Top 5 Ways to Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season
1. Sleep: Sleep and immunity go hand in hand! The easiest way to get sick is to string together a couple nights of little to no sleep.
2. Exercise but don’t overdo it: Staying active and exercising does wonders for boosting your immune system but make sure you are not pushing too hard and overtraining. If you have a really hard workout one day, make sure you take it easy the next day with a lighter workout or take the day off and rest. Back to back tough workouts are sure to deplete your immune system and leave you very susceptible to getting sick. If you feel like you are fighting something or feeling worn down you need to take a couple days off from working out until you feel better. When your body is fighting off a cold it needs every ounce of energy it can get and when you exercise that energy needed to fight the cold is being used for the workout instead.
3. Wash your hands: Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading your germs to others. Sticking your hands under running water without soap does not count for properly washing your hands. Diarrheal diseases and pneumonia are the top 2 killers of young children from around the world. Much of that could be prevented with proper hand washing. Get in a good habit of keeping your hands clean and away from your face and eyes as much as possible.
4. Eat Well: Fueling your body with good non-processed whole foods is critical to keep your body and all its systems functioning at optimal levels. Consuming genetically modified foods (GMO’s) on a regular basis creates a host of potential health problems with a depleted immune system being right up there towards the top.
5. Supplement Naturally: Instead of loading up on sugary processed lozenges, syrups, pills, and powders, try to supplement with the following REAL earth grown foods that have their own natural occurring immune boosting properties: garlic, lemon, ginger, oregano, organic raw honey, bone broth from grass fed beef, echinacea, green tea, and unsweetened organic Greek yogurt. My favorite immune boosting juice to make when I’m feeling like my immune system has been compromised is the following: Blended in vitamix blender with 5-6 ice cubes: Echinacea green tea (as base, make sure you wait for it to cool off) 1 large garlic clove, 1 whole lemon, quarter size peeled ginger root, 1 tablespoon of organic raw honey.