Falling Into Winter

If you are anything like me, you dive in to September with great joy at the onsite of Fall. I love Fall- it is my favorite season! I tend to stay pretty active in the fall because I love the cooler air and, of course, the fallen leaves on the ground.

Come October/November though- I tend to tire and slow way down. My throat gets scratchy as I feel the arrival of the dreaded “cold/flu season”.  I start to feel the heavy burden of winter as the coats and boots cycle back in to my wardrobe. 

I need a boost- an immunity boost- and apparently the best way to do that is with a detox.
After researching ways to build up my immune system, I came across many articles on detox/cleansing. The best way to ward off sickness and stay healthy is to boost your immune system, and the best way to boost your immune system is to detox your organs. According to Jolene Hart, you should cleanse the large intestine (colon) and lungs in the fall to prepare for colder months ahead.

The large intestine and the lungs are linked to skin and breathing problems like asthma, eczema, rashes and dry skin- have you experienced any of these conditions in the colder months? More than likely you have- why not try a detox this year and see if your body fights them off?

How can you detox and support these organs?

®     Add warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and anise to fall meals. These support both intestinal and respiratory function.

®     Drink more water, since urine output triples when temperatures are cold!

®     Use essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint to decongest nasal passages.

®     Limit refined sugar and flour, dairy, caffeine and alcohol to keep your gut healthy.

o    You can also take Oregano oil which will aid in cleansing your gut.

®     Try drinking fenugreek tea, which softens and dissolves mucus in the lungs and large intestine.

®     Exercise outdoors and feel the cool air in your lungs!

For those that thrive on lists- here is one I found by Melissa Wood- this top 10 list should keep you in good shape all winter!

1. Drink the optimal amount of water.
2. Keep stress to a minimum. Studies have linked high stress levels to making a person more susceptible to catching colds and flu. Minimize your stress by working reasonable hours at your job. Aim for at least one night per week to spend with friends and family. If your stress is out of hand and you feel like you need some help, let me know. Frequently, I work with people who have stress or emotional challenges and utilize Bach Flower Remedies to bring their emotional health back into balance.
3. Eat a healthy diet. Maintaining a good healthy diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and minimal amounts of organic meats is another way to keep your body clean and in good working order. Try eating an extra piece of fruit or veggie every day too!
4. Do your homework to find the best supplement for your health. Even if you eat “perfectly” all the time with loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, you still need to boost your nutrition with a supplement. What supplements you will need will depend significantly on your lifestyle. If you’re not sure whether you need them at all, read this post on why we need supplements. Let me help you choose the best supplement program for your lifestyle. Some supplements I recommend taking during the winter season include:
• Young Living Thieves & Purification: These two powerful therapeutic essential oils are a must-have to protect yourself against bacteria. Thieves has been university-tested and found to be highly effective against airborne bacteria. Thieves and Purification Essential Oil are very powerful when mixed together.
5. Exercise regularly.
6. Get the right amount of sleep every night. The average person needs 6-8 hours of sleep per night.
7. Wash your hands regularly. Keep the bacteria and viruses off your hands and out of your mouth and eyes. Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer close-by for those instances where you can’t get to soap and water.
8. Don’t smoke.
9. Eliminate all forms of sugar. This includes not only the obvious kinds (cake, cookies and sweets, in general), but bread, pasta, rice, yogurt and commercial, store-bought fruit juices. Although all of these things are made with different types of sugars, your body still converts them to sugar, which will compromise your immune system.
10. Despite your best efforts, you still can feel like you’re “coming down with something.” Some things you can do to help your body recover more quickly:
• Eliminate all dairy products.
• Eliminate all alcohol.
• Eliminate all grains (bread, rice, pasta, etc.).
• Boost your Vitamin C (with bioflavanoids) intake when you initially feel something coming on.
• Boost your intake of Zinc.
• Increase water consumption (even more than normal!).
• Eat less food as this will give your body a much needed rest from digestion and give it a chance to concentrate on fighting off potential invaders.
• Add herbs like Echinacea, Goldenseal and Grapefruit Seed Extract to your supplemental regime.
• Get more rest than normal. If you normally get 6 hours of sleep a night, try increasing it to 7 or 8.
• Increase the recommended supplementation above.

Apparently singing and laughing also effectively boost your immune system- who knew that rocking out to Debbie Gibson on your commute home would actually benefit your health!

If you are looking for more information on cleansing/detox try Pinterest. I found some great recipes, tips, products, etc.  I personally am pursuing the Young Living Cleanse Trio which was recommended by Inner Transformations Using Essential Oils, a great read that I highly recommend if you are interested in detoxing your body year round.

Happy cleansing!