Well, as you might have gathered from the photo, tea is definitely part of our cold weather health strategy around here. There is so much discussion every where we go these days about the flu season and the flu shots that I mentioned to a friend the other day that we have a family flu prevention strategy that we are implementing in our house. She suggested I blog about it so... here goes.
Since it is on everyone's mind, I will mention that we do not get flu shots. For us, it was not a difficult decision. I just don't believe it is necessary and I also don't think it is a good long-term health strategy. Given what is happening now with the rush to get these vaccinations to market, I also believe it could be dangerous. But you need to do your research and make that decision for yourself. A few resources I like for info about this include:
Dr Jay Gordon
Dr. Mercola
Natural News
Whatever you decide about the vaccines, I always recommend getting clear with yourself about which choice you can live most comfortably with. Then you can move forward from there and do all you can to keep your family as healthy as possible. Our first objective is to not get sick. But if we do, we will be as healthy as we can to begin with so we will lessen the impact and the duration of the illness. So here is our family flu prevention strategy for this season:
1. Reduce sugar, especially the white stuff. Sugar just wrecks your immune system so avoiding it most of the time is always a good strategy but I think it is even more important during cold and flu season.
2. Stay hydrated and moist- this includes drinking lots of water and teas but it also includes keeping your whole system from drying out. Dry nasal passages are breeding grounds for every virus going around so to stay healthy and keep our bodies effectively working we:
- use cold mist humidifiers in our bedrooms once we turn the heat on
-use saline nasal drops (just salt water) or a neti pot just about daily
-use Mullein Garlic ear drops weekly and at the first sign of a sniffle or cough (we use an over-the-counter one called Herb Pharm Mullein Garlic Compound)
-take a spoonful of raw honey at the first sign of a cough or to soothe a cough anytime
3. Wash hands frequently. When we are out and about we like Burts Bees Hand Sanitizer.
4. At the onset of any symptoms, I like to drink hot tea with raw honey, gargle with salt water, and take an immune support supplement such as Wellness Formula or Activate. You can also try eating two cloves of raw garlic right away. Getting more rest, eating very lightly (soups, juices), and reducing stress also helps my body recover more quickly.
For more on cold weather remedies, I also like this article from Dr. Weil.
Wishing everyone a healthy fall and winter. Please share your personal health strategies here- I would love to hear what you are doing to stay healthy this season!
