by Makiko Oka-Castro

Over the past couple of months, communities were locked down, from small towns to cities, and globally. And it looks like the worst peaks of uncertainty and chaos are starting to lessen. So now, as we also start moving forward, a real challenge and opportunity remain; that is, our ability to overcome our own fear. Like many are thinking and saying, I also believe that we will not return to where we were at the beginning of this year. This means that you are free from your past, and can choose anything in any way to regain your balance and achieve a new stability.

I suggest that “Resilience” is what we need the most of in the current situation. Let’s use the traditional metaphor of a willow tree, like the Japanese always do, for better understanding of this word “Resilience”. While strong winds blow during a storm, the willow tree just flutters and bends without its branches breaking off. Then during a large snowfall, this tree changes its shape as the weight of the snow increases, but never loses its resilient nature. However, the willow tree starts losing its nature only when it is malnourished.

We, human beings, are the same as the willow tree. We need proper food to nourish our resiliency now. Do you think that our body, mind and soul are properly nourished by pizza, pasta, bread, pastries, cookies, pancakes, and the worst one of all—processed and synthetic sugars? And what about all kinds of human-made chemicals and preservatives in processed food, including taste enhancers? Eating processed foods and unnatural ingredients is the last straw that not only bends, but then breaks our proverbial camel’s back, especially in stressful conditions.

Under the current COVID-19 health crisis, we can tolerate many suppressors, including a gut-brain dysfunction. But once the weight of these suppressors is lifted (soon enough), we will also be able to express the suppressed truth that proper food does strengthen our worthy Gut–Brain function and enhances our own Natural Body=Mind=Soul to preserve our resilience until we find a new balance.

Makiko Oka-Castro is the founder of Natural Healing Artists, Inc., located at 32 Union Square E., Ste. 912, in New York City. For more information. email [email protected] or visit NaturalHealingArtists.com and their online supplement store at GutForLife.US.