Sick Weather

So, we're headed out of the door for school and my oldest daughter appears before me in shorts. Um, it was like 43 outside this morning. I say to her, 'Don't you think you need to put on some pants?". Her response, to me, ' See, what happened was, I was looking for the pants and then my friends pulled up and sad they were outside to pick me up. So, I didn't get a chance to put them on. Bye Mom." I'm sure my response faded in her ears as she ran to her buddies car this morning. Luckily,

Isn't it funny how our teenagers have a nice paragraph length excuse to not take care of the little things regarding their health and wellness? She eventually changed, but she reminded me of how  used to try real hard to convince my Mother that I was above the weather outside. My own mind flashed back to my " I can conquer the weather days. Positive thinking will keep me from being sick.", or so I thought. There is a such this as too optimistic folks. Back then I thought I knew what I was doing at 15 and reality beat me into submission to its might. I ended up sick as I dunno what. Lol. It was a hard lesson learned. Something I did repeat later on one more time in my life, thanks to me wanting to be extra cute on a nice grown up date. Ha! I was cute for 10 hours and within the next 48, I was being admitted to the emergency room and checked into the hospital. In an effort not to re-visit this, I've been actively completing self-studies regarding healthier habits that can prevent moments like that from happening. With that being said, allow me to say thank you to all of the talented Doctors, Nurses, and /hospital volunteers who display a great strength especially this time of year.

It's just a few days away from  the Winter Solstice and all over this country, people are already clamoring to have comfort food in stock at home, extra blankets, etc for family and even the homeless here in my town. On the news this morning, they had a segment that answered the question can the kind of weather we are currently having, cause us to get sick. As I sipped my coffee, of course, I said, 'Of course it does.", reading the ticker on the bottom of  the television. Although, our teens and tweens may feel they know better, don't punk out and let them just get themselves sick. Keep yourself and your children properly prepared regarding this weather. If you don't, then that's going to be $$ out of pocket for Dr's Appointments, missed days at work, extra money for gas to take the trip, etc. I do my best to minimize trips to the Doctors office by taking prevention steps at home. below are a few suggestions to help ease you into this sick weather season we are about to have. Stay warm out there!

TIPS FOR A FLU-LESS SEASON
1. Vitamin C
There are some folks out there who seem to think that this is a myth. It works for me and my kids, I will continue to promote Vitamin C to boost the immune system. Take a sip of orange juice in the morning. It can save you 6 weeks of cold/flu/sickness hell. If you don't have oranges, try lemons. Fresh lemon juice squeezed into water or tea can boost your immune system as well. Mangoes are full of vitamin c as well so, grab one and treat yourself, doesn't your immune system deserve some extra TLC before its impacted by a rhinovirus or worse? Those of you with allergies to citrus, you can eat nuts and other fruits and still get immunity boosting benefits. If you are allergic to nuts then, stick to your squashes, cabbages, broths, etc. There are a a lot of resources on the internet that could inspire your own immune system booster.

2. Excercise
Are you yawning already? Lol, sure, what grown up who barely has time for themselves wants to incorporate this into an already busy routine? Well, any adult that's looking forward to positive long term healthy experience in life. See, without using too any scientific terms, you will be heating your body up. When yo feel this heat, rising in the body, your blood is flowing to areas of need, your oxygen levels rise and your entire body, including your immune system, thanks you for it. Now, I'm just talking about maybe 30 minutes or so on the treadmill. If you don't have one, then do some jumping jacks or just any activity that is both legal and can get your heart rate up safely. Just remember to ease back into your resting heart rate.

3. ACV
I used to wonder as a little girl how apple cider vinegar was made. Thank goodness for this special drink here. It's not hard and I encourage you all to look it up as well. Look, my husband just stares blankly when I offer him a tablespoon of AVC. My daughters and son do the same thing. Sometimes, I offer it, even though they make a face. However, my Mother and I drink a little everyday to keep our insides happy. Now, I don't know all of the fancy words that can explain to you what benefits come from sipping on ACV daily. However, I can tell you that when I have had any inkling of a sore throat, I take a tablespoon of ACV, mix it into a 8-16 oz container with water. Within a an hour or two, my throat feels normal. Again, this is my experience with AV. I hope yours is a great one too. If AVC is just too acidic for you, then try some all natural herbal bitters. Do your research though because although a label may say "All Natural" or "Organic" that doesn't mean it is authentic. The herbal bitters that I recommend using are called, Herb organic Black Seed Bitters sold by Gye Nyame Holistics, check out their website to sip your way to healing: www.gyenyameholistics.com

4. Brief Soaks
There are 4 types of people in the world, 1)Folks who enjoy soaking in the tub 2)Folks who enjoy shower time 3)Folks who are bi-polar with bathing routines and enjoy both the shower and the bath (THAT'S ME) and 4) Folks who bathe or shower rarely

A good long Epsom salt soak can do wonders for the body. Bringing the toxins out the pores and releasing them down  the drain. Maybe soaking for about 5-10, maybe 20 minutes could work wonders for you. Oowee, don't add a cold/flu soak bath bomb because you will thoroughly enjoy a spa-like, experience right at home. At the same time, you are easing aches, pains, relieving pressure, detoxifying and keeping your body happy no matter the weather. If you are soaking any longer than that, I wouldn't recommend going back out into the cold air. Before anyone mentions it, yes, I too, have heard that cold air is good for some athletic reasons. More power to you, if you can enjoy a long soak and then head right back out into the cold without getting sick. For those of us who dream of an immune system like that, take care after you soak. Shower lovers, too, have so many more options now as far as adding aroma therapeutic scents to enhance their shower experience. From homemade shower bombs to those lovely lush bombs, you can customize a recipe for your family. One that will particularly help you throughout the season. Just go to Pintrest or Google and checkout all of the lovely people who shared their delightful recipes and ideas. Be creative and healthy at the same time.

Soaking your feet before going to bed, in a tub of Epsom salt, can be very relaxing, therapeutic and a great healthy habit. I Just think about it, your feet, carry YOU all day and/or night. Shouldn't you do something nice for them?Add a little scented oil or foot soak for an extra treat. Those who can't soak their feet for medical reasons, you should ask your Doctor, for recommendations on keeping your feet happy and healthy.

5. Massage
Speaking of Acupressure massage, these and even regular a basic massage is so important for overall health. Massages relax us because the toxins that are tensing up in our muscles, are released by the pressure that has been used during the massage. I can't wait til my next massage appointment.
Try to go to a place that specializes in massage. Avoid those pop up massage parlors that focus more on products they sell rather than promoting overall health and wellness according to your particular state of health.

Stay Warm