Did you know that you have an army in your body? And that during the winter, it’s constantly at war?
Never fear though – you can actually arm it with a strong offense – with weapons of wellness!
It’s true. Our immune system is built up of lots of little soldiers in the form of white blood cells, and we can either provide them with strong weapons to build up our health, or we can disarm them and leave them defenseless against invaders. Contrary to our current culture’s thoughts, we actually have lots of control over our health. Especially this time of year, when the supposed “cold and flu” season is so heavily marketed!
Before I even get into how to best prevent illness, or take care of yourself if your body does succumb to attack, first let me dispel the myth of the cold & flu “season”. Ya’ll. These germs, bacteria and viruses are always around us. They don’t lie dormant underground and magically come out after September 22 (the official calendar start of fall). This is easily proven by the fact that nearly all of us have suffered from a cold or the flu during the spring or summer!
Colds & flus become more prevalent during the winter for several reasons: 1) we all stay inside more, so we aren’t getting as much fresh air or natural vitamin D from the sun 2) starting with Halloween (and the weeks leading up to it) – sugar consumption increases dramatically. Then on to Thanksgiving where we all eat very rich foods with little nutritious content. And right on into Christmas, the sugar content keeps going higher as people allow themselves special treats for the holidays – either at work, at parties, baking at home, and on the go.
All this combined has a compound effect of both weakening our immune system while also feeding any latent viruses in our body. Because make no mistake – we are constantly exposed to these germs throughout the year – so whether our not our body caves to them is very much dependent on how well we set our body up to fight them off.
Strengthening your Army
The cliche “the best defense is a good offense” rings totally true here. Focus your attention and efforts on staying well, and you have a higher chance of maintaining wellness.
Our gut health has a dramatic effect on our overall health, so I’m going to start with first mentioning nutrition. Now, you don’t need to be on a Whole 30 or Paleo diet all season (though they are extremely healthy!) But you DO need to be mindful of what you are fueling your body with. If you want to enjoy some treats here and there, then focus on really eating healthy the rest of the time. I could write a novel on nutrition, so I’ll just say this: Drink a ton of water. Eat a ton of fresh veggies and fruit. Consume lean meats. Minimize your grains and starchy carbs (potatoes, yams, etc). Your body processes grains and starchy carbs (and most fruit) as sugar. So keep them to a minimum.
And sugar. Ya’ll – sugar literally FEEDS infection and inflammation. It FEEDS viruses. I’m not going to tell you to avoid it altogether, but just be super mindful of what you’re consuming and what it’s doing inside your body. It literally suppresses the immune system for 5-7 hours each time you have it. Eeeek! That’s huge! If you have sugar in your coffee at 7am – your defenses are down till noon. And then if you have just a few pieces of candy as dessert after lunch – your immune system is down again until 5pm. And that little taste of ice cream after dinner? Shuts down your immune system till midnight! All the while – you’ve been exposed to germs throughout the day.
Does it make sense now how we can undo our healthy habits by just a little bit of sugar? So…..if you know you have a big party or event you want to attend and enjoy a sugary delight at, skip the treats in the days leading up to it, and make that event be the special time where you allow yourself to indulge. Because who wants to get sick before a party or vacation? Not me!
In addition to eating healthy and closely minding our sugar intake (many days it is zero!) here’s what our family does daily: Probiotic, Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, Turmeric, Juice Plus+, fish oil, Young Living essential oils, sleep, and lots of water. The adults drink NingXia Red & the kids get elderberry syrup.
Probiotic: this is healthy bacteria that helps wage the war in your gut which helps your immune system stay strong. My three faves are Young Living Life 9, Innate Choice Probiotic Sufficiency, and currently I’m taking ProBio5 from Plexus for it’s potent candida-killing powers. Kids can take probiotics too! Our oldest swallows the capsules; for our 5 year old, we open the capsules and put them in her water, the 3 year old enjoys this chewable probiotic and the baby gets this powder that we got from our local health food store. You want to look for one that has multiple strains (5-9) and lots of live active cultures!
Vitamin D3 – My husband and I take 10,000 IUD daily, the kids take 2,000 IUD daily (via a liquid dropper.) Yes, that’s a lot more than what is normally suggested. And you know what? Most people are deficient. In the last year both my husband and I got our blood work done, and both of us showed in the normal range for Vitamin D. The dr. said that never happens! She said nearly everyone is deficient!
Vitamin C – Ya’ll, there’s a reason Linus Pauling won a Nobel prize for his discoveries with Vitamin C. This is a crazy important, crazy helpful vitamin our body needs. But it has to be the real deal. Sorry, Emergen-C isn’t going to be truly beneficial (plus it has lots of sugar!) You want to find a Vitamin C that’s high quality – preferably Sodium Ascorbate or Ascorbic Acid.
Turmeric – google Turmeric. It’s a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, amongst its many, many benefits.
Fish oil – everyone on the planet needs fish oil. Omegas are vital to daily health, and therefore important for immune health as well. I take the Juice Plus Omegas, and the kids take DHA chewables from our local health store. Here’s a link on the benefits if you want more info.
Juice Plus+ – our household does consume a lot of fresh produce, but even we don’t get all the recommended amounts of fruits and veggies. We’ve been taking JP+ for seven years and I know it’s been one of the keys to our ongoing health and wellness. It’s literally fruits and veggies in powder form. I take the capsules, and my husband and kids open the capsules and put the contents in their morning protein shakes. The two youngest LOVE it mixed in with their morning yogurt! There are other brands that also offer whole food nutrition like this, so do your research on what works best for your family.
Young Living Essential Oils – for the past four years, YL oils and supplements have been huge part of our healthy lifestyle. We use them daily to boost our immune system, as well as to support all the systems of our body. With the flu being so crazy rampant this season, we have been diffusing Thieves in our bedrooms every night, and putting it on our spine every morning before we leave for the day. Young Living oils are the only ones I trust for our family. Their Seed to Seal process, and the fact that I’ve been to the farms and toured their warehouse and labs, make them the best choice for us.
Elderberry syrup – another awesome immune booster! We get ours from a local friend, but you can easily make it yourself or buy it at a health food store!
NingXia Red – this is a crazy potent antioxidant drink from Young Living. It’s made from the NingXia wolfberry and infused with essential oils, and it’s a daily must for my husband and I. It provides energy, stamina, and supports all the systems of our body with it’s power packed nutrition in just one ounce a day. The beauty of just 1-2oz a day is that it contains whole food versions of the vitamins and minerals our bodies need, rather than the lab created ones you will find in a typical multi-vitamin.
Sleep – we focus on all of us getting a good sleep. Sleep is so underrated on how vital it is to our health! Our kids get at least 11 hours a night, and we do our best to get at least 8. Yes it’s hard to do this. We have to be intentional about our schedule. We have to be mindful about our evenings. It’s not always fun to go to bed earlier than we want, but it’s never fun to be sick!
Water – LOTS of it! – who knew that this simple step actually contributes a WHOLE lot to your health? Our bodies are 80% water – it needs it to function best. We often drink 8-16oz of electrolyte water per day as well, because that helps the body with dehydration. If the body is missing key minerals, it can be dehydrated even if you’re drinking the recommended amount of ounces per day. Electrolyte water is readily available nearly everywhere, even at gas stations! No need to buy sports drinks with added sugar and dyes – you can get electrolytes without all that junk!
Chiropractic care – our “primary” doctor is actually our chiropractor! Here’s the super basics of chiropractic care: when the spine is aligned, the body can work the way it’s supposed to. Even your immune system is affected when you have subluxations (that’s just a fancy way to say spots where your back is out of whack!). Regular adjustments keeps your body working at it’s best! Yes, even for kids. Even for babies. Our youngest is 3 months old and she’s been adjusted since her 4th day of life!
That’s all our normal, daily measures that we take to maintain our health. In the next installment, I’ll review what we do when illness does strike (it’s few and far between, but yes, we are human and we do get sick, though very rarely!)
Let me know if you have any questions on any of these suggestions. And I’d love to hear what supplements and health habits you use to proactively maintain your wellness and boost your immune system!
Interested in learning more about Young Living Essential Oils? Check out info here.
Disclaimer:
1) All Amazon links are through Amazon Smile, set up to benefit the Young Living Foundation. The prices of the items are the same, but if you buy through this link, then Amazon sends a percentage of the purchase to the YL Foundation. I encourage everyone to purchase through Amazon Smile – you can even select what charity the funds go to!
2) I’m not a doctor. I’m not a dietician. I have no claim to specialized medical or nutritional training. I do not dispense medical advice, I do not have a degree in health, medicine or nutrition. I only discuss my own experience and what worked for me or my family. If you need medical advice, find a local doctor or nutritionist to provide it for you.
The information contained on iamholymade.com is meant for educational and informational purposes only. We’re not doctors nor dietitians. We do not dispense advice on curing nor treating any health ailment or disease.
Statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or information are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. Readers are advised to do their own research and make decisions in partnership with your health care provider. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or are taking any medication, please consult your physician. Nothing you read here should be relied upon to determine dietary changes, a medical diagnosis or courses of treatment.
3) Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in my blog are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The following are companies I have an affiliate relationship with:
-
YoungLiving.com