As the outside temperatures drop and the days get shorter, it is easy to lose the self-care habits that help to keep us well. There are many factors that contribute to getting the dreaded “cold” during these colder months including: less movement, more inside time with potentially sick people, centralized air spreading germs, more holidays with more sweets and high stress-low sleep consequences. No one wants to be sick in bed and many of us want alternatives to over-the-counter analgesics, fever-reducers and decongestants. Good news is that there are alternatives to these medicines and even better, there are wellness strategies for preventing something as small as the sniffles or as big as the flu. Below are some of my favorite “DO” and “DON’T” wellness strategies for the cold months.
DO #1: Resist the Sweet Tooth
Sugar is not our ally in wellness, and we all share the challenge of avoiding our sweet tooth…especially during the holidays! However, avoiding sugar, soda, candy and white flour in baked goods helps to decrease inflammation and is an excellent wellness strategy for the cold months. Other innately inflammatory foods include those that are highly processed, contain chemical additives, trans-fats, oxidized fats (such as vegetable oil) and added sugars. Alternatively, increasing fiber, drinking sufficient water and eating a variety of local and organic vegetables and fruits will encourage optimal immune function and proper elimination (supporting detoxification). Get in the kitchen and find a favorite bone broth or root stew recipe! If you need to satisfy a sweet tooth, try baking pumpkin or yams with coconut oil and cinnamon.
DO #2: Sleep AND Rest
Getting optimal sleep is one of the best things you can do to keep a strong and active immune system (on top of all its many other benefits), this includes getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night and waking well rested in the morning. Make sleep a priority and the bedroom a sacred sleep space, free of electronics and excess activity. Rest is different than the sleep we get at night, rest is those times in the week when you let go of some of the daily stressors and take a moment to re-center and get present. Rest may look like a little time stretching, gentle yoga, meditation, a moment of gratitude at the dinner table before eating, laughter with friends, reading a book or taking a nap.
DO #3: Embrace hydrotherapy
Water can play a critical role in wellness strategies for the cold months, including something as simple as washing your hands regularly, especially after being at work, the gym and before eating. Incorporating regular sweating into your winter schedule, including vigorous exercise, saunas, steam rooms or hot baths, maintains effective emunctuory organ function (aka detox pathways), breaks down fat in our bodies and can restore energy and metabolism. A 20-minute hot bath with sweating has many positive health benefits for your cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems. Throw in some dried thyme in a strainer for some herbal support, and if you don’t have time for a full bath, a 20 minute hot foot soak is also beneficial. Finally, when illness starts sneaking in, doing the Wet Socks strategy at night can often help to curb a full-blown “cold”.
DO #4: Stock up on the Essential Nutrients
Talk to your Naturopath about which nutrients you may be deficient in or those that can best be optimized to support you through cold and flu season. Some of the top nutrients with lots of research behind their effectiveness, include Vitamin D, Vitamin A, zinc (and Quercetin to support the transport of zinc to the intracellular areas), Vitamin C, fish oil and immune-modulating botanicals (such as Astragulus, Andrographis and Reishi for NK cell support; Hydrastis, Scuttelaria and Glycyrrhiza for T1 cell support, Echinacea, Sambucus and so many more).
DON’T #1: Don’t suppress a fever
No one enjoys the chills and aches that often accompany a fever, but these are all strategies of a strong immune system working to rid your body of toxins and harmful microorganisms. Instead support your immune system’s strategy by getting into bed and drinking lots of fluids and broths while fasting from other foods. If you need to reduce a fever, before using Acetaminophen/Tylenol, Advil or Aspirin, try a cool bath or wet sheet wrap. Do contact your medical provider if your temperature is rapidly rising or over 102 (any fever in a child 3 months of age or younger needs to be addressed immediately) and if there are further symptoms such as ear pain, neck stiffness or shortness of breath.
DON’T #2: Don’t Hide away all Winter
When its cold and dark outside, the motivation to move can be difficult to muster. Finding ways to move, small and large, are important for overall wellness. Movement increases endorphins and helps to raise your threshold for feeling stress, which supports optimal immune function. Additionally, moving when we have some sun outside improves Vitamin D levels and overall mood. Invite a friend outside with you, as it is easy to isolate and feel depressed during these darker months, and getting a little interaction with loved ones has myriad benefits. However, if you are feeling unwell, have a cough, congestion or fever; please keep your community safe, stay home, wash your hands regularly and wear a mask if you must be around others.
There are many more lifestyle factors, supplements, homeopathic remedies and botanical medicines that can be employed to help you not only survive these cold months but also vitalize your wellness all year round. If you are someone who always seems to get sick over winter or you are just looking to improve your health, schedule a visit with Dr McBride, your expert in natural medicine, to come up with a wellness strategy catered to your constitution, lifestyle and needs.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as personal medical advice.