Keeping Healthy Through the Colder Months

As we step into winter, I wanted to share just a few of the simple things I always make sure to do in order to prevent getting sick. So, first off, I am a naturalist at heart, and unless medical/pharmaceutical intervention is absolutely necessary, I steer clear of most western medicine practices. Pretty much everything you'll see me share on this website that is health related will be from an alternative/eastern holistic view. Not saying I'm against pharmaceuticals completely, I just believe that many things can be treated using the things our Creator gave us to heal our bodies.

This colder season is full of viruses and illnesses spreading like wildfire, so even if you yourself wouldn't normally be at risk of getting sick, you're likely to pick something up from school, the grocery store, or literally anywhere else you're around people. So the best way to keep from this happening is to strengthen your immune system ahead of time, so when you come up against an illness it is either much shorter lived or will be unable to attach itself to you at all because you have created an environment where it cannot thrive. Below are some simple things I always do to strengthen my immune system during the colder months:

• Supplement with zinc. Zinc is absolutely key to a strong immune system- it reduces inflammation, specifically in the lungs, and is an overall excellent way to reduce risk of illness. You don't want to take too much zinc, but I usually take a higher dosage through winter. If you have little ones who won't be able to swallow capsules, you can buy chewable tablets as well. I try to take this as preventative because it really does work wonders, but it's of course a good idea to take it when you're sick too.

• Lots and lots of vitamin C. Vitamin C is something I often forget about, but it's magnificent when strengthening the immune system. I just use sodium ascorbate powder, which you can order on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/76Nch5A, or buy at your local health food store. Just dissolve some in cold water and drink it. It doesn't taste bad at all, just a little salty. (if you don't like the taste, you can dissolve a small bit in a lot of water and drink it throughout the day). Dosage is to-bowel-tolerance, and you have to work your way up to how much you can tolerate. For example, maybe you would take 1/8 teaspoon for a few days, and then the next few days you take 1/4 teaspoon, and so on. It's really hard to overdose on vitamin C, and you'll know if you've been taking too much. I would definitely try to supplement with vitamin C always, and just high dose during times when illness is going around.

• Elderberry syrup. Sambucus elderberries are a powerhouse for reducing inflammation and strengthening your immune system. It's really easy to make a syrup out of... You just cook down the elderberries in a little bit of water and let it cool. You can add honey, cinnamon, and ground clove as well to give it a nice flavor, then take some each day as a preventative measure, taking higher dosages if you get sick. Elderberry syrup is especially nice because it's delicious and super easy to get little ones to take.

• Less sugar, gluten, and other inflammatory foods. I always try to eat minimal inflammatory foods, because the truth is they're just not good for you. However, I don't really completely cut out any foods altogether. As far as diet, I just try to eat food made out of food: no chemicals and additives, and lots of produce, meat, and healthy fats. If you're trying to strengthen your immune system, it's especially important to lessen your intake of foods that will aggravate it. (I know that one's obvious, but worth mentioning).

• Eat a lot of antioxidant-rich foods. We get antioxidants from berries, kidney and pinto beans, plums, granny smith and gala apples, avocados, and dark chocolate, just to name a few good sources. They help fight against free radicals, which reduces oxidative stress, and in turn reduces our overall risk of chronic disease.

Those are just a few simple methods that I personally use to prevent illness during this time of year, and there are so many more! Of course basic clean living and steering clear of toxins is always key as well. Hope you all are having a healthy and beautiful winter<3

Love,

Nola:)