The Dreaded “Flu” Season

Ever wonder how the flu knows what season it is? The answer is, it doesn’t. Flu “season” is just a marketing term. The reason we are more prone to getting sick at this time of year is because we come off of a sunshine filled summer where we our bodies are being flushed with vitamin D, real fresh foods from local markets and gardens, and lots of relaxation and rest, to shorter days, more packaged food, and higher levels of stress and less sleep.

We also are not cooped up indoors passing germs back and forth in close quarters. The fall and winter season also brings Thanksgiving, Halloween, and the Holidays, all of which in turn bring lots of sugar and processed food. All of these things reduce our immunity and hinder our ability to fight disease. Understanding this is key to understanding how to try to maintain this level of health all year long.

This year, make it your healthiest winter ever, by incorporating the following tips:

1. Be intentional about your water intake.

Your body weight in pounds, divided by 2 is how many ounces you should be consuming, MINIMUM. Water helps you flush out toxins and keeps your energy up. A chronically dehydrated body is more prone to hosting pesky germs. You want those mucous membranes nice and hydrated so they can do their job and keep viruses at bay!

2. Minimize your exposure to germs.

Keep up with the hand washing, don’t ever touch your hands to your eyes and face (keep them away from those mucous membranes!), and use essential oils like Onguard, Lemon, and Oregano to make all natural germ killing hand sanitizers and surface sprays. I also love to diffuse some germ killing oils constantly at this time of year, to take care of whatever is being brought into the home!

3. Keep up with the real food, and minimize the sugar.

Boosting your immune system with the nutrients and vitamins your body requires, is one of the best ways to stay healthy. Sugar weakens your immunity for HOURS after you have consumed it, not to mention, it turns into fat in your body and also feeds cancer cells. Try to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings with natural foods instead.

4. Take a Vitamin D supplement.

The darker your skin is naturally, the more you need. The days get shorter and we spend more time indoors which means we are chronically depleted of this immune boosting Vitamin in the winter time. There are lots of things you can do to boost your immune system, including taking Vitamin C, and adding essential oils like Frankincense and Arborvitae to your daily regimen, but if you could only do one thing, Vitamin D would be it!

5. Manage your stress.

Stress hormones decrease immunity and can cause a whole domino effect of health issues within your body. Once we are back from vacation and in full swing with work and school, we suddenly get less sleep and become inundated with all sorts of obligations and commitments. The holiday season also brings with it the pressure of hosting and attending various parties and events.

Learn to say no to what doesn’t serve you, and prioritize your sleep. Incorporating a mindfulness or meditation practice for even just 10 minutes a day can be helpful in bringing your stress levels into balance. Set boundaries around your schedule and your time. Essential oils are well known for their mood boosting and calming effects. Lavender, Vetiver, Copaiba and Serenity are a few of my faves!

Want more tips?

These tips are also available in video form on facebook if you prefer to watch me go into it in detail!

Whether it’s for cooking, skincare, or anything else, I trust and use Doterra Essential Oils. Click here if you would like to get started with the oily life as well!