Top 10 Tips for Staying Healthy this Winter
1.
Cut sugar out of
your diet!
*Sugar is difficult for our bodies to
digest…this wears our bodies out, strips them of necessary vitamins and minerals.
*Sugar feeds the bad bugs!! Bad bacteria, bad viruses, even cancer
cells…they thrive on sugar.
*Unstable blood sugar balance wreaks havoc
on our adrenals, this disturbs our beauty sleep.
*Sugary foods take the place of nourishing
foods that our bodies need.
*Sugary foods include actual sugary treats, but also
starchy carbs like pasta, bread, donuts, etc.
We can get all of the carbs we need from fruits and veggies!
2. Get your
probiotics!
*90%
of our bodies are microorganisms! We need to make sure we have more of the good
guys than bad guys. Most of us have a
compromised gut bacteria from antibiotic use, lifestyle choices, etc. It is up to us to replenish the good microbes
so that they can keep the pathogenic microbes in line.
*There
are many probiotic supplements on the market (I have a couple of favorites that
my family uses), but an even better way to get these is through probiotic rich
foods.
3. Digestion is key!
*Most
of us don’t have enough hydrochloric acid production when we eat our meals. This is a recipe for disaster in your
stomach. Pathogens aren’t eliminated
from the acidity, and foods aren’t digested which means we aren’t getting the
nutrients from the foods we eat to keep our bodies healthy.
*Drink
some cabbage juice or fermented veggies or some lemon water 15 minutes before
meals to stimulate hcl production.
Hydrochloric acid is also available in a supplement form.
*Sure
signs you’re not digesting your foods…undigested food in your stool, gas,
bloating, acid reflux.
4. Rest, rest, rest!
*Our
bodies need uninterrupted sleep to detoxify and rejuvenate. This is when our bodies do their best work at
fighting off the invaders. Eight hours
of sleep is the recommended amount for adults per night. Set your bedtime accordingly.
5. Stay hydrated!
*Our
bodies need water to transport nutrients from cell to cell, for our cells to
communicate with each other, for healthy blood cells, and so many other
things. A dehydrated body is a sick
body.
*The
general rule of thumb for the amount of water we should be drinking is half of
your body weight in ounces daily. That
means a 100 pound person would need to drink 50 ounces of water per day.
*Diuretics
drain our bodies of water. Coffee, soda,
juice, alcohol, and some teas are examples of diuretics. For every 8 ounces of diuretic, you need to
drink 12 ounces of water to replenish your body.
6. Exercise, but not too strenuously!
*A
little exercise daily is just what the nutritional therapy practitioner
ordered. Most of us are adrenally fatigued
to some degree, so strenuous exercise can cause more harm than good. Listen to your body, only you know what you
can handle.
*Some
exercise suggestions are walking, yoga, swimming (especially if you have access
to non-chlorinated pools), bike rides.
If you haven’t exercised for a while, start slowly. A 5 minute walk will do wonders for you. Gradually increase the amount of time.
7. Enjoy the sunshine!
*Vitamin
D is essential to maintain a healthy immune system.
*Get
some sunshine daily, without sunscreen (toxins, all of them, don’t put things
on your body that you wouldn’t eat!!).
Our bodies will store vitamin D for a few months, but come December we
are all getting low, especially those of us who live in a northern
climate.
*Supplementing
with vitamin D is important, but can not take the place of actually getting out
in the sun. The best way to supplement
vitamin D is cod liver oil because the ratio of vitamins D and A are in
balance. Vitamin D3 supplements are also
available.
*Can
your family get away to a sun shining destination this winter?
*Sunburns
happen less to people eating a nutrient dense, whole foods diet. Avoid the hottest part of the day (spend it
in the shade reading a good book). If
you have to be out in the hottest part of the day… wear rash guard, sunhats,
long sleeve shirts. During the rest of
the day, you should be fine to be out and about.
8. Reduce your stress levels!
*Find
a way to reduce stress, whether it means making time for a bath at the end of
the day (with Epsom salts for detoxing!), or reading a book, SCHEDULE in time
for you to do something you love.
9. Keep your lymph healthy and moving!
*Lymph
is the fluid that transports the white blood cells around our bodies, cleaning
our tissues and ridding our bodies of toxins.
*Eating
a nutrient dense diet (that means no processed foods, no bad oils/fats, limited
sugars), and having proper digestion, will help your body to make healthy
lymph.
*We
need to keep our lymph flowing. Some
ways to do this are through dry brushing, rebounding, “fluffing the girls”,
going braless for at least half of the day (don’t wear a bra to bed!!),
alternating cold and hot shower, sauna, exercise, lymphatic massage.
10.
Wash your hands (but not with antibacterial soap)!
*We
want to wash away the harmful microbes that we can, so it is a good idea to
always wash before eating, after using the bathroom, after being in a busy
place. However, antibacterial soaps kill
all of the beneficial microbes that we have on our skin that are there to
protect us. Our skin is our first line
of defense against intruders…those microorganisms are there for a reason.
Probiotic foods
Home made soup with meat and
veggies
Juicing organic veggies and
fruits
Elderberry
Garlic
Cinnamon (Ceylon, not the
fake stuff)
Cayenne pepper
Turmeric
Ginger
RAW honey
Apple Cider Vinegar (Live
culture like Braggs)
Lemon
Oregano
Zinc rich foods (egg yolks, oysters,
beef, lamb, cashews, spinach, pumpkin/squash seeds, cocoa, pork, chicken, some
beans)
ESSENTIAL OILS TO BOOST IMMUNITY
Oregano
Melaleuca (tea tree)
Rosemary
Clove
Frankincense
Geranium
Lemon
Thyme
Lavender
Lime
On Guard blend
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