I listed above but understand that the hours in the day are limited and a girl has to get her rest. So as a result, I have decided to start journaling and taking moments to physically write things down to hold myself accountable. If I document that I want to work out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday then when I look back at the week and didn't accomplish that, I have to justify that to myself and realize that no one else cares if I am in shape or not. That is only something I have to push myself to do for myself. Same for cooking, meditating or saving money. No one else is going to push me to do those things so journaling is a way to get the voice out of my head and to hold me accountable for the things I’ve determined are important to me.

Writing it down may not be the thing for you and that's fine. Find an accountability partner or find ways to block off your calendar to get things done maybe what works for you. Regardless of the path, we have to do whatever it takes to get these goals achieved. And if it takes you until February to get into the swing of things that's fine too! There is no set timeline to start making a better you and you shouldn't let the timelines of others rush you. It's all about what you want for yourself and what you will do to get it started and keep it going.

Love, Brown Girl

“When you write things down, they sometimes take you places you hadn’t planned” - Melanie Benjamin

See What Happens When You Let It Flow

I felt like it was time for me to do a blog post for several reasons. One, to update you all on what has been going on with my life. Two, I feel like I am finally back into a creative space. Three, because it is extremely therapeutic to write down your thoughts, even if you are unsure if people are reading it. 

Ok, so what has been going on with my life since the last post. Well… I went to NOLA to celebrate my 30th birthday with a group of friends (18 of us to be exact) and had an amazing time. I ate the best food, tried a lot of new things, went to places and viewed things that I cannot see in NC (like an alligator tour) and lived my best life. In addition to all of that, my boyfriend asked me a life-changing question “Will I marry him?”. So, I went to NOLA with a boyfriend and left with a Fiancé. 

His proposal didn’t quite happen the way he intended but it was perfect to me. We went to take photos as a group, and he pulled me aside to play a video of my family members wishing me happy birthday and stating how proud of me they are. Of course, I was immediately emotional (especially when my Aunt Brigette mentioned my Grandmother) and was shocked at how intentional he was with ensuring my family was a part of this trip. He then walked me down towards our friends and asked me ‘If I would marry him?’. Honestly, I cannot tell you what else he said before or after that moment – I promise I went blank and thinking ‘is this happening? Is this real? Someone wants to marry me?’. If you read my last post about not stressing out about what you do not have or that you are not where you thought you would be at you age – you would know how important this moment was for me. I stopped letting comparing myself to others, stopped thinking that I wasn’t as far along as I needed to be, stopped stressing out about life and within a month or so, this happened. God already had this planned, already set the seeds in place for this to blossom and all I needed to do was stop worrying and let my faith take over and not my fear. 

I shared this update with you all not to brag or to make you feel like you are not where you should be, but to inspire and state that there is so much power in prayer. When you stop focusing on the things you have and enjoy your current state, God will open doors that you didn’t even know where an option or even in place. As a female, there are so many things people state we should do by a certain age. But none of that matters, things happen as they’re supposed to. Career, marriage, kid(s), houses, and whatever else major events – they all happen when they should. Someone else’s timeline is not yours and that is fine. 

Enjoy the moment, live life, be grateful & stay prayed up! 

Love, Brown Girl 

“None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.” – Paulo Coelho