How to stay healthy, no matter what’s going around

One of the very most important things to me in life is keeping my family’s immune systems at their very best. No matter what virus is going around. I believe in strengthening our systems so that we can more effectively fight off whatever we might encounter. This guides my daily habits and parenting.

These are my recommendations for keeping your family healthy in this season and all seasons:

  • Eat lots of colorful fruits and vegetables.
  • Load up on foods and spices with antiviral properties. These include coconut oil, raw garlic, oregano, ginger, kimchi and other fermented foods, walnut, pomegranate, green tea, and apple cider vinegar.
  • Stay well-hydrated. Stick to water, coconut water, herbal teas, and bone broth. No soda or sugary drinks, please! Drink your bone broth! Bone broth has amazing immune-supporting properties.
  • Avoid simple sugars and processed/junk food.
  • Get fresh air and moderate daily exercise. Moderate exercise can boost the production of macrophages, the kind of white blood cells that “eat” bacteria and viruses.
  • Get adequate sleep. An increase in sleep actually increases the number of your white blood cells. On the other hand, loss of sleep even for a few hours at night, increases inflammation in our body which makes us more susceptible to catching the flu and having more severe symptoms. So make sure your whole family is getting enough zzzz’s.
  • Minimize stress. Emotional stress creates physiological stress in our bodies that lowers our immune defenses and makes us more vulnerable to illness. Stress has been shown to lower our white blood cells’ abilities to kill germs, and actually creates more inflammation that may make us feel even sicker.
  • Get adjusted. Chiropractic care helps to reduce stress on your nervous system among many other benefits.
  • Take your vitamins. Ask me or Dr. Nathan for specifics at your appointment because each person’s needs are different. Most adults can benefit from taking the following daily for an immune system boost: 5000 IU’s of Vitamin D3, 1000 mg Vitamin C, fish oil, and probiotics.
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