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| One way I stay warm - crawl all the way in. |
Anyway.
Perhaps you are looking for some good immune boosters as we forge through the longest and coldest and snowiest winter in the history of the entire universe? (Can you hear my teeth clench as I speak the last bit there? I thought so.)
What to do? How to fight the germs?
Here are a few things you can get your (hopefully not grubby little) hands on.
Ready?
1. Exercise. Really. I know, you were so totally looking for me to say "eat more ______" (and don't you worry, I will), but you have got to get your booty out there and sh-sh-shake it shake it, come on, shake shake it. Yep, f'realies. Moderate exercise is a good idea for so many reasons - it moves your lymphatic system around (you don't want that lymph just sitting in its little puddle there, wallowing and slodging around inside you). It doesn't have a pump besides your fabulous muscles. So, c'mon, homeboy/girl, get it going. And what about your cardiovascular benefits? Healthy heart, healthy happy lungs, I think so. Regarding personal antedotal evidence, any time I have the very first inkling of a bit of a sniffle and I go for a run, it hacks itself right out of me and I don't get sick. Now, if you're already full blown sick, heck no, skip that (OBVS). You're just going to end up some kind of tired puppy and blasting your poor T-cells. But avoid it as much as possible by giving your body a lift with some exercise.
2. Don't eat crap. (This reminds me of a very weird question someone asked me, "Would you rather eat high fructose corn syrup or poop?" Do you know what I said? "Whose poop?" It all depends, you see!) No, really. Sugar and its buddies will feed those little germsicles in your body faster than you can say Jack Robinson. Or maybe even faster than you can say "hi". Either one is pretty fast. And so is the feeding of nasty germs if you're going to shove your mouth with sweets. You know how all those tiny micro-organisms grow, right? They LOVE sugar! Just think of bread yeast. All those little creatures think sugar is the bomb. And if you're addicted to the narcotic (yeah, I'm being totally serious), then you should at the very least break your crack addiction for a while if you're starting to come down with something (or if you already have - stat). Feed your body fabulous healthy things it can use and digest well. (If you get sick, get your hands on some Bieler Broth: a very nourishing, body boosting green soup. Look up the recipe, but it is basically steamed zucchini, green beans, celery. You keep the steaming water to add to the mix. Add parsley at the end. Stick everything into a blender and feed it to your sick ones. The original recipe does not call for salt, but I must have it with some good Celtic grey. It has all the right minerals in balance for you and is extremely bioavailable.)
3. Suck down garlic like you hate Team Edward with a passion. My friend went to a weekend retreat and everyone there was getting hit with the sickies. She ordered an entire clove of garlic, roasted, and ate it. She was THE ONLY ONE who didn't get sick. That stuff is crazy powerful. Maybe everyone just ran away from her because she was stinky. Not sure. But either way, she didn't get sick, did she now? No, garlic is a powerful force to be reckoned with. Not only is it famous for its anti-inflammatory properties, it is anti-carcinogenic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, it powerfully assists in the uptake of iron, while serving as an excellent source of Vitamin C, B6, manganese and selenium. It is a cheerleader for your heart, high in sulfur compounds making it a knockout in the cardio section. It is nearly a complete and utter wonder. And don't get the stuff in a jar. Get the real deal and crush it. Studies show the potency and efficacy of these properties are vastly different in garlic from a glass jar versus the clove you just crushed fresh. (Duh.)
4. What time is it? Are you up at an an ungodly hour right now? GO TO BED. This is me, talking directly to you. Get appropriate sleep. Yes. Like 8 hours. If you are nursing a baby, I know that is not going to happen with a wee teeny one, but the rest of you, shut off your stinkin computer/phone/tablet/TV and GO TO BED. Your body is able to to its job when you aren't burning your candle at both ends. Go to bed at a reasonable time and get the sleep you need. What a surprise it is another one of the biggies for boosting your immune system (or killing it if you go the voluntary insomnia path - oh, and speaking of insomnia. If you feel that you are having a bit of insomnia, may I recommend that you re-read point #1 again? If you are having trouble sleeping and you have run 5 miles that day, please come talk to me. I am pretty sure that you can pass out just fine when you've exerted yourself enough.)
5. Avoid anti-bacterial soap like IT IS THE PLAGUE. Wash your hands with real soap, like castile stuff. May I recommend Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile soap? The stuff is AH-mazing. Were you surprised for two seconds there that I said don't use anti-bacterial stuff? Well, hang around here for a bit, kid, and I'll kick that notion straight out of your head. You do know that the FDA is just beginning to recall and investigate stuff with triclosan in it, right? That's the anti-bac ingredient. It's pretty much worthless, no, wait, less than worthless - it also screws up your endocrine system. Read this ditty from the FDA on triclosan. Don't be so 1990. Anti-bac is the thing of the past. Dump that junk like it's hot.
6. Get yer Vitamin D. However you can get it, do it. If you can go and get some sunshine (and there aren't too many planes playing stratospheric geoengineering up there), do it. If you live in the land of the white sky of perpetual cloud wonder, get your hands on some good (NON-LAB CREATED) Vitamin D. I personally take the Garden of Life brand with a sun on it - it is made of raw, whole foods that your body can recognize when it enters your system. A deficiency of D has been linked to cancers, especially breast cancer. Help your body out.
7. Eat, drink and be merry with your ginger (and turmeric). Those guys are incredible for anti-inflammatory responses. Ready for another antedotal story? My dear friend's mother has suffered with arthritis in her hand(s). She was so unable to move, she decided she would go get one of those cortisone shots. The shot was so painful she began debating whether or not she ought to just live with the pain and give up. But she is a smart lady, and she minced up some turmeric root with some raw honey on a spoon and began taking it daily. Wouldn't you know that HER ARTHRITIS WAS GONE after a very short time? I'm not just flaunting it for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions within a body, it is a great helper when you're just starting to feel unwell. Get out your potato peeler, shave off a little bit of that brown outside of your ginger and then cut away a little yellow piece to make into itty bitty pieces. I like to put it in boiling water and smash it up with a fork to release the juices, add some raw honey and some squeezed lemon. It is a tasty concoction and great for throat issues.
May you live well, m'dears!
Peace, love and grab health by the horns (um...if health had horns),
Ms. Daisy
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