One of the highlights of living in Mexico is participating in the Temazcal, an ancient purification ceremony done for centuries by native peoples all over the world (also known as the Sweat Lodge). Something magical happens whenever people come together, stand in circle, and participate in ritual. This is what the soul craves and without it, we can wither away into loneliness, depression, and addiction... 

This beautiful elder woman, Lupita (in the photo with me above), along with her daughters, are the keepers of this powerful purification ceremony. I haven’t seen Lupita in over three years and it was lovely to reunite with her and her family! Her lodge is a sacred place with a rich history and you can feel it in your bones when you crawl inside.

Within the dark, womb-shaped, mud structure, I sit on the earth and feel my ego dissolve. My heart explodes with gratitude and I bow down and give thanks. It is a deeply emotional experience.

As with all rituals, the elements are honored and in doing so, they evoke the spiritual transformation that is about to occur. Fire, herbs, steam, prayers, singing, and drumming wring out the negative energy inside my body and it gently spill out into a river of sweat and tears. 

Inside the lodge I experienced moments of deep knowingness and clarity. One thing I am very clear about is that focusing on immune system improvement is the most rational approach to dealing with whatever’s going on in the world right now.

Sadly, the information on how to do this is not being communicated to the public and anything contrary to it, is effectively being silenced. This brings me great sadness because without the ability to question, there is no such thing as science and there is no freedom.

Emerging from the blackness of the Temazcal into Lupita’s arms is a rebirth. She gently dried my head, swaddled me in a soft cloth and laid me down like a baby. I left the Temazcal knowing for sure that there is no such thing as coincidences; and there is no separation between myself and the physical world around me.

What we know from science, is that the health of our metabolism is synonymous with the health of our immune system and that is what I want to focus on here.

There are things we CAN all be doing right now to get our metabolism tuned in and your immune system turned on. This is how we protect our selves and our family's from infection, chronic illness and premature death. 

Here's what I do to maintain healthy metabolic function:

1. Simplifying my life to reduce stress (this is why I moved to Mexico).
2. Spending as much time as possible outdoors connecting to the earth, the sun, the ocean and nature (swimming and hiking daily).
3. Spending as much time as possible away from any electronic devices (connecting with my tribe of like-minded folks (stay tuned for information on my upcoming retreats).
4. Sunbathing (exposure to sunlight on the skin is the very best way to increase Vitamin D levels which has a very positive impact on immune function).
5. Sweating (exercising, sauna-ing, participating in sweat lodges, drinking hot fluids, taking hot baths, laying in the sun).
6. Cold plunging (dipping in cold rivers or lakes or taking cold showers).
7. Enjoying the pleasures of my body (making love, getting massages, cuddling).
8. Eating a low carbohydrate diet (lose the extra pounds and start reversing metabolic syndrome).
9. Practicing intermittent fasting (eating within a 4-8 hour window during the day and stopping eating about 3 hours before bedtime)
10. Eating grass-fed ruminant animal protein and saturated animal fats (don’t be afraid to eat meat and saturated animal fats like butter, ghee and tallow!)
11. Eliminating sugar and grains from my diet.
12. Eliminating all seed oils from my diet (sunflower, safflower, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado oil…) 
13. Drinking filtered water (stop drinking out of plastic all together).
14. Watching the sunset (triggers the production of melatonin which is necessary for deep, healing sleep).
15. Sleeping 8-9 hours each night. 
16. Waking to watch the sun rise.

I've chosen these videos below to help you decide if a low carb diet is right for you. I absolutely LOVE Dr. Paul Mason and I know you are going to learn a lot from these two videos!

If you need any help with creating metabolic health, I’m here for you!

Best,

Mary Beauchamp, RN
Therapeutic Nutritionist
Ketogenic Diet Specialist
Certified GAPS™ Practitioner
(Gut & Psychology Syndrome)