It’s May, the leaves are changing, the mornings are cool and brisk, and it is evident that many of us are starting with the runny noses and nasty bugs already. With that in mind, I decided it’s time to boost the good old immune system with a simple bug fighting guide to staying healthy during winter!
Before we jump into this, it’s important to remember that the definition of health is NOT how you look or feel. You can look good and feel good and be very unhealthy. Rather, health is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” This means that health isn’t just how you look or feel, but is more how well your body is functioning. However looking and feeling good definitely does help.
On that note here are some simple things to do to keep our immune system strong, and our bodies functioning well so that when the colds and bugs strike, we know that our bodies are equipped in the best way possible to handle them.
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Get adusted (chiropractic clicking of the neck and back)
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Take vitamins daily: multi, omega three’s (fish oil), probitoics, 5,0000-10,000 IU’s of vitamin D3, 2,000-4,000 mg of vitamin C (men 3,000-6,000, kids 500-1,000 depending on stomach tolerance)
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Exercise at least 3-4 x per week (at least 30 minutes heart rate up, sweat being produced, ideally outside)
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Sleep at least 7-8 hours per night (in bed before 11 PM gives best REM cycle through the night)
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Drink plenty of water per day
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Limited intake of sugar, dairy and gluten (these all make your digestive and immune system work hard to process them and distract it from fighting other things invading your body).
Things to Deal With The Nasty bugs When You’ve Got it
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Get adjusted, even when you’re feeling crummy! Research has shown that a cervical (neck) adjustment actually stimulates the production of T Cells in your body, which are the precursors to WBC (white blood cells), aka the cells that fight the bad guys in your body. Making sure your nervous and immune systems are firing on all cylinders means your body will be functioning at it’s optimal level to deal with the bugs. Adjustments have also been shown countless times to help break, or at least reduce, fevers (but remember there’s a reason you have one, it’s one of the bodies defense mechanisms against unwanted bacteria and viruses. You heal faster by letting it do it’s work, even if you feel crummy in the process).
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Rest: this is probably the one thing that most of us struggle with. However, when you are sick what your body needs the most is rest. Do whatever you have to to stay home, sleep, drink lots of fluids, eat well, and sleep some more.
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Essential Oils: while there are many oils you can use, oils such as Oregano, and Melaleuca (tea tree oil) attack both bacteria and viruses, eucalyptus and lavender can open up the sinuses and help you relax. Simply rub them on your feet, neck, chest, diffuse them, put them in your bath or even put a few drops of a nice warm heat pack which will keep you snug at the same time.
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Supplements: load up on vitamin D3 (15,000-20,000 IU’s per day/ 2,000-4,000 IU’s per day for kiddos over 2) while you’re feeling crummy (no longer than 5-7 days), vitamin C (women up to 4,000 mg per day, men up to 6,000 mg per day, kiddos up to 1,000 mg per day). Even taking viral choice is a great help.
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No dairy or sugar (especially if dealing with a cold). Both of these “foods” increase mucus production and will make the cold last longer. They will also make your immune system less effective.
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Water, water, water and more water. When sick, you want to avoid sugary drinks or anything with additives. Your body needs to be able to digest what you give it without having to work extra hard. If your diet is high in processed foods, soda and other sugary drinks, it does have to work hard to digest it and it detracts from the attention it needs to give whatever you’re fighting. So stick to water. If you need electrolytes or hate the taste of water, try adding some lemon juice, grapefruit oil, and a little bit of stevia. Water will help flush out the toxins and get you on your way to feeling better.
So there you have the list of things to do to stay healthy, aka keep your body functioning at it’s optimum level. This list does not mean you never get sick, however when you do, your symptoms are generally not as severe and you recover much quicker than those around you who haven’t been taking care of themselves. At the first sign of feeling a cold or flu coming on, I invite you to try some of the things from the list above. Following some or all of the “natural” options above will help you stay healthy (aka functioning optimally) and not get knocked off your feet for weeks or months this winter by a cold or flu!
