šæ Supporting the Body with What God Provides
How I Changed My Daily Health Rhythms While Teaching Immunosuppressed
A high school teacher shares the daily rhythms, whole-food practices, and faith-centered routines that helped her become more intentional about stewarding her health while teaching immunosuppressed.
There was a time when I expected to get sick several times a year.
Teaching high school means Iām around roughly ninety students every day, constantly exposed to whatever is moving through the classroom. At the same time, I take a medication that suppresses my immune system, so illness often seemed unavoidable. For years, it felt normal to end up on antibiotics a few times each year, especially during the heavier cold and flu seasons.
I accepted that pattern for a long time because I didnāt really know another way to think about it.
But eventually, I began asking a different questionānot āHow do I avoid ever getting sick?ā but rather, āHow can I better support the body God has given me?ā
That shift changed more than I expected.
I stopped asking how to avoid illness completely and started asking how to better support the body God had given me.
Over time, I began making small, steady changes to the way I cared for my health. Nothing extreme or dramatic happened overnight. Instead, it was a gradual return to more intentional rhythms: prioritizing sleep, paying attention to stress and cortisol levels, eating more whole and organic foods, becoming more mindful about ingredients, and learning which foods genuinely supported my body and which ones didnāt.
I also began incorporating a few simple daily practices that helped me feel more supported physically instead of constantly depleted.
And slowly, things began to change.
Over time, I was able to step away from the three daily allergy medications I had relied on year-round for nearly fifteen years. I no longer need IBS medication, have significantly reduced acid reflux medication, and rarely need NSAIDs anymore. Even foods that once caused issues for me are now things I can enjoy again. Freshly milled sourdough bread my husband makes, hard cheeses, and other foods I once assumed I would always struggle with no longer affect me the same way they once did.
Perhaps most surprising to me, Iāve also gone through seasons now without needing antibiotics in the way I once regularly did.
I share all of this carefully and humbly because I donāt believe there is a single formula that works for everyone. Bodies are different, and healing is rarely simple or linear. But I also believe there is value in honestly sharing what can happen when we begin approaching our health with consistency, stewardship, and patience instead of only reacting once something is wrong.
šæ Returning to Simplicity
One thing that surprised me most through this process was how often the changes that helped me the most were also the simplest.
Not trendy.
Not expensive.
Not overwhelming.
Just intentional.
I found myself returning more and more to slower rhythms and whole ingredientsāthings prepared ahead of time, things made from real food, things that supported my body consistently instead of only in moments of crisis.
As I began shifting away from highly processed foods and toward more whole ingredients, I noticed my body responding in ways I hadnāt expected. I started eating more intentionally according to principles I found in The Biblio Diet, became more mindful about inflammation and stress, improved my sleep habits, and added supportive practices like red light therapy and daily herbal teas.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I only share resources I personally use or genuinely find helpful.
None of those things felt dramatic individually. But together, over time, they began creating a very different foundation than the one I had been living on before.
One of the most meaningful rhythms to come out of that shift has been a tonic I now keep on hand throughout the year, especially during seasons of heavier exposure in the classroom.
It has become one of the simplest but most consistent parts of my routine.
And honestly, it has become about more than the tonic itself.
The process of preparing itāslowing down, using whole ingredients, tending to it over timeāhas become a reminder that stewardship often happens quietly. Not through perfection or extremes, but through small acts of consistent care repeated over time.
šæ A Simple Morning Rhythm
My mornings now look very different than they once did.
Instead of immediately rushing into the day already depleted, I try to begin with a few intentional practices that help support my body and mind before the demands of teaching begin. One of the most important has become my morning scripture journaling practice, something I recently shared more deeply about earlier this week (see below). Taking time to slow down with the Word before the noise of the day begins has become just as important to me as the physical choices I make. It steadies my mind, lowers my stress, and helps me begin the day from a place of peace rather than reaction.
šæ Related Reflection
Earlier this week, I shared more about how scripture journaling has become one of the most grounding parts of my mornings and why slowing down with the Word has changed the way I begin my days.
Alongside that, Iāve built a few simple physical rhythms into my mornings as well. One is what I call a āgut shotā, to aid with digestion, made with organic lime juice, cayenne, Celtic salt, and olive oil. Another is my daily Healing Leaves tea from The Biblio Diet. These practices arenāt about chasing perfection or trying to āhackā my health. They are simply ways Iāve learned to nourish and support my body more intentionally.
That same mindset is what eventually led me to begin preparing my infused tonic.
Below, Iām sharing the exact recipe I use, how I prepare it, and some of the reasons I intentionally chose these ingredients as part of my daily rhythm.
šæ Paid subscribers receive the full Rooted & Restored Tonic recipe, ingredient breakdowns, and access to the complete Faithful Health Rhythms series as we continue exploring simple, faith-centered ways to steward the body God has given us.
If this resonates with you, Iād love for you to continue walking this path with me š¤
