The August winds have begun and there certainly are quite a few coughs and colds getting up close and personal right now, especially if you ride the peak hour trains! Here are a few ways you can tell those bugs to back off because you’re not interested in a relationship.
At some point, most of us can recall that getting stressed, getting cold and wet, or moving in and out of air-conditioned rooms have been triggers to us getting sick. The thing is, life can be hectic regardless of whether its winter or summer. Why do some people get sick and others seem to get off scott free? In my opinion there is more than one reason. Here are my top 3 tips for staying well through winter.
- We create what we believe: I know this sounds a bit like airy fairy hippy wish wash, but…how much more likely do you think you are of getting sick if you tell yourself you are going to? Can you remember a time when you told yourself you didn’t have time to get sick because you couldn’t afford the time, or because you needed to look after someone else? Perhaps you were surprised you managed to fight off the bugs, or perhaps you managed to stay well while your mind was pre-occupied, but once you stopped what you were focused on, you got sick? Just food for thought.
- Make the time to care for yourself every day, sick or not. Too often we only pay attention to our needs when we absolutely have to. We need time each day to drink enough water, eat nutritious food, exercise, take a break from stress and pressure, laugh, smile, love, snuggle, play and sleep well. Schedule you into your diary and make yourself a priority.
- Prevention is easier than cure: Wash your hands, eat well, rest well, exercise and take a quality multivitamin and probiotic daily. If you feel you’ve been exposed, or start to show any sign of a sniffle, increase your vitamin C intake, water, Zinc and talk to your Naturopath about how to take immune boosting herbs like Echinacea root, Astragalus, Cat’s Claw, Andrographis, Elderflower to get you well quick and keep you that way. Your naturopath can also help you weed out what won’t work!
Looking after yourself every day is the best prevention against colds and flus.
Here’s an immune tea recipe I’ve been asked for many times, as it works so well to warm you up, unblock your sinuses and ease a cough. It’s also a great tonic to boost your immune system and prevent colds.
1 lemon with the skin
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon chilli/cayenne powder
2 cups boiled hot water
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
Squeeze the lemon into a coffee plunger or tea pot, then chop it up with the skin and put it in the pot also. Add the remaining ingredients. Steep for 10 minutes.
Stir well, strain and enjoy hot.
To make an appointment with a Brisbane Natural Health naturopath to boost your immunity, call us on 07 3367 0337.
