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Below are my recommendations, always check with your primary care provider before implementing new health practices
So, its November...basically December. Maybe you just began a new wellness routine, or have been putting off starting one. Maybe you just would like to enjoy the holidays and not end them feeling bloated, and keyed up on all the stress hormones.
I've broken down how our family gets ready for the holidays or trips in general into the following categories:
Boost Up (get your immune system ready)
Plan for Success (prepare with whole food choices to bring with you)
Maintenance Mode (balanced mindset toward food and scheduling)
Take it Slow (vacation from your vacation)
Bounce Back (gentle detox)
Today we'll go over boosting your immune system. The concepts still work great if you decide to implement just a couple or switch out your own preferred brand of herbs or whole foods.
Okay so here's my ride or die suggestions for surviving the holidays with more energy and less sickness (links below)
Hydrate (spring water, electrolytes)
Probiotic/Prebiotic (superfood powder, greens powder)
Herbs (nettles, alfalfa and elderberry)
Did you know that a lot of the money we spend on supplements and vitamins gets flushed right down the toilet? This is because many of the options on the shelves around us, while full of vital vitamins and minerals, are not in their most beneficial form...leading to poor absorption and your wasted dollars...I'm looking at you multivitamins...
There are optimal times of day and formulations of supplements to get the most for your hard-earned dollars. This is why I always recommend my clients find whole food sources of these nutrients and supplement with quality choices taken at the right times of day for optimal benefits.
Water and electrolytes. A great habit to get into is drinking a glass of water upon waking with some form of electrolytes. Some good options are coconut water or this electrolyte powder. This helps get your metabolism going and helps with your blood sugar levels. Also having some nutrition alongside that morning cup of coffee can do wonders for your metabolism and stress levels.
Probiotics and prebiotics to start the day. We love yogurt and fruit at our house. This is a great one-two punch to help boost your immune system and gut flora as yogurt is rich in probiotics while fruit provides the vital prebiotics. Together probiotic and prebiotics help balance your gut flora (bacteria) and provide a great frame work for your body to combat any illness that heads your way. Don't have time for that? I love adding a trustworthy greens and super food powder to a shaker bottle with some kefir or orange juice. Delicious!
Herbs, my jam. I love herbs because they are such a nutrient dense and flavorful way to build your immune system. For example, oregano and thyme are yummy added to plenty of savory dishes and have been studied to contain antiviral and antibacterial properties. Oftentimes you can't consume enough of an herb in its fresh or dried state to get a substantial benefit. This is where tinctures and essential oils come in to play. We love this tincture to get in our vitamins and minerals and an added bonus, it tastes great! During cold season and travel we also add in this amazing elderberry tincture . A quick works pretty much anywhere health hack is a quarter garlic clove taken in local honey daily for one to two weeks. This helps boost your immune system or kick an respiratory illness to the curb quickly. Garlic is a great source of antiviral and antiviral properties mixed with the immune boosting vitamins within the honey. It's a great duo to have on hand.
Vitamin D, Zinc and Magnesium. The power trio made popular by 2020. These three help regulate hormone production keeping your adrenals happy and your sleep optimal. Our families no fail trick for restful sleep is applying vitamin D and magnesium creams to tummies before bed. While we sleep, these help our bodies process cortisol and rebalance hormones to start a new day. Vitamin D has been linked specifically to shortening recovery time from respiratory illnesses. I've found this supplement for zinc to be life altering in the best of ways. It helps keep energy levels and moods stable...even during and after pregnancy.
So, that's my round up of simple things we incorporate to make sure our family enters the holidays with robust immunity.
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