Tips To Be Healthy In Winter

Is the winter cough and cold troubling you?

With pleasant temperatures comes a slight deflation of your usual healthy
self. Breathing problems, flu, joint pains and other ailments. However, if
you have a healthy immune system, none of these would bother you. So here is
our Winter Top 10 to keep you in the pink of health!

DRINK YOUR LEMONS
Lemon is the ideal food for restoring acid-alkali balance. Drinking freshly
squeezed lemon juice in water, or adding it to tea, salad dressings (in
place of vinegar), baking or cooking, helps maintain the body's internal
"climate" at a pH which supports healthy bacteria instead of the viruses and
harmful bacteria which thrive in more acidic environments .Apple cider
vinegar is another great way to improve your body's alkalinity, but the
taste of lemons is much more pleasant!

GIVE YOUR BODY AN HERBAL BOOST
Hundreds of herbal supplements and tinctures exist to give the immune system
additional support during the winter. Essential oils are an excellent source
of immune-stimulating compound, and the rawest and most natural form of any
medicinal plant, but there are other supplements which can be effective.
Fresh herbs and whole food remedies are always preferable over packaged
herbs or supplements, since they have a much higher potency and frequency
and your body absorbs more of their value.

GET A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP
Everybody's different: your body may need anywhere from 6 to 10 hours of
sleep each night.Whatever your personal sleep requirement is, get it! Sleep
has been linked to balanced hormone levels (including human growth hormone
and the stress hormone, cortisol), keeping weight down, clear thinking and
reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin.

EAT PLENTY OF PROTEIN
Protein is a building block for a healthy body, mind, and immune system.
Diets low in protein tend to be high in carbs which convert readily to
glucose, spiking blood sugar and stressing the pancreas and the immune
system.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
This is almost, but not quite, a given; most headaches occur because despite
the number of reminders, people still aren't getting enough water! Headaches
and thirst are both signs of dehydration. You should be drinking, in daily
ounces, half your body weight in pounds. (i.e. Body weight in pounds,
divided by 2 = number of ounces of water per day.)

STOP DRINKING COFFEE
Contrary to recent marketing as a source of antioxidants, chocolate and
coffee are two of the worst things you can do for your immune system and
your health. Caffeine robs your body of minerals and vitamins, and it
dehydrates you. If you drink coffee, make sure you add an additional two
glasses to your water intake per cup of coffee. A mineral supplement helps
to offset caffeine's damage, too.

WORSE YET IS THE IMPACT OF REFINED WHITE SUGAR
If you do only one thing to boost your immune system, eliminating sugar will
do the trick. You will see noticeable results in your energy levels, weight
distribution, immunity and your ability to think clearly when you break the
cravings and stop eating refined sugar. Many holistic nutritionists consider
sugar a drug for its impact on the human body. Healthier sugars such as
agave and stevia do exist, but I avoid artificial sweeteners; they are more
toxic than cane sugar.

STOCK UP ON RAW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR THEIR ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMINS,
MINERALS, FIBRE AND ENZYMES
The nutritional content that you receive from raw fruits and veggies is
unparalleled. Many vitamins, including C, are antioxidants and will protect
cells - including those of your immune system - from damage by toxins in the
environment. Dark-coloured produce (berries, kale, broccoli) tends to be
higher in flavonoids, polyphenols and other antioxidants.

The perfect source
of minerals is seaweed, which is sold dried, but can often be found raw
(dried at low temperatures to maintain most of the enzymes and nutrients) in
health food stores.

SPEND SOME TIME OUT IN THE COLD
Snowball fight, anyone? Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your
health and happiness by releasing endorphins. Most of us spend 90% of our
lives indoors, inhaling dubiously filtered air and other people's germs, so
take any opportunity to get outside. Time spent outdoors in the cold also
stimulates the thyroid gland.

NURTURE YOURSELF
Make sure you take time to yourself, spend some time with friends, and
indulge yourself in a massage , a hot bath, or an energy work session when
you want one. Our bodies respond to our emotions - if you're feeling
harassed and anxious, it can manifest in a sore throat or a cold. Create a
space within yourself and your living environment for harmony, self-love and
joy (giving thanks, prayer and blessing the abundance in your life and of
the world around you helps). Pay attention to warning signs of sore throat
or exhaustion so you can keep them from getting worse.