Wellness Wisdom: Cold & Flu Season
While the change of seasons can delight our senses, it can wreak havoc on our bodies. There are many ways to support your body and help maintain your health this fall and winter. Below are some basic ideas for avoiding and or shortening the duration if the dreaded bugs come your way. Here are a few basic things to keep in mind but are easy to forget.
While treating symptoms can provide short term relief, boosting your immune system and giving it what it needs to do its job can help lessen the duration and severity of the illness. Taking herbs like Elderberry, Echinacea, Astragalus, Grapefruit Seed Extract and Olive Leaf are among some of the herbs that can have immune boosting effects.
Underestimated and underused are mushrooms. Mushrooms are rich in essential nutrients and minerals. Let’s all eat more mushrooms! Some of the mushrooms known to boost the immune system are: Turkey tail mushroom, Maitake and Shiitake Mushrooms. Combined with suggestions below, these can be effective tools to both stave off and fight illness should it come your way.
1. Get lots of rest. This is when our bodies heal and repair. Healthy amounts of sleep can help bolster the body to fight off illness.
2. Drink all the liquid things. (No, friends this does not mean beer, wine, soda or sugary juices). It is easier to recover if you are well hydrated with liquids that promote healing and help flush out your system. Liquids like water or herbal tea with honey and lemon, coconut water or Ginger or Mullein tea.
3. Limit your consumption of sugar, especially processed sugar as it can impede healing.
4. Drink tea with honey, especially Manuka honey with its strong antibacterial qualities. Honey has natural antiviral and antimicrobial properties and there are many varieties of tea that can be beneficial when we are feeling under the weather.
5. Aromatherapy and steam are your friends. Steam is a natural decongestant. You can make your own steam tent by boiling water and then “tenting” a towel around your face, then breathe in DEEP, repeat. (Take care not to burn yourself on the steam). Inhaling essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint can help break up mucus and reduce congestion.
6. Let food be thy medicine. Explore consuming foods such as bone broth, chicken soup, whole raw garlic, fruits high in Vitamin C and antioxidants such as broccoli, cantaloupe, papaya, kiwi and fruits high in Vitamin C and bioflavonoids such as citrus ( You can find bioflavonoids in the pulp and white core that runs through the center of citrus fruits, green peppers, lemons, limes, oranges, cherries, and grapes).
Happy health and healing through these next months. Don’t forget that Open Harvest has many, many different products to help you in your endeavors to get and stay healthy. Pictured below are just a few of the items we have available for your health and wellness. Stop in and pick some up today!
