Cold and flu season is approaching, so here are some tips on how to assist your body in keeping you healthy. These tips are simple, effective and low to no cost! You may be familiar with some suggestions, but a reminder never hurts!
- Reduce stress When you are stressed, your body produces elevated levels of adrenalin and cortisol, suppressing your immune system. Break the stress cycle by doing something that relaxes you every day, even for only 15 minutes. Some possibilities are meditation, listening to relaxing music, going for a walk and being in the present moment, and doing yoga. Click here for a 5-minute breath meditation.
- Aromatherapy There are many essential oils with antibacterial and antiviral properties that can enhance your immune system and support your respiratory system. Young children and adults can benefit as long as you properly dilute them and adhere to any precautions. A partial list of oils with antiviral/antibacterial properties: All citrus oils, Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini), Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia). Respiratory support oils: All Eucalyptus oils, ravintsara, green myrtle. You can inhale any of them 2-4 times a day directly from the bottle, or place 5 – 6 drops on a tissue or cotton ball, put it in a plastic bag and take it with you. You can also diffuse 1 or more of the above oils. If you are new to aromatherapy, start by diffusing for 30-60 minutes twice a day. Later you can diffuse up to 4 hours at a time. Another option is to apply the oils topically in a 3% dilution for adults (13 drops of essential oil in 15 ml of carrier oil) to the neck and wrists 1-2 times a day. It is better to alternate oils after 3-4 weeks to prevent sensitization and cover a variety of bacteria and viruses. I use the mildest oils on children ages 2-12 at a 1.5% dilution.
- Keep your individual energy field open and flowing. Several energy medicine scientists and practitioners, such as Rosalyn Bruyere, Shamini Jain, and Barbara Brennen, found that human energy field disturbances occur before symptoms or dis-ease appear. Receiving a healing touch session at least monthly and/or performing the self- chakra connection one or more times a week on yourself can assist in keeping your energy field opened and balanced. Healing touch decreases stress, anxiety, and promotes relaxation and can even help you sleep better at night!
- Get adequate sleep. Sleep is when your body repairs and rejuvenates itself. Research tells us that 7-9 hours is optimal for most people. If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, it could affect your immune system. If you are experiencing sleeping issues, I have many options for assisting you in getting a good night’s sleep.
- Exercise/movement because it helps your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system plays a vital role in the immune system; it produces white blood cells and removes toxins and debris from your cells. However, unlike blood, the lymphatic fluid is not pumped but squeezed through the vessels when we use our muscles. You don’t have to do an intense workout; just walking, dancing, yoga, or other activity for 15 minutes helps keep this system functioning at its best.
- Eat specific foods that help your immune system. I discovered an excellent book, Eat to Beat Disease: The new science of how your body can heal itself, by William Li, MD. This physician and researcher started by looking at how drugs helped the body heal and then started looking at foods with the same components. The technique is very easy to do. There is a list of over 200 foods. Each food is placed in 1 or more of 5 categories based on its properties. You need to eat a food from each of the 5 groups daily. Sometimes I eat 3 or 4 in 1 meal; other times, it is 1 or 2 per meal.
You can choose to do 1 or all 6 of the above suggestions; it is up to you. Please share this with others whom you feel could benefit I hope you stay healthy in mind, body and spirit! Please be aware that these tips help your immune system and are not meant to be a substitute for medical care or vaccinations.
If you would like to have a conversation about any of these or schedule a session, please contact me at laurie@mindandbodymethod.com or click here and complete the form on my website.