My sister recently came down with the flu and as crappy as that was for her, it jogged my memory. I thought to myself, when was the last time I’ve had a cold or flu?… and I realized that it had been over 3 years now.
That’s not to say that I’ve been hiding under a rock and haven’t been exposed to such germs, in fact, it’s the opposite. I go to the library and rent books knowing people leave books on the bathroom floor (I know, so gross). And I’ve seen the bubonic plague pass through several employees on multiple occasions and wondered if I was its next victim.
But the truth is, I’ve built up my immune system to the point that I don’t have to spend a dime on cough drops or syrups and I only visit my doctor for my annual visits. My employers used to love the fact that I never took a sick day—yeah, the joke was on me on that one.
To get back on track, I want to share with you my favorite tools for keeping cold and flu germs at bay. I’ve tried and tested these bad boys for over three years now and can personally attest to their immunity-boosting powers.
1. Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care
Thanks to my amazing chiropractor, I have an internal immune booster working every day. It’s called my spine.
You see, our spines go through a lot of trauma starting as early as birth. I mean, think about it. That’s a tiny space to crawl out of!
As we grow up to be clumsy kids who love climbing trees and playing sports, we injure our spines even further and cause tiny misalignments, or vertical subluxations.
But this doesn’t stop as kids. We continue to damage our spines as we sit for hours on end working or even watching TV (and then we wonder why we ache so much).
Now, I want you to imagine your spine is like a twisted garden hose thanks to all of these small traumas. Instead of the water (or blood in our case) being able to flow freely, it gets backed up. We’ve all seen what happens here with a hose, but imagine what’s happening in your body now.
It’s not pretty, that’s for sure.
In fact, we see it in the form of physical and mental symptoms such as:
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Autism
- ADHD
- Backaches
- Muscle spasms
- Getting sick frequently (colds and flus)
- Overall tightness, and more
For me, getting routine adjustments has made all the difference in the world. First, I noticed an improvement in my breathing (my nose immediately opened up) and then I started feeling less back pain with each visit. I sit at a desk for most of my day so, for me, this was a game changer.
I also realized that my immune system was feeling just as strong as my breathing. Not only did I cut down on my asthma inhaler use but I also cut back on buying cough drops and over the counter cold remedies. Any time I felt sick, it was usually a sign that I was due for an adjustment.
I’ve since practiced and preached the benefits of upper cervical chiropractic care and really believe it’s one of the best things you can do for your body. Essentially, it gets out all of the kinks so your body can perform at its best. (I recommend Dr. Alli Manis in the Jupiter & Palm Beach Gardens area as well!)
You can learn more about it by checking out Dr. Alli’s site and her blog.
2. Yoga
This is another one on my list that may surprise you but I have noticed a significant difference in how I’m feeling thanks to yoga.
Similar to chiropractic care, pilates (and yoga) are designed to put the body back into alignment. I prefer yoga because it adds the mental and spiritual aspect as well.
Speaking of which, the spiritual aspect is often confused. This is not a religion and it does not go against your religion (if you’re Catholic). You’re not worshiping a false god (Buddha) and he’s not asking you to believe anything in particular.
Instead, yoga is about learning to live in the present. It’s about fostering awareness for those around you and compassion towards the unknown struggles that those around us face.
I’ve found yoga to be amazing for quelling anxious and depressing thoughts which, in turn, actually boosts my immune system naturally. I also believe that it keeps my body in alignment since I tend to slouch, I sit all day and I put my weight on one side most of the time.
This simple practice has given me such clarity both mentally and physically that I would recommend it to anyone.
If money or the intimidation of a trendy studio with high prices is holding you back from practicing then I encourage you to check out DoYogaWithMe.com. It’s a donation-only (free option available) resource that has given me the tools to have a productive practice right at home.
You can find classes ranging from beginners to advanced with more specific programs designed for those who run, sit all day and things like that and all you have to do is stream the videos on your favorite devices. I seriously can’t say enough good things about this site.
Don’t get stuck paying $10/month for a program you won’t use. This one is way worth it.
3. Vitamins (and Supplements)
This should be a no-brainer, but I do want to share a few tips about this.
Take your vitamins every day, and be leary of any brands that go above your 100% Recommended Daily Value or RDV. Although 1000% of Vitamin C seems like a massive immunity booster, the truth is, you’ll pee most of this out.
Your body is like a puzzle with the vitamins acting as the pieces. Once the quota is filled, the rest will pass through the body so it’s not worth it to buy extra potent versions.
I like this Alive multivitamin because it has the essentials plus extras like supergreens and biotin. You’ll notice that a handful of the minerals in that vitamin top well over the 1000% mark. However, the majority of the essential ones are right where they should be.
Last tip on this section: you can’t eat a vitamin and a poor diet and expect to see any results. You still need to eat your veggies. Sorry to have to deliver that message.
4. Veggies
You will get more bang for your buck buying and eating veggies instead of using processed concoctions such as Airborne.
If you’re feeling sick, up your intake of greens like kale or broccoli which both pack a nice immunity boost. You really can’t go wrong by eating any veggies really.
On top of that, unlike things like Airborne, your body will recognize these foods meaning they’ll get processed and digested sooner.
Eat more veggies starting today, even if you don’t feel a cold coming on.
5. Sleep
It’s not always easy to clock in the full eight hours of sleep. Just kidding. It is easy if you make it a priority.
I don’t always get eight hours but I certainly hit at least seven every time. I do the math ahead of time so I have an idea of when I need to be in bed by, and I start to wind down accordingly.
It’s funny that most of us are taught young how to power down before bed, yet, as adults, we don’t do the same. The problem is that not logging enough sleep is only going to cause you to crave sugary foods, caffeine and things like energy drinks the next day.
As your body attempts to find energy, you’ll be left wanting carbs and no matter what you eat or drink, you’ll still feel tired. It leads to a cycle of overeating for most of us (including me), moodiness, and an overall crappy feeling.
If you’re not looking to get sick (or fat), then you need to get between 7-8 hours of sleep each day. It’s really that simple. Sleep or get sick, your choice.
Now that you know my secrets to keeping my immune system strong, I’d love to hear what natural remedies you’ve tried.