It’s that time of year again where virus and bacteria run a-muck and play havoc on our bodies. The best time to start is now to prepare for the cold and flu season, which is just around the corner.
There is no magic bullet in creating a healthy immune system.
- The best place to start is eliminating junk foods and beverages from the diet, processed foods such as fast foods, snack foods, chocolate, and fizzy drinks don’t provide much in the way of vitamins, fibre, or other nutrients. And they often contain high levels of sugar, and other additives and chemicals that are not good for your body. Choose nutrient-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
- Get adequate rest…without enough sleep, your immune system may not have the resources it needs to fight off illness. Most adults need about seven to nine hours of sleep each night. One simple way to strengthen your immune system is by exercising. Getting regular exercise can also reduce stress and help lower your risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. Exercise moderately a few times a week.
- There are certain supplements that are known for preventing sickness or taken during sickness to speed up recovery. Some of these are echinacea, goldenseal, elderberry, ginseng, astragalus, mullein leaves, yerba santa leaves, parthenium root, capsicum fruit, yarrow, pau d’arco bark, and colloidal or ionized silver.
- There are many immune building multiple’s that contain many of the supplements mentioned above. A daily multivitamin will help ensure that your body is getting all of the building blocks for a healthy immune system. Some nutrients that may be especially important for immune system health include selenium, vitamins A, C, D, and E, zinc, and magnesium.
- There are homeopathics that are popular this time of year such as, oscillococcinum. It is widely considered natures # 1 flu medicine.
- Collodial silver is also considered a natural antibiotic.
- Wild Mediterranean oregano oil is famous for knocking out virus, bacteria and fungus.
The trick is to make sure you have developed good daily habits prior to September and continue on through till spring, and hopefully beyond. Those with severely compromised immune systems may need more time to adequately build up and support their immune systems.
60% of our immune system is in our “gut”, therefore it is important to maintain an adequate amount of “friendly bacteria”. Most people supplement with acidophilus and bifidophilus to achieve this, for the typical American diet, antibiotics and other prescription medications destroy these good bacteria.
I personally use PB Assist from doTERRA, which is a proprietary blend of six active strains of friendly probiotic microorganisms that support healthy colonies of friendly microflora in the gut. doTERRA wrapped all the probiotic goodness up in a double capsulated manner so your capsule doesn’t digest before it’s time..which should be in your lower “gut”.
PB Assist+ includes active strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus salivarious, and Lactobacillus casei to promote healthy colonization and function of microflora higher in the intestinal tract, and Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium longum for healthy digestive and immune functions of the lower intestine.
Essential oils can also be used to enhance immunity. Especially during the winter months I use On-Guard quite extensively to build up our immune systems and keep them running at peak performance. On-Guard is a blend of Wild Orange, Cinnamon Bark, Clove Bud, Eucalyptus leaf/stem and Rosemary leaf/flower so it smells divine and is a effective natural alternative to keeping my family healthy during seasonal threats. We use On-Guard in many ways:
- We combine On-Guard with other essential oils in a capsule and take daily during times that we may not feel up to par.
- I diffuse On-Guard in the air to help cleanse and purify the air that we breathe.
- I combine On-Guard with distilled water in a spray bottle for an instant hand sanitizer for on the go.
- I also combine On-Guard with water in a spray bottle for home use as a natural disinfectant on all surfaces.
- I also gargle with a few drops of On Guard as a healthy mouth rinse or for relief for an irritated throat.
- I also add On-Guard to my dishwashing sponge to purify and eliminate odors.
It does take a substantial effort to build immunity and achieve optimum health but….you and your family are worth it!!!
In closing I would suggest to anyone that you take your time, do your research, analyze your health status or needs and then find the natural products to meet your needs.
This article may be hopping around the following Blog Hops: (mis)Adventures Mondays Blog Hop, The HomeAcre Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, From the Farm Fridays, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Simple Life Sunday Blog Hop.
Copyright Notice: This article may from time to time be contributed to third-party sites, but it is COPYRIGHTED, and it may not be used without my written permission. If you are interested in any of my articles, please contact Kat Yorba; Author and owner of Simply Living Simply directly for republishing information.
Affiliate Notice: Many of my blog posts contain affiliate links. Purchasing through an affiliate link does NOT increase the price you pay but allows me to keep blogging, sharing and bringing you great content.
Medical Disclaimer Notice: Nothing in this post is to be construed as medical advice, simply a sharing of things that have worked for me &my family. If you have any symptoms of serious illness, taking medication, pregnant or nursing, or have never worked with herbal materials or essential oils before, please consider consulting a medical professional before use. I am unable to offer advice for your particular medical situation; please ask your Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Naturopath for further guidance. The statements made here have not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This notice is in accordance and required by the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act.
Speak Your Mind