Between COVID-19, cold & flu season, and many students back to school, I think a lot of us are looking for ways to keep our immune systems strong and healthy. In our household, both myself and my partner work for ourselves, and while there’s many perks to running your own show and being your own boss, it also means that paid sick days don’t really exist. So for us, keeping ourselves healthy is something we like to stay on top of, and today I’ll be sharing some of that with you- See below!
1. Homemade Ginger Tea
One of our household go-to’s at the first sign of a potential cold is homemade ginger tea. While there’s definitely convenience to buying ready-to-use tea packets from your local store, there is nothing quite as tasty (and potent!) as the real thing. Ginger root is a great, inexpensive item to have in your home during the colder months. It keeps well, and can be added as an ingredient in other dishes too.
Here’s how we make homemade ginger tea:
1. Wash and peel your ginger root.
2. Boil 4 cups of water.
3. Add 1/3 cup cubed ginger to boiled water, then lower heat to simmer for approximately 20minutes. Keep in mind the longer you simmer the ginger, the more potent it becomes!
4, Strain tea into a mug and enjoy!
Makes approx 4 cups.
Adding some raw organic honey is also a delicious way to sweeten your tea and add additional anti-inflammatory, antioxidant benefits!
2. Quality Sleep
While the majority of us know that a good night’s sleep is important, not everyone (for a variety of reasons) has a good night sleep on a regular basis. So how can one get the most out of their snooze time? Sleeping in a cooler room is most ideal as your body’s natural temperature slowly lowers throughout the night until about 5am, when it gently begins to climb again as the morning begins. The ideal temperature is around 18°C for an ideal sleep. If your room is too warm it can provoke restlessness. In fact, some research indicates that insomnia is linked to improper regulation of body temperature during sleep.
Secondly, eliminate any/all lights in your room. Night lights, street lights (blackout curtains are amazing if I do say so myself) and lights from any electronics such as an alarm clock should be blacked out if possible. Light can impact our sleep cycle just as much (if not more) then temperature!
3. Immune Tonics
Another go-to when my immune system needs a little boost are herbal immune tonics. I really love St. Francis products. Not only are they a Canadian company, but they’re a multi-generational family of herbalists who produce their own products on their own organic farm- How cool is that!?! I pretty much love every product I’ve tried from them but for fighting a cold or boosting my system these are the ones I reach for.
Some of favorites..
1. Respiracleanse
2. Deep Immune
3. Oregano Oil
4. Echinaseal
4. Vitamin & Mineral Dificiencies
This is commonly overlooked when it comes to general health. It’s safe to say that our food, our soil, our water, lack of exercise, our screen time, and many other factors have played a role in our current global health crisis, however so much can improve with our bodies (and our overall health) when we’re taking in, and absorbing more nutrients. This is more then just purchasing an over-the-counter multi vitamin from your local health food store. I’m talking about your personal deficiencies and supporting them appropriately.
A great way to learn about possible deficiencies that pertain to you, is getting a live blood analysis done. This is a relatively inexpensive test, where a sample of your blood is taken and looked at under a microscope. This technique offers immediate test results and can help you identify potential conditions missed by standard blood tests. This can potentially save you a lot of money on unnecessary supplements or medication down the road! A typical session focuses on 3 different blood tests designed to look at past, current and pending conditions.
5. Keep Your Neck Warm
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) holds many ancient practices and beliefs about our health and our bodies. It is understood that keeping your neck and head warm is a tried and true way to avoid getting sick. Based on the specific acupuncture points on the back of the head, neck and shoulders, there is a clear correlation to these areas and our immune system. For example, have you ever had a stiff neck after being out in the cold and wind, only to fall ill with a cold or flu shortly after? It is believed that a stiff/sore neck is the first sign of a cold trying to enter the body, so to help your “defense qi” keep these areas protected!
When it comes to the body, everything is connected so often doing even one of these things can make a really big difference. Remember that we often need additional support when we’re stressed more then usual- even a crappy night’s sleep can be the difference between catching or avoiding a cold. Listening to your body is key and building awareness is necessary when staying on top of your health!
In wellness,
Hilary,
Hilary Boucher
Hilary lives in Toronto, Ontario with her Fiance Ty, and their toy poodle Elu. When she's not assisting her clients, Hilary loves spending time in Northern Ontario (where she grew up) with friends and family. Hilary offers a variety of manual and movement services, courses, and continued education geared towards the ever-expanding minds and life-long students.