Fight off Illness Like a Champ (Part 1)

Flu, cold, ear infections seem to run rampant this time of year and there are a few basics we all know of that you can do to keep yourself healthier, such as:

• Wash your hands! This is pretty simple and if you can't wash then use hand sanitizer.
• Stay away from the sick people!  This seems pretty obvious, but in case you didn't know, here's your warning.
• Keep your hands away from your face.  Your hands touch so many things that have germs that better you are at keeping them off your face, the less likely the germs will infest!  A lot of illness spreads through contact of the eyes, nose or mouth.
• Keep the home clean and sanitized.
• Drink lots of water.  Water is important for so many things, but keeping your body flushing out the icky nasty germs/toxins is one of them.  Bottoms up!  Literally "flush" them out haha!
• Get your sleep, your body can't fight like a champ if you are running on nothing.
• EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES! Getting nutritious food is such an easy way to keep your body fighting like a champ and to ward off illness when it comes around.

So most of these are pretty obvious, you will get this rundown at about any doctors office.  You can also should you believe in the flu vaccination go a head and get that checked off the list as well.  This girl doesn't do the flu vaccine (I am not against all of the vaccines, just not 100% sold on the benefits of the flu one, but that is for a different discussion, and a very personal choice in my opinion)

Here are a few maybe kind of crazy or not right on the doctors wall of things I do that help to keep me and my kids healthier.  Let me preface this with the fact that we still sometimes get sick, but usually it passes more quickly when we are doing more of the things we should.

In addition to all the basics, at our house we do some, all or parts of the following:

• My kids, and if I am being totally honest here, myself  included, we are not best at getting a wide variety of fruits and veggies, we are working on  it, but sometimes they just don't taste good.(I'm working on that)  So to help with that we all take a multi-vitamin, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C during the nasty cold/flu season to help boost the immune system.
• I use essential oils!  I use DoTERRA, but to each their own.  A few that are great for building up the immune system:
• DoTERRA's OnGuard
• Oregano
• Melaleuca
• Rosemary
• Clove
• Frankincense
• I use the oils on the skin usually the bottoms of the feet with a carrier oil such as olive oil, coconut oil, or sweet almond oil. I also diffuse them in my house, clean with them, and sometimes put them in my water or tea. To purchase the oils through me go here.  Or check your local health food store.
• Garlic... Not sure if it is the properties of the garlic or the fact that people stay away because you smell thus spreading less germs, but this is another thing we do at our house to help fight and keep away the illness, works for keeping the vampires away too. (okay so that might not have been very funny)
• We all get our feet zoned, I am a foot zoner so this is a bit easier for me but find a foot zoner in your area and go get a good zone.  This helps to build up the immune system and rid the body of toxins. If you can't find a good foot zoner, try massage or other body work.
• Did I mention drink your water!  This is so important so do it and maybe even add a slice of lemon or orange or grapefruit to increase the vit C too.  Always helps me to get more water if I have a fun water bottle... My husband hates my collection of water bottles... I am certain he throws a few out every chance he gets! So I buy more.  Love this one that has a filter!
• Exercise.  This is another one that helps out in sooo many ways, but when our bodies are strong they are able to fight illness.  Just one more reason to keep that New Years resolution of going to they gym (just be sure to sanitize and wash)  or even better stay home and do it with Jillian!
• Sleep, did I mention sleep...  Your body needs everything it can to fight things off, so give it a break and get your sleep!
• Hot baths or sauna.  SWEAT it out people.  If you sweat on a regular basis it helps flush more out of your system so your body can beat the illnesses more quickly.
• Eat right... did I mention that yet.  Cause it really is important.  Hippocrates said "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."  I wholeheartedly believe in this.  Your body responds to clean eating.  If you eat well it is such a good start for keeping you healthy in so many different ways. 

I want to end this by saying I always want to provide useful information, but I never want you to feel like what your doing isn't great or good enough.  Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed with trying to keep up and do everything.  So here are my tips, do what you can, and take little chunks at a time and add them in as you can or as they work for you and your family. Or if they don't make sense for you or don't work for you great, don't stress yourself with things that don't work for you.  Also I am not a doctor, and so this is all information for your own use, but if you have a serious illness please go see your doc!  

Stay tuned for my second part on what you do when/if (knock on wood) you do catch a bug to get feeling back to your A game as quickly as possible!