You put the garden tools way, ready the shovels, check your tires and pull out the sweaters, gloves and boots. What do you do to get yourself ready? Don’t rely on just medicine.
As winter approaches, we hear public service announcements and warnings about the threat of flu and covid, but except for campaigns for flu shots and covid boosters there’s little out there about how to protect yourself from ever getting either. There are some very specific, concrete things you can do, and much of it relates to prevention.
Those who just completed my Autumn Cleanse devoted a full week to eating high quality, nourishing foods and eliminating inflammatory foods that challenge immune building . You may have heard of the Microbiome. It is a colony of good bacteria that resides in your intestines. The type of bacteria your body collects is a direct result of the nutrients you eat and is harmed by highly processed foods, sugar and antibiotics that appear in some meat and poultry. Building a healthy Microbiome affects your immune strength, your mood and even your metabolism, so you have a clear way of preparing for winter.
It’s not realistic to eat perfectly every day. That’s why a cleanse has a limited time frame. It gives participants (including me) a glimpse at how good you can feel when your food is right.
Many of us in the Cleanse experienced slight headaches over the first couple of days, a sure sign that our bodies were detoxifying, Beyond cleansing, if you can get to a ratio of 90% high nutrient and 10% small treat, as I describe in my book, you will put yourself in a great position to avoid winter illnesses.
So that’s the food part Now here are my other recommendations:
Get your Vitamin D level checked and once you know it, follow a guide to get you up to the desired level through supplementation. There’s no one size fits all when it comes to dosing.
Hydrate. Aim for one half your body weight in ounces each day, including fluid from tea, soup and water in vegetables and fruits
Get adequate sleep, aim for 8 hrs. Having standard time’s earlier darkness helps activate your sleep hormones so you should feel sleepy by 10.
Open your windows. Get fresh air into your home every day
Get outdoors. When you get outdoors every day you are less apt to be bothered by the cold. How else could marathon trainers run through winter?
Manage your stress. It’s a tough one for all of us. Limit news exposure and notice when reports generate fear in you. Watch a comedy to lighten your load. Seek out uplifting people and places. Listen to a stress management recording daily to remind your body and mind how to relax. You can find a sample here.
Stay with CDC advice from the start:Practice social distancing, where a mask if appropriate and wash your hands thoroughly.