Nobody wants to get sick… (well, except for those days when we really didn’t want to go to school!)
Bugs, sniffles, colds, fevers and the flu happens to the best of us. When it does it’s a little key to how our health is.
Ask yourself:
Are you getting sick and staying sick? Could be a simple lack of vitamin D.
Am I catching every dang cold going around? Perhaps your adrenals need some attention.
Or is this just a one-off and I need a little boost? I have you covered- keep reading!
We often treat colds and flu with medications that are designed to reduce the symptoms rather than activate the body’s own immune response. Did you know more than 70% of the human immune system actually resides in the gut? Yup. So a poorly functioning immune system is at the root of many conditions that aggressively target you and me. So it should be no surprise my number one tip is to focus on the gut!
Probiotics provide defense against the common cold and flu by activating the body’s own immune system. That’s one way, but there are a number of great ideas below, read on and see which ones resonate with you.
- Repair your gut!
- It’s your gateway to health. Take a high-quality, multi-stain probiotic or eat fermented foods such as kefir, kimchi and kraut. Remember these are refrigerated, not shelf stable.
- Drink bone broth
- Grandma was right to give you chicken noodle soup. Bone broth is loaded with minerals and collagen which optimizes your immune system. Skip the hassle of cooking it by supplementing with pasture-raised collagen or marine collagen.
- Optimize vitamin D
- Vitamin D actually fights off infections. Nearly all of us living above the equator don’t get enough from the sun. Think about supplementing this one.
- Elderberry
- Activates our immune system and defends cells from free radicals. (And it comes in gummy form for kids!)
- Fire Cider
- Magical powers! A yummy way to fend off and even shorten illnesses. Think tangy and spicy! Purchase pre-made or your make your own- I love this recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs.
- Fight inflammation
- Ginger and turmeric are my favs. (try my Yogi Turmeric Tea!)
Don’t forget about these seemingly basic tasks that play a major impact on our immune system as well:
- Reduce your stress
- Stress reduces your immune system. Try breathing, yoga or whatever works best for you
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night
- The body actually repairs while we sleep. It’s crucial!
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly
- This doesn’t mean you should walk around in a plastic bubble. We need to eat dirt, or at least be introduced to germs, to learn to build against them.
- Get plenty of exercise
- Exercise can boost immune system by increasing your circulation and reducing stress.
Do everything you can to stay off antibiotics as they cause serious damage to your gut.
Remember that old expression about an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? There’s so much truth in that statement… something I didn’t want to admit in my younger years when I burned the candle at both ends.
The truth is that our immune system will be good to us *IF* we are good to it.
Stay strong and fight the food fight!
Happy Day,
Monique
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