It is the most wonderful time of the year!  Twinkly lights and (almond milk) egg nog and shopping (in my pj’s ‘cuz let’s be honest online shopping is the best) and family time and Christmas trees!  Ask anyone who knows me, and they can tell you that I’m CRAZY about Christmas.  I just LOVE it.  For me, it really is the most wonderful time of the year.  Except when it’s not because YOU ARE SICK!

Now, I hesitated to write this post because I am just getting over being low-level sick for about six weeks!  Totally weird!  I am not generally sick!  And, if I do get sick, I am often over it in 24-48 hours.  So, what the heck?  And I was feeling a bit hypocritical to write a post on how to not get sick when I was hacking up a lung for forever!

However, I like being honest.  I don’t have it all together.  I still deal with an autoimmune disease, and it does flare up (like right now when I’m in a particularly busy time of work).  And I still get sick sometimes.  As much as I do all.the.things to try to avoid it, it does happen.  BUT, I do think I avoid a vast amount of viruses (or beat them off quickly) because I do have a game plan for cold/flu season that works well for me.

And no, it does not involve a flu shot!  Probably not a huge secret around here that I am not all into vaccines.  BUT, because I don’t think I want to get into all THAT right here and now, I’ll just share my little cocktail of things I do/take to avoid getting sick.  Here we go!

1.  I drink apple cider vinegar.

You can read more about my little ACV routine right here.  I really do think this stuff boosts my immune system, makes my digestion happy, and keeps my teeth white.  Some would argue that it helps with about a million things, and those could be true.  But, in my experience, I do think I get sick a lot less since I started taking it a few years ago.  I take one tablespoon in a large glass of water (often with some lemon essential oil or with a metabolism blend that I use actually for digestion).  Want a boost of energy without caffeine jitters?  Start your day here folks!  Other people I know make a “tea” using hot water, lemon juice, ACV, and honey.  It is not that bad!

2. I dry brush my skin.

Sounds silly to say that rubbing your naked body with a brush could boost your immune system, but don’t knock it til you try it, folks!  Not only has dry brushing significantly improved my dry skin, and maybe possibly even helped with a bit of cellulite, but it moves lymph in your body!  Your body doesn’t have it’s own “pump” per se to move lymph through your body.  It has to be moved manually (think massage, some yoga moves, etc.).  Dry brushing is great for this!  I hated dry brushing when I started, and now it seems totally weird to get in the shower without doing this!  (Plus, it takes next to no time at all.)

3.  I get chiropractic adjustments.

This is so helpful to your immune system!!  Find a good, non-salesy chiropractor and get adjusted regularly.  My insurance co-pays are kinda high for chiro, so I only go once a month, but I think twice a month or, even better, once a week would be amazing.  Still, my kids and I get regular adjustments.  Try getting adjusted when you do come down with a cold and see if it does not shorten it significantly!  I have personally seen this where a cold goes away that very day!

4.  I exercise regularly.

While too much exercise/overtraining can significantly suppress your immune system, regular exercise is so important to boosting it!  Particularly, I think sweating is really, really important for a natural detox.  You need to get rid of waste in your body, and your body does this naturally through sweating and elimination.  A good mix of cardio and strength training with a bit of stretching/yoga here and there works well for a vast majority of people.

5.  I bounce on a mini trampoline.

Another super weird, what-does-this-even-do type thing, but I do think it helps!  Rebounding (the fancy/maybe grownup word for bouncing on a trampoline) has been shown to boost the lymphatic system as well!  You can read more about the many benefits of rebounding here with a well-sourced article.  In addition to the immune boosting effects, I am also particularly interested in the possibly benefits to the thyroid and adrenals.

6.  I take a cocktail of other supplements and essential oils.

So, I am always taking some sort of combo of essential oils, supplements, and what not.  In the winter, I do try to always take some citrus essential oils (specifically lemon).  I also use an immune supporting blend when I feel like I’m starting to fight something.  I continue with my fish oil and I take Vitamin D which I tend to be a little low on (maybe because Michigan has NO SUN for, like, six months!).  Most of my supplementation is for my thyroid/hormones/adrenals so that I can continue on  my super-low dose of thyroid medicine, but these are what I take to help support my immune system.

7.  Do the obvious: drink water and sleep!

Okay, I will admit.  I’m willing to do all sorts of crazy things for my health, and these two, easy (and actually fun) things are the two that I struggle with the most.  I wish I didn’t have to sleep!  I have always had a hard time drinking enough water (better than before though!).  However, nobody will argue that drinking water and getting sleep are two of the best ways to keep your immune system strong.  Especially that last one!  Get some sleep!

Well, there you have it.  My top tips for staying cold and flu free this winter.  BUT, tell me all the things!  What do you do to boost your immunity?  I wanna try it!

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

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