5 Tips to Prevent Getting Sick

If you’re a big fan of my blog writing…this one may seem a little familiar. Last year, I wrote a similar post for Whole and Holistic, but this time around, I’ve added two more juicy tips!

First of all, I want to say that it’s normal to get sick. In fact, they say it’s normal for the average adult to get sick 1-2 times per year. But when this translates into sick days from work, sick family, more sick days needed, etc. why not avoid it from happening in the first place?

5 Tips to Prevent Getting Sick:

1. Don’t spread yourself too thin - Our society highly values being a busy, multi-tasking hard-working grinder. Rest and self care is typically seen as soft and for the weak. Do you agree? Our immune system certainly doesn’t…

Tip #1: Make time for down-time, even if it’s just 10min. Do something that truly recharges you, whether that’s taking a bath, reading a book, meditating, taking a nap, etc.

2. Reign in that sweet tooth! Sugar directly suppresses our immune system. Research has shown that after eating simple sugar, the ability of our immune cells to engulf bacteria (a.k.a stop them from infecting us) is significantly decreased making us more vulnerable to attack.

Tip #2: Replace fruit juices with water or homemade smoothies.

3. Choose immune boosting foods - You can’t go wrong with eating lots of vegetables, but honorary mention to: mushrooms, onions, garlic, and raw/unprocessed honey (definitely not you, Billy Bee) for their superior immune boosting properties.

Tip #3: Cook your mushrooms on med-low heat, as high heat destroys the immune-boosting polysaccharides.

4. Spice it up! Herbs/spices not only enhance the flavour to our meals, but they also support the immune system.

Tip #4: Try adding 1/2 tsp ground ginger or cinnamon to your smoothie, oatmeal, coffee, applesauce - whatever you’d like!

5. Be quick to act - You know that ‘off’ feeling right before you get sick? This is when you have a small window of opportunity to give your body a fighting chance before the bug gets the upper hand.

Tip #5: It’s the old classic advice: drink lots of water and rest. If you have your favourite go-to supplements, this is a great time to use them.

Add poor sleep, stress, or sick co-workers/family members to the mix and look out! Extra immune support may be warranted beyond these five simple tips. Naturopathic medicine can offer additional immune support through sleep support, stress reduction, and herbal or nutritional support.

If you're getting sick more than 1-2 times per year or you're looking for an individualized approach to your immune health, click here to book an appointment with me to discuss further.

Resources:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/26/11/1180.abstract

http://www.christopherhobbs.com/library/featured-articles/mushroom-articles/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609166/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6669596