My Top 5 Immune Supporting Tips for Dec

Winter is on the way in Calgary and i’m not going to lie, I can’t wait! Looking out the window first thing in the morning and seeing frosted trees and white skies while sipping on a hot turmeric latte makes me so happy. Winter brings great things to us: cozy sweaters, hot drinks & elixirs, warm fireplaces (if you’re lucky to own one!), Christmas decorations, snowboarding and holiday feasts. These are all great things to look forward to having. However, winter does bring us the dark side as well: common colds, fatigue, lack of vitamin D, common flu, and a very, very cold body temperature (literally all the time for me). SO, I’ve compiled my favorite must-haves for supporting your immune system throughout the winter months so you can avoid as many sick days as possible. Side note: I like to start using some of these around October/ November to give my system a head start but even using some of these in December can help! 
 

1. Natural Factors: Anti-viral tincture. 
This stuff is ah-may-zing. Everyone (including myself) that I work with at the health store swears by it for helping prevent colds.
Some of it’s main ingredients include…
Echinacea, which is a North American coneflower that can support the immune system and help cut the duration of the common cold by 1- 1.5 days. It’s said to help stimulate the cells in your body that has the main function of helping fight bad organisms and particles. If you are taking echinacea by itself, it’s important to note that you should take it short-term. Typically, taking it from the onset of viral symptoms to about 1-2 days after your symptoms start to disappear. I don’t recommend taking this long-term as it may over-stimulate your immune system. Note: echinacea is generally safe with most people, however if you have auto-immune diseases (including lupus, MS, ect) then you may want to avoid it due to the effect it has on the immune system. Check with your health practitioner first. 
Astragalus. This adaptogen herb/root is anti-inflammatory and helps boost the immune system due to its antioxidants. It’s also anti-viral. 
Reishi Mushrooms. Oh how I love medicinal mushrooms. Reishi has many, many health benefits. One being that it helps support the immune system by being anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial.
Licorice. The licorice plant is used by many people for it’s ability to help with respiratory mucus and phlegm. Same as echinacea, I wouldn’t take this long term. 
Lomatium root. This has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-septic properties! 
I know I always say this but, i’m not a doctor and if you are concerned if these ingredients are right for you, definitely check with your doctor or health care practitioner. 

2. Ginger, Honey & Lemon Shots. I like to take these every once in a while, but I especially take these when I feel any type of cold coming on. Lemons are a great way to support the immune system and help gently cleanse your liver. Ginger is a great way to get your digestive fire going as well as help break down and prevent toxins from accumulating in the organs. Ginger is also known to help support the lymphatic system too. These shots are super easy to make and take little to no time. With a juicer, simply juice a small piece of ginger and 1 lemon. Mix the juice together with a few drops of local honey. Mix up and drink half of it or the full amount. You can also add a splash of coconut h2o if you want as well if you find it too strong. If you don’t have a juicer, you can grate the ginger and squeeze out the liquid into a small cup, then add juice of 1 lemon and some honey. I’ve done this before I had a juicer, and I just added the grated pieces of ginger and ate those but it’s totally up to what you’re comfortable with.

3. Regulate your sleep cycle & get enough sleep. This is something I am actively trying to get better at. I have a really hard time falling asleep before 11:30 and find it hard to wake up in the morning. My goal over the next month is really trying to regulate my sleep and hopefully go to bed around 10 – 10:30 pm. It happens rarely, but when it does I feel AMAZING in the morning and have a lot of natural energy. Getting enough sleep is one thing, but getting good quality sleep is another. You could sleep for hours and hours but if you wake up every hour, it effects your “deep sleep” cycle. Lack of sleep effects everything. It effects your energy levels, appetite, cravings, blood sugar levels (due to cravings, needing energy – which a lot of people turn to sugar and other stimulants which turns it into a vicious cycle), hormones, brain function, sex drive, heart health, immune system and mood, to name a few. But like I said earlier, you can sleep for hours and hours and still not get quality sleep if you are waking up lots. Here are some things you can do to help your sleep cycles (and things I am currently doing too!): 1. Relax for an hour or two leading up to when you want to sleep. You can do things like meditation, yoga, baths with Epsom salts and lavender essential oil, listening to relaxing music and light reading with a dim light. You can also look into some supplements if you think it’s needed. Try and look for blends that have: magnesium, Valerian root, theanine, holy basil, chamomile, ect as these can help promote relaxation and sleep with some people. Lorna Vanderhaeghe has a good supplement called SLEEPsmart that has a few of these ingredients. I currently take it and find it helps me have deeper sleeps and i’m not waking up as much throughout the night. My last tip on this is DON’T STRESS AS MUCH! Stress has a funny way of keeping us up all night thinking. Whether it’s about our jobs, love life, financial problems or things of the past, stress can make you lose sleep. Try not to think about things that worry you at night. 

4. Humidifier. I bought myself one from Bed, Bath & Beyond about a year ago because I was catching colds left, right and center. It has helped me tremendously with my immune system but also with my sleep. The low humming sound of it also draws out the sounds from the streets by my place. I’m a light sleeper and wake up to any little noise (just ask my bf ha-ha). Winter air is also dry air and humidifiers help put moisture back into your air. It can also prevent cold and flu germs from spreading in your house. If nose bleeds are common for you, humidifiers can help with that due to adding moisture into the air. TIP: If you are buying from Bed, Bath & Beyond, sign up for their monthly email to receive 20% off coupon for the store. I signed up and used that coupon to buy mine and saved money. They send you one each month, it’s the best. To be honest, if I buy anything from that store, I wait until I receive my coupon so I can always save money. 

5. Nourishing your body through diet. This is important all year-round but especially important during the cold months when catching a cold is much more common. Staying away from processed sugars (as they can feed illness/colds), avoiding processed junk food and bad saturated fats and easing up on the partying can all help the immune system. I know it can be especially tricky around holiday season to not indulge in foods you normally don’t eat and drinking more than you usually do but it’s important not to go over-board. I’m all for indulging once in a while but doing it every weekend, all weekend can really effect your health and immune system and make you a target for catching colds. Nourish your body with warm, nutrient-dense home-made dishes like chili’s, soups, curries, casseroles, and veggie-filled stir-fry’s. These meals are easy, simple dishes that you can add a TON of veggies to and you can also add in plenty of ginger, garlic and turmeric which are great for your immune system. One of my favorite things to do when I am feeling like I’m catching a cold is to bake garlic bulbs in a bit of tin foil and oil for about 45 minutes until soft and sweet. I then squeeze out about 4 or 5 cloves and spread it on crackers or veggies and eat it. Your breathe won’t be amazing but your body will thank you for it. Try eating warming breakfasts too like oatmeal, organic local eggs, veggie-filled quiches and breakfast “bakes”. Try baking pears and peaches and adding them to a fiber-filled oatmeal dish. There are so many healthy, filling, warming dishes you can make to ensure your body is getting the proper nutrients. 

These are my main tips for helping your immune system and avoiding those pesky common colds.  

Some other tips worth mentioning: oil of oregano if you do catch that cold, warm teas that contain lemon, echinacea and licorice, salt lamps, oil diffusers, mushroom tea elixirs (mushroom powder that combines many different mushrooms instead of just one),  and matcha tea. I will be doing a matcha post soon so you know how to make it and why it’s so amazing for you. Matcha deserves a full-length post (ha-ha i’m obsessed, clearly). 

DISCLAIMER: Make sure to check with your health practitioner to confirm if taking turmeric/ curcumin is right for you or if it interacts with any of your supplements and/or medications. This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Marcy xo