Survival: Cold & Flu Season..

    Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a total natural health/supplement junkie! 
This in part stems from years of working for a herbal product company, but most of it is my general curiosity toward remedies & health!
 I've grown from my days of chicken nuggets & orange soda into a young woman who tries to find the health benefits in food & herbal products wherever possible. 
I suppose you could say I'm rather creative in the search to treat and prevent ailments..
{& no I don't smell of patchouli..}

In any event, as my poor father sniffles and sneezes away, my grandmother fights off a dry cough, and my poor mother battles an upset stomach, I've somehow *knock on wood* avoided illness! Now part of this could be due to the fact that I'm rarely home for much else other than sleep as it's all my schedule allows, however, I wanted to share a few things in my cold & flu season arsenal that tend to work for me.
{Keep in mind I'm not a doctor, nor a medical professional & I'm a big advocate of doing your own research as well as consulting someone with much knowledge of health before making any major changes to your diet/routine.} 

1. Sleep - Although I'm horrible at this one, sleep really is so important to staying healthy & keeping your immune system strong during cold & flu season.
2. Yoga / Exercise - Regular exercise, even if it's just going for a walk every once and a while & getting your heart rate elevated, helps raise your immune system. Yoga & stretching as well as certain breathing techniques help reduce stress {which produces a nasty little thing called cortisol that wreaks havoc on your immune system and your waistline}.. so, if you're taking notes - Exercise = a win/win situation. Get up off of that thing..
3. Massage - No seriously, go get a massage.. it can help reduce your cortisol and help you relax!
4. Oil of Oregano - Perhaps you haven't heard of it, but this supplement has helped me through many a cold! Make sure you do your research or ask your local health food store for their recommendation/instructions before taking it.The stuff is powerful {try to find a brand with a higher concentration of carvacrol}. I swear by it. It claims to be anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral.. yep.. anti-viral!
   Amazing, right? I said sign me up as soon as I heard & have been using it religiously during cold season ever since last year.
5. Colloidal Silver - It may be slightly controversial, but colloidal silver has been said to have anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties as well! I'd suggest researching this one too, but I swear by it! I know that American Biotec Labs produces a liquid colloidal silver supplement that won't turn you blue even if you drink a bottle a day - worth looking into!  
6. Fiber - You may think I'm joking, but keeping your system running properly & removing waste & toxins from your body is über important! Make sure you're taking a supplement that provides both soluble & insoluble forms of fiber! Staying regular is a must if you're going to let your body stay healthy! 
7. Probiotics - Give your system the good bacteria it needs! Do it! 
8. Tea - I swear  by tea! Tea tea tea - the more the better. I actually have over fifty different types of loose leaf tea.. {Personally I think I should be sponsored by a tea company, but they just haven't caught on yet to my enthusiasm}. I've turned so many of my friends, family, and probably even complete strangers - due to my rambling - onto loose leaf. The benefits vary by the type, but there's definitely something to be said for savoring the scent of a freshly brewed cup.. really any type will do for me! I usually try to stick with a herbal tea in the evenings {see No. 1} but I encourage anyone to find your local tea store & treat yourself! 
9. More fruits & veggies, less processed food - I know this one is a no-brainer for most of us, but it has to be said. I eat a strict pescetarian diet which I feel allows me to have more opportunities to include veggies & fruits. If you feed your body properly, you'll have a much better chance at fighting off those nasty bugs! Try to keep up your recommended amounts of Vitamin D & include berries - they're delicious & full of antioxidants that can help with free-radical elimination! 

If all else fails and you end up with that nasty flu/cold, try to keep in good spirits. Laughter is definitely like medicine & endorphin release can only help your situation! Find a nice warm blanket, grab a bunch of pillows, a box of tissues, and put on a movie. If you're like me, the classics are where it's at. When I do get sick {maybe once a year} I like to put on a classic film, brew a cup of tea, relax & wait things out. I can't tell you how many times Ginger, Aubrey, Cary, and Marilyn have gotten me through a cold! 

{Thermal shirt Victoria's Secret; Cropped leggings Lululemon; Sequin boots Ugg Australia; Ebony faux-fur throw Target; London Calling candle Bath & Bodyworks; Winterspice Blend tea Harrod's}

Hoping all you lovelies stay healthy & fabulous through the season! 

xx