How to Stay Healthy this Fall and Winter
Fall and winter can be difficult seasons on your physical and emotional health. The days are shorter, it is cold in most parts of the country, and colds and the flu are more prevalent.
During any season there are a few basics that can help to maintain optimal physical and mental health, such as eating healthful foods, drinking lots of water, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep.
You may be doing everything “right” and still need a little extra support to get you through those short winter days and long winter nights.
Now is the time to build your immune system and build your natural medicine chest to be ready if the common cold or virus hits.
Our family eats real food that is nutrient dense to build health. The end result is that we have managed to stay well! The girls rarely missed a day of school due to illness, so I would let them take a “mental health” day once a year, since all the other kids get to miss school all the time!
Many people ask us what we do to stay healthy … here’s the re-cap and some suggestions for you.
Besides incorporating these strategies for daily wellness, you will also want to have certain items on hand just in case someone in the family catches a virus. This post will help you prepare for sickness.
Build a Healthy Foundation and Stay Well!
In this article I will share ideas to help you learn how to build a healthy foundation and strong immune system. You will learn which supplements to have on hand and what to do when you begin to feel sick or after you have been in an airplane or exposed to sick people.
How to eat to improve health
- Eat whole food (meat, chicken, fish, whole eggs, coconut oil, organic butter, extra virgin olive oil, seeds, nuts, olives, vegetables and fruits). Get my book, The Reclaim Diet to learn more.
- Eat clean food (free of pesticides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, chemicals and additives. No dyes, preservatives, nitrites, or nitrates. No added sugar, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor. No MSG or hidden sources of MSG like “spices”, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed protein, textured protein.)
- Eliminate refined carbs like bread, cake, bagels, pasta, cereal, chips.
- Eat three meals a day and a snack or two (if needed) that contain animal protein, healthy fat and vegetables.
- Enjoy some whole fruit but eliminate fruit juice, sugar drinks and flavored milk.
- Drink about half your body weight in ounces of spring water or home-purified water. For example, if you weigh 160, drink 80 oz. of water each day.
- Add Real Salt to your food and some to your drinking water. The optimal amount of salt can differ widely from person to person, depending on your unique situation. Read the book, The Salt Fix, by Dr. James DiNicolantonio to determine how much Real Salt to add to your diet. “Our host-defense system may be driven by salt, which may activate other antimicrobial defense systems.” Dr. DiNicolantonio writes that a high-salt diet may help in systemic infections and dangerous viruses.
Quick List of Supplements to use to stay above the wellness line
Here’s the quick list, then I will give a bit more information on each in this blog post: keep reading!
- Vitamin C – try chewing 1-2 of Super C, four times a day
- Colloidal Silver
- Essential Oils: Oregano Oil, ImmuPower, Thieves essential oil
- Homeopathic Remedy to have on hand: Oscillococcinum
- Vitamin D3, 5000 with K2, use 5,000 IU daily and increase to 10,000+ IU per day during illness
- Zinc, like LDA Trace Minerals
- Kyolic Garlic Formula 103 Immune Formula
- Homemade Elderberry Syrup
- NingXia Red Antioxidant drink
- Life 9 Probiotic
Vitamin C
- The immune system uses vitamin C for many of its routine functions.
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant, working synergistically with other antioxidants to help protect the body.
- Stress increases the need for vitamin C.
Super C chewable, chew 1-2 tablets four times a day. When sick, you will need much more Vitamin C.
Colloidal Silver
- Colloidal silver has been proven to be effective in supporting the respiratory system when trouble comes calling.
- Use a product that is 10ppm, like Sovereign Silver,
when you are exposed to people who are sick, at the first signs of being sick, and when fighting an immune challenge.
- Colloidal Silver can be taken as a maintenance dose daily, especially if you work outside the home.
- If you feel sick take a dose every 3 or 4 hours. Follow dosage recommendations on the package.
- A drop in the eye effectively supports the eye when goopy trouble comes.
Essential Oils
Whether diffusing, applying topically, or taking internally, Young Living essential oils can help you strengthen your physical wellness, improve your emotional balance, and fill your home with safe, purifying products.
Here are some ways you can incorporate Young Living essential oils and essential oil-infused products into your daily routine to support your health all winter long.
Oregano Oil
- It is natural and safe to use.
- It can be used externally and internally (Oregano Vitality).
- It is known as a purifying oil.
- Add Oregano Vitality essential oil drops to an empty veggie capsule when sick.
ImmuPower
ImmuPower is a blend of essential oils that provides immune support
- ImmuPower has several powerful essential oils in the blend including Frankincense, Oregano, Clove, Cistus, and Hyssop
- ImmuPower™ is great to diffuse or apply topically to the feet and hands.
Thieves Essential Oil
Thieves essential oil blend or Thieves Vitality contain a powerful combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils which provide general wellness support, immune support and has Antioxidant properties.
- Diffuse 8-20 Drops to create a healthy home.
- Dilute and apply to the bottoms of your kids’ feet in the morning and for a great day at school.
- Dilute and apply to the bottom of your feet during cold winter months.
- Add Thieves to a vegetarian gel capsule and take it as a dietary supplement to help support the immune system.
Homeopathic Remedies
Oscillococcinum
Oscillococcinum is an effective homeopathic remedy to use at the first sign of flu-like styptoms.
It is the best-selling medicine for this use of any kind in France and many other parts of Europe.
- Follow label directions at the first sign of flu-like symptoms.
- The trick is to take it on the onset of symptoms to gain the most benefits from it.
- As with any homeopathic remedy be sure to take it away from food and drink (30 minutes before and after).
- Buy it from the Boiron store on Amazon
Vitamin D3 and Zinc
Vitamin D3
- Everyone in the family needs vitamin D on a daily basis for many functions of the body and to build the immune system.
- Most adults need D3 5000 IU during fall and winter.
- It is recommended that D3 be taken along with Vitamin K2.
- Try Metagenics combo capsules that includes Vitamin D3 with K2 in a gel capsule.
- Dosage of Vitamin D for children and adults.
Zinc
- Zinc shortens the duration and decreases the intensity of colds and flu if taken within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms.
- I recommend LDA Trace Minerals for zinc as an amino acid chelate, balanced with copper and other minerals like selenium and iodine. This can be taken on a daily basis.
Aged Garlic Capsules
Kyolic Garlic Formula 103 Immune Formula
- Kyolic Immune: Made from a combination of specially aged Kyolic garlic, vitamins, mushrooms and herbs, this formula helps to support healthy immune function. Made from organic, aged and odorless garlic
- Whole Body Support: Aged garlic is used for immune system support, digestion support, inflammation and detoxification. It has antioxidant power, making it an excellent source of support for whole body wellness
- Always Odorless: Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract is made from organically grown garlic that has been aged up to 20 months to enhance the nutritional value, remove its pungent odor and make it gentle on the stomach
- Ingredients: Vitamin C, Aged Garlic Extract, Premium Mushroom Complex: Shiitake, Maitake, Poria Cocos, Reishi and Agaricus, Astragalus extract (root), Oregano extract (leaf), Olive Leaf extract (Oleuropin)
Elderberry Syrup
- Organic Black Elderberry Syrup with Acerola fruit extract: Follow directions on bottle.
How to make your own Elderberry Syrup.
Here’s my recipe if you want to make your own Elderberry Syrup:
https://getbetterwellness.com/elderberry/
NingXia Red
NingXia Red – I drink 1 or 2 ounces of NingXia Red daily.
- NingXia Red is a powerful, whole body supplement.
- NingXia Red benefits include support for energy levels, normal cellular function, and whole-body and normal eye health.
- A daily shot of 1-2 ounces helps support overall wellness with powerful antioxidants
Probiotics
Keep your digestive system in top shape because 70% of the immune system is located in the gut!
- Promotes an optimal environment for the growth of good bacteria
- Provides critical support for your immune system health
- Aids in the breakdown and removal of harmful toxins
How to increase your intake of probiotics:
- Eat fermented foods like sauerkraut and take a probiotic.
- I recommend that you alternate brands of probiotics to provide a variety of probiotic strains for your body. Two options are Life 9 and Complete Probiotics.
- Life 9 is great for a multiple-strain potent probiotic supplement. Life 9 has 17 billion live cultures from nine beneficial bacteria strains to support healthy immune function, maintain optimal metabolism, and promote normal intestinal function.
- Complete Probiotics Packs 70 billion “gut-friendly” bacteria in every 2 capsule serving
Stay Healthy with Simple Steps!
- The “common cold” does not have to be a common experience once a healthy diet, lifestyle and supplement plan is implemented.
- I recommend building a solid foundation with clean water, nutrient dense food, and exercise.
- Then begin a solid daily supplement plan, like the one mentioned above.
- Have essential oils and special supplements on hand so that you are ready to address any tiny symptoms or exposures before they become a full blown illness.
See my post: What to Take When Sick
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