Keeping healthy is not rocket science for integrative lifestyle medicine and life coaching pro Luke Coutinho. Those among his 234k followers on Instagram would know that. Simple habits and age-old traditions are integral to the way he sees life. And, that was precisely what he reiterated on Wednesday afternoon over a Zoom webinar — a Prabha Khaitan Foundation initiative “Kitaab”, in association with Ehsaas Women of India and presented by Shree Cement Ltd — that saw the launch of Luke Coutinho’s new book The Magic Immunity Pill: Lifestyle, co-authored with Shilpa Shetty Kundra. “It is an e-book that you can download for free,” said Luke, for whom health is “non-negotiable”. Extracts from the session...
The genesis of the book...
Even before the Covid-19 situation, the fundamental principle of our practice has always been immunity. After the Covid situation struck us, we were bombarded with questions every single day. A lot of them didn’t even know what immunity is. I thought the best way to reach the masses was to put it all down into a book. Then I reached out to Shilpa and I asked her if she would contribute with the yoga part, the asanas and the pranayama. Within two minutes we decided to put it together.
The pillars of immunity...
Nutrition that suits your body type. We need the right kind of physical activity. Quality sleep is important. Our emotional wellness is also very important. By that I mean chronic stress and chronic emotional issues.
The dangers of self-medication...
A lot of people are sick today because they have self-medicated themselves over the years. Everyone should understand there is a reason why there are doctors.
The importance of vitamin D…
This has always been important. We can get sunlight if we can. If you can’t, then you must call up your doctor and get a prescription for vitamin D. Technically you need to get a supplement if you are deficient. Now most of them can’t get tests done, so the doctor usually gives them a prescription and advises them to take it once a month. It is a very low dose and it will maintain you and not let you get into toxicity.
Beating stress...
Overcoming stress is a personal decision for everyone. At the end of the day, there is one fundamental concept of stress. You can’t do anything if it exists in your life. The only thing you can do is prevent it from affecting you. Some people during this time are learning new skills and trying to figure out an action plan. Some people are just wallowing in the stress expecting their lives to get better by not doing anything about it. Stress and fear are wasted emotions.
Meditation, the spiritual path and prayers are all grounding mechanisms. If you don’t have them, your mind is going to be pulled in all directions. When you pray, pray with faith and belief and then surrender.
I can’t open any of my clinics and I can feel bad about that... my business is going to collapse, or my mind is already thinking of 10 different ways to run and build without a clinic. There is no magic pill to get rid of stress.
Mentoring and parenting kids...
This (staying at home) is normal. Sometimes they go to 15-20 parties a month. That was abnormal. This is a good grounding experience for most people. There are ups and downs in life. Inner connection is important.
I ordered about five kilos of organic mud and I put it into a big container and she (daughter Tyanna) plays in it. Even just playing in that mud for 10-15 minutes can increase the microbes for your immune system. We have to measure what overprotective means.
Most importantly...
There is one thing I have learnt in life. It doesn’t matter how much you have. What matters is what you do with what you have. Keep life simple. At the end of the day, what matters is how good you feel.