Marching Right Along...
- Michelle Montezon Halaska
- Mar 4, 2018
- 3 min read
We are nearing the end of the cold and flu season - hooray!
Hopefully your immunity soldiers have been keeping you healthy. Here are some tips and suggestions to assist in maintaining a strong immunity to get you through the last leg of the season.
Up your vitamin C - and the best way to do this is through the consumption of vitamin C-containing foods. Skip the synthetic ascorbic acids, manmade vitamin C, as they can't compare to Mother Nature. That's why it is so important to highlight fruits and
vegetables and bypass the processed sugary foods. Stock up on whole oranges, kiwi, berries, papayas, cruciferous veggies such as, broccoli, cabbage, and add some punch with onions, garlic and jalapeño's!
Consider taking immunity boosting supplements. Elderberry (Nature's Way Sambucus is the best brand), echinacea, VIT D3 w/K2, oregano oil, and/or grapefruit seed oil. Colloidal silver is something to look into, especially as a nasal spray ( the nose is where the flu bug likes to gain entry). One of my favorite shops in the neighborhood for many of these immunity boosting items is Merz Apothecary in Lincoln Square. Merz Apothecary originated in Chicago, and has a second location in the Palmer House Hilton downtown on Monroe Street.
Probiotics help keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy, and 80 percent of our immune system lies in our gut. Eating our probiotics in a variety of fermented foods is best, thereby assuring consumption of different strains. There are so many fermented foods that are readily available such as miso (fermented soy), kombucha, apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut, kimchi - to name a few.
More and more is being said about medicinal mushrooms, and their many benefits. Buying a formula with a variety of mushrooms is best as they help us resist seasonal bugs. A good brand for immunity system support is Host Defense Mushroom's "My Community Extract", which is also gluten free and USDA certified organic.
Herbal teas are underrated, not only are they medicinal, but they keep us well-hydrated. Consider adding some of these herbal teas to your daily hydration rotation - black current, hibiscus, ginger, and green tea. Trader Joe's has the best ginger and turmeric combination tea that is very affordable and easy to find year-round.
Upping your zinc intake is a great way to boost your immunity, too! Zinc is best eaten through nuts, seeds (pumpkin seeds are loaded with zinc), grains and beans. Oysters are another great way to eat your zinc. Zinc lozenges are a good way to help combat sore throats - and Nature's Way Sambucus brand makes an excellent elderberry, vitamin C, and zinc lozenge that is very palatable and not too high in sugar!
Washing hands with soap. It seems simple enough, right? Remember it's the foamy suds that help wash away "bugs," so spend time to create some serious bubbles. Treat yourself to a scent that you love; lavender is so calming and will keep you lathering. When hand washing is not an option, consider using alcohol wipes. Alcohol wipes are effective, safer and benign, as opposed to the toxin laden antibacterial wipes or gels.
Give yourself permission to rest and sleep. This is incredibly important and often overlooked. It is stressful and takes energy to get through these cold months, so take it easy, and kick back a bit. If your not able to take a break from winter to breathe in some salty sea air, find the nearest salt cave. Salt caves are great for the sinuses
among many other health benefits.
Regular exercise helps us build and boost immunity, too. Consider exercising outside; the cold air will burn more calories and be invigorating. Try cross country skiing, snow shoeing, sledding with the children in your life, and/or double-down on the feel good hormones, and help your neighbors with their snow shoveling. Be sure to warm up before these outdoor endeavors, because exercising on cold muscles is when we get hurt. Imagine trying to bend a cold piece of taffy, (if I'm dating myself with this analogy, so be it) it has the potential to break, but if we warm it up, the flexibility increases.
Humidifiers are crucial in keeping the lungs and nasal passages from getting too dry and vulnerable to bugs, such as common cold and flu viruses. The best one I have found is the Venta air washer, a German-made amazing product; with no filters to keep buying. It not only humidifies, it also cleans the air.
You do not need to do everything on this list, but do what you can. Following your instincts - they can help guide you as to what to highlight. Our needs change and evolve day to day, so changing routines is important.
Staying healthy and feeling good benefits everyone!
Cheers to your wellness,
Michelle
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