Fighting Germs Naturally -- Let's Stay Well Together!
Lately everywhere I go there are sick people and talk of sickness. I suppose we can't avoid germs but we can fight them and support our immune health. Supporting overall health and reducing stressors is very helpful. Here a a few practical suggestions for doing just that.
1. Eat real food. Fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, tofu, wholesome grains, real butter, olive oil, nuts, etc. nourish our bodies and provide the fuel we need. The less refined the better. Food is our fuel and building blocks so make it count.
2. Get enough sleep: Sleep needs vary based on age and life events. Children and teens often need WAY more sleep than they are getting. 10 to 12 hours a night many benefit them greatly, while most adults may need 7 to 8 hours or more of sleep per day.
If you find you don't have time for sleep you might ask yourself are there activities that I can cut out to get more sleep? T.V., web surfing, working, reading, etc. can often cut into sleep time. For students it can be tough. Often they have school, homework, and activities that make getting enough sleep tough.
We often have to examine our schedules and cut out activities that are interfering with sleep or manage our time more efficiency. The bottom line is that sleep support good health, brain function, and success in school and work. So if we can find a way to get enough sleep we feel and perform better.
To learn more about sleep needs visit: How Much Sleep Do We Need?
3. Wash your hands: The CDC suggests that hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and prevent spreading germs to others (https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html). It's easy and makes sense.
4. Boost your immune system: Several of the above activities support immune health. Eating and sleeping well support the body's efforts at fighting germs and washing hands fights germs. Many essential oils and herbs fight germs and support immune health. While I can't list them all here I can offer a few favorites.
A blend that contains spice, citrus, and airway opening oils such as orange or lemon, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower essential oil can fight germs and ease symptoms of a cold. Or a blend of tea tree, orange, and eucalyptus or ravintsara can likewise be effective.
And there are many herbs to choose from to support immune health and thwart microbes but one of my favorites is elderberry. I love to use it to make a syrup that can be used protectively when you are around sick people to intensively to fight a cold or illness.
5. Laughter is good medicine: Having a positive, cheerful outlook is good medicine. Research supports that being positive correlates to a positive outcome. And hey it's way more fun.
So as other around are getting sick -- maintain your positivity and well beliefs. Use your tools of eating well. sleeping well, herbs, and essential oils to stay well. If you have questions contact Tricia. She is glad to help and answer questions. For REAL!
Stay healthy my friends,
Tricia
