It's Spring. The sun is shining. The weather is sweet (ooh get ya groove on Bob Marley). Seasonal allergy's are flying high and people are doing their detoxes and cleanses. It's the second half of the year and (not wanting to sound like I'm wishing it away), Christmas is just around the corner. Argh!
I digress. I do that.
I wanted to give you some tips and tricks in case you're like me right now, and are feeling a little under the weather. Not any full blown cold or flu, but just a little rough 'round the edges. A niggly sore throat that wont go away, but hasn't developed into anything more. A fuzzy head hat feels like it's pre-cold/flu, but again never eventuating into anything. I'm not waiting around to see what these may turn into, so instead I need to start ramping up a few self-care bits and pieces to make sure I'm fit as a fiddle in no time.
+ Rest
This is your number one. If you get a cold it's for no other reason than your body needs rest, and this way it has backed you into a corner to do so. So it goes without saying that warning signs of something coming on, means you need rest. Or it will only get worse. Your body is under stress and so your immune defences have gone down. Rest up, relax and de-stress to get back ontop of your game. Additionally, taking a magnesium supplement 3x daily will dramatically help your system rest and function best.
+ Immune support
As I said above, if you're not feeling 100%, your immune system is not up to scratch due to some form/s of stress. This is where vitamin C comes in - I'd suggest 1000mg 3x daily as a minimum. In addition there are loads of other immune support you can add on like garlic, zinc, echinacea, astragalus, antioxidants, olive leaf, manuka honey, bee pollen, local honey, reishi mushroom... I'll take whatever I currently have in my kitchen but at the moment I'm taking vitamin C, olive leaf, a super high antioxidant drink, and manuka honey.
+ Fresh air
It's very easy to be inside all day long whether you're in the office, working elsewhere, blogging your heart out, or studying your butt off. Whatever the case, we still need plenty of fresh air so if you've windows open them! Being inside often means stagnation of air and what's worse is if you're in air conditioning where bugs can be flowing through the vents. Get outside as often as you can. The double whammy is if you're outside in the sunshine coz you're also getting vitamin D from the UV rays, and deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity and an increased susceptibility to infection. (1)
+ Ease up on the exercise
If you're usually up at 6am to go for a 5km run and at the gym every second afternoon lifting weights, this is when you need to back off. Sleep in an extra hour instead of smashing that run - your body needs it. Do a yoga class instead of lifting. Easy stretches at the end of the day. Restorative, gentle movements to keep blood and lymph flowing, but not depleting your immune system and ramping up your stress levels more. If you find this really hard to do, remind yourself it's only short term. And reassess your motivating drive for exercise. Is it healthy?
+ Don't try to be Superwoman
Even though we all want too. Some things can't get done today - like baking that carrot cake. Other things may need to be done - like grocery shopping when the fridge is bare. An early night is going to do you more good than if you're up til 2am finishing that proposal my dear. And leftovers is fine for dinner - in fact it's perfect.
And you should be feeling better in no time!
Christie xx
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