How I stay well over the winter..

Walking in to my local post office this morning I was greeted by the familiar smell of eucalyptus, wisely being vaporised to clear the air and also offer some protection against the circulation of viruses to both the shop staff and customers.

I too tend to have my vaporiser on high rotation over the cooler months and would like to share some of my other tips that make the biggest difference to me and my resistance over the winter.

I am a big fan of an essential oil blend called 'On Guard' which offers protection against bacteria and supports the immune system whilst also clearing the air. I spray this regularly throughout the day when working with clients and also vaporise it through the house at the first sign on any infection in any of us.

I also use the On Guard blend diluted and rubbed on my feet in the evenings if I'm aware of having been around anyone who is fighting a cold or if one of the kids are sniffly.

I'm not an advocate of using essential oils internally, however when used in a vaporiser or diluted and applied topically or through a stream inhalation they can offer wonderful immune support.

I prefer a preventative approach to health so over the winter I do take extra vitamins and supplements for immune support.

My standard ones are a high allicin content garlic, zinc and vitamin c and if my throat starts to get scratchy (always the first sign of being run down for me) I start taking elderflower which has strong anti-viral properties and and can prevent a virus taking hold if used soon enough.

I have a herb blend of deep acting immune support herbs including astragalus, licorice and ginseng and withania which work to tonify and strengthen the immune system and can be used to prevent and then following an infection to rebuild the immune system rather than during the acute or active phase of infection.

If I can tell that I'm getting run down and starting to feel something brewing I make myself up a herb blend which works on more of an acute level with  herbs such as echinacea and olive leaf and which are ideal in the acute phase of a virus.

Aside from having immune support on hand and acting quickly at the first sign of infection two other things which make a big difference to me are- getting enough sleep and keeping on top of stress.

Nothing makes you more prone to getting run down and sick than lack of sleep and stress!

When you're chronically stressed your immune system will be compromised and your immunity will remain lower than usual for 24-48 hours following an acute stress.

Early nights are probably my greatest defense against winter bugs and getting enough sleep also helps me in relation to stress management as I know that I'm more likely to feel stressed or overwhelmed if I haven't had enough sleep!

Are you getting enough sleep? Are you waking refreshed?

Could you try to go to bed a little earlier now that the days are shorter to give yourself extra time to replenish?

What can you do regularly to help with stress management?

Supporting your immune system through diet

Avoiding sugar
We all know that sugar doesn't serve us and once again, sugar has a negative impact on your immune system. After ingesting sugar it takes your white blood cells (which are necessary to protect your from potential infections) some hours to return to full numbers and function so once again best to avoid sugar as much as possible unless it's from fruit or vegetables.

Seasonal eating
Nature is always looking after us (even if it doesn't always feel that way!) and eating seasonally allows us to get the nutrients most needed by our bodies at that time. The foods which are in season over the cooler months tend to be naturally high in vitamin c, betacarotene, zinc and quercetin which support our immune systems.

Warming foods and spices
When it's cold we need more warming foods, so whilst it's fine to still include some raw foods in your diet such as salad greens and fresh fruit, we can actually benefit from more grounding, warming slow cooked meals. It's a great time to get out your slow cooker if you have one, experiment with soups and add plenty of warming spices to your food to aid digestion which can be a little slower in the cold weather.
As long as you can tolerate them, garlic, onions and leeks are great additions to cooking with potent immune activity.

Hydration
Many people find it hard to drink enough water when it's cold so herbal teas can be a wonderful option to support hydration warm you up and possibly support your immune system too! I have now created and added an immune support tea blend to my Blossom Infusions tea range which is perfect for drinking in the winter months or any time you need a boost.

Other great herbal teas which offer immune support are white tea (not tea with milk added but white tea refers to the tea leaves before they have been fermented to become black tea leaves), green tea, rosehip, hibiscus, ginger and lemongrass.

I hope that you're staying warm and well!