Hey, y’all! Today I wanted to share with you my regimen for keeping away illness during these colder months. Let’s jump right in!
Cut out the sugar!
Eating sugar lowers your immune system for several hours. After summer treats like ice cream, popsicles, pizza parties, cook outs and straight into September with state fairs’ cotton candy treats to Halloween…..by the time November rolls around our bodies aren’t in a “fighting off germs” state. Try to limit how often you all indulge and, when you do, limit the amount and then follow up with some of the immune boosting tips below!
Limit meat and dairy.
In our family we rarely eat meat and dairy is very limited. Why? Because animal products cause inflammation in our bodies and inflammation leads to disease. This could be something as big an cancer, thyroid issues, high cholesterol or as small as a stomach bug, colds and the like. Try replacing another protein source a couple times of week if you aren’t ready to take the full plunge of a vegetarian lifestyle.
Up your Vitamin D.
We get vitamin D from the sun. All summer long we are in the sun, but our sunblock usage blocks the vitamin D so we don’t get as much as we could. When Daylight Savings rolls along, its now dark at 5pm and we get even less sun! Take a vitamin D supplement daily to ensure you are getting enough. When looking for one make sure it has no other ingredients! (Other than a carrier oil) You’d be surprised what they sneak in there! We use this one.
Take your probiotics!
Our bodies have good and bad bacteria. We need the good bacteria in our gut to be healthy. Have you heard the saying “It starts in the gut!”? Every time we take an antibiotic or use antibacterial anything it also cleans the good bacteria. That’s why children are often constantly on a cycle of antibiotics and can’t stay well. It’s because the antibiotic is killing those good bacteria and it’s not being replenished. My kids take Youngliving’s children probiotics. It’s in a pixie stick form and my kids call them “sugar vitamins”. I’ve sneaked a few and they are delicious. My husband and I take the Life9 capsules.
Use your oils!
I will probably do a separate post on this because there is so much. But, in a nutshell: Use Thieves on your spine daily. Lemon oil in your water aids in cleansing your lymphatic system. Frankincense has anti-viral properties. Rub that over your lymph nodes, diffuse it in your room.
Mind your Free Radicals!
Free Radicals are our cells that haven’t paired with another cell and becomes damaged. This cells are unstable and create disease. Enter in: antioxidants. Antioxidants heal the free radicals. (This is a very simplified and high level explanation. There’s a lot more science to it than that!) Foods high in antioxidants are : pecans, blueberries, blueberries, and strawberries to name just a few. Ditch the $6 bag of chips and buy a carton of berries! Even if you just eat a few a day, will make the difference. We also take 1 ounce of Ningxia Red ever other day for a power house shot of antioxidants. Message me with any questions!
Eat your vitamin A!
Fruits and vegetables that are red, yellow or orange are high in vitamin A.
Drink your Elderberries!
Elderberry juice is a great resource for antioxidants and fighting inflammation and illness. I used to spend so much yearly buying premade juice. It came with preservatives and sugar. Which is pretty ironic that I’m buying an anti-disease supplement and they add a disease causing ingredient like sugar..but I digress…here’s the recipe I have used for the past several years.
Eat your local honey!
- If you can find a local raw honey to add to tea, your toast, or oatmeal do it! Local honey has been health benefits!
Get your down time!
Your kids do not need to go to every Fall Festival or Christmas light extravaganzas in your and the neighboring towns. Promise! They will live! Change in schedule, over-stimulation, dinner on the go (enter that disease causing food) and late nights reek of havoc on their little bodies…not to mention us moms! Choose a few special things to do and see. You’ll be less stressed and healthier for it!
Don’t overwhelm yourself with all of this! While I do all of these things, it has taken me a few seasons to get here. Pick 2 or 3 that sound simple enough for you to add to your regimen!
Enjoy your journey….
Such good reminders and advice!