How can I prevent getting sick? How can I improve my immune system? I’m sick, what can I do to get over this quickly? These are questions I get asked frequently by friends, family, and customers. First, I’d like to preface this note by saying: I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND I DO NOT INTEND FOR THIS MESSAGE TO BE MEDICAL ADVICE. EVERYONE'S BODY & IMMUNE SYSTEM IS DIFFERENT SO PLEASE BE SURE TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU. I am writing this, not to give “medical advice”, but to simply share what works for myself and my family. Again, everyone is different, so what works for me may not work for you and that is okay, but I would like to share this information in hopes that it can at least help one person.
My family and I prevent sickness and boost our immune systems by being consistent. We have set routines and we have to be strict on ourselves to achieve our health goals.
Every day we take our vitamins & supplements which consist of: Elderberry syrup/gummies, vitamin C, probiotic/prebiotic, and in the winter months, cod liver oil. By now we all know that elderberry and vitamin C strengthen the immune system and they are able to fight off illness. As for cod liver oil, through my many years of research (and my college healthcare courses), I have come to find out that many Americans are deficient in vitamin D. In the winter months we try to get out in the sunshine as much as we can without freezing, but in my opinion it is not enough to adequately get the amount of vitamin D our bodies need. Typically people are quick to want to supplement with a vitamin D by itself. Most often these supplements are synthetic and we are just adding hormones to our body. This is why we choose cod liver oil. We are able to get the vitamins in their most natural form. Moving on, a probiotic/prebiotic are essential because after all our “gut” is where the immune system lives and it is referred to as our second brain. It is best to ingest your probiotics through fermented drinks & foods but if you are not able to incorporate these into your diet, the supplements through capsules is much better than nothing at all.
We eat healthy, whole, foods and drink plenty of water. We try our best to maintain our good gut bacteria by eating the right foods and drinking bone broth. Organic, unprocessed, and non-GMO foods are what we aim for. One of our main goals is to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. What we put into our bodies is very important and detrimental to our health and immune system.
Fresh air, sunshine, and grounding. This is more common on the warmer days, but when it is possible we try to take advantage of the days we are able to get outside. Fresh air reinforces your immune system, by supplying it with the oxygen it needs to decimate microbes, infections and germs. Sunshine provides us the most natural form of vitamin D. Grounding also known as earthing is a therapeutic technique that focuses on realigning your electrical energy by reconnecting to the earth. There’s little research behind grounding but smaller studies have reported benefits for inflammation, pain, mood, and more. Grounding can be achieved by walking barefoot, lying on the ground, or submersing in natural water (Lakes, rivers, oceans, etc.).
Rest, sleep, & lower stress levels. This one is easier said than done, especially with small children. We try our best to stay on a good schedule for bedtime and naps. If I am feeling overwhelmed I always find a way to make some time to do some deep breathing, meditation, or yoga to decrease my stress level. Some people are able to do this through different methods, again everyone is different, find what works for you.
Exercise. We move our bodies every single day. Whether it's a walk around the block, an indoor walk, dancing, interacting in sports, swimming, biking, etc. We make sure to at least exercise 30 minutes a day.
Rid harsh chemicals and toxins. Over time we have gradually switched to more natural products around the house. Everything from cleaning, beauty, hygiene, cooking, and fragrances. These little things add up and make a difference to your health over the years so it is important to pay close attention to the ingredients in the products you use.
Indoor air quality. During the cold air/dry months we use a humidifier in our home. We make sure to keep our humidity level between 40% and 60%. Recent studies have shown that germs and bacteria spread quicker in dry air, so this is very beneficial if someone in the home has a contagious sickness. Having the best air quality is very important in our home so we also have indoor plants to produce oxygen and purify the air.
Washing hands. This one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how many people don’t wash their hands regularly. Along with washing our hands, we make sure to try not to touch our eyes, mouth, face, etc. while we are out in public because this is often how illness is contracted.
If sickness does occur, the most important thing we do is stay consistent. We do supplement with additional vitamins, minerals, etc. depending on the illness we contract as well.
Follow steps 1-8 above. It is vital for us to continue our daily lifestyle to recover from sickness. Of course we also try to add in extra sleep, hydration, and anything else our bodies need as well.
Hydration: Adding on to #1 here, I feel the need to address hydration during illness. First lets remember that sugar and artificial ingredients weaken the immune system. With that being said, when we are sick we try our best to avoid Gatorade, Powerade, etc. Our bodies are already working hard enough to fight off whatever we are sick with, so we shouldn’t be adding drinks loaded with sugar, dyes, and artificial flavors for our immune system to have to fight off too. When needing a boost of electrolytes coconut water is always a great option. Another great option that we choose to drink when sick is homemade organic bone broth. Bone broth is rich in minerals that help support the body’s immune system and, in addition to gelatin and collagen, it contains other healing compounds, including glutamine, proline and glycine. Consuming bone broth helps fight inflammation throughout the body and aids the digestive system.
Detox bath. We try to help our bodies detox the toxins as much as we can. One method we use is our homemade detox bath soak. These are available to purchase at our store locations and/or can be shipped when directly ordered. We soak in this mixture for at least 20 minutes and make sure to stay hydrated the whole time. These baths are also really good if you have a fever you are wanting to reduce which I will talk about below.
Fevers can be good. Most people immediately want to take ibuprofen or acetaminophen right when they notice they have a fever. We do things a bit different and we try to let the fever run its course. Fevers can be good, they are our body’s natural way of heating up to kill off all of the bad bacteria in our bodies. If the fever gets too high we try our detox bath mentioned above or other methods like a cool wash rag to the forehead before taking over-the-counter medications to reduce them.
Stay home. I cannot preach this one enough! Going out into the public while you are sick is very inconsiderate and one of my biggest pet peeves. Potentially exposing others if you know you are sick and contagious is the worst thing you can do.
If you have made it this far, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope I was able to achieve helping at least one person today. Stay healthy friends, and take care of yourself.
We shop our daily vitamins from https://www.perfectsupplements.com/?Click=5f4bd0143f5e7 and https://www.maryruthorganics.com/?rfsn=4637318.a449e3&utm_source=refersion We have researched these two brands and trust them with our whole hearts. What we put into and onto our bodies is very important, so we accept nothing less than pure ingredients.
Reminder: Healthy is not a trend. Healthy is a lifestyle, and consistency is key.
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