Health and Wellness Tips to Empower Your Body

During this time of intense stress, we can all benefit from focusing on the areas of our lives we can control. One of the areas we can control is our bodies: what we expose them to,what we feed them and the quality and quantity of our sleep.  We talked with Amy Fairchild, The Holistic Concierge, about steps we can take to help us boost our body’s immune system.  

Amy provided the following top three suggestions to  boost our immunity and super charge our body’s defenses.

1.      Consume functional foods that help super charge your immune system.

The top anti-viral foods to incorporate into your food plan on regular bases (4 times per week) are garlic, lemons, limes, cinnamon, green tea, ginger, oregano, turmeric, shiitake mushrooms, and elderberry. It is also helpful to limit sugars and dairy products at this time since they fuel pathogens, germs and disease. 

Starting your morning with a glass of lemon water will boost immune function and help keep you hydrated. Fresh lemons are loaded with immune system boosters antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. Simply squeeze the juice of one lemon in a glass of filtered water and drink it down each morning.

2.      Take key supplements.

Most Americans do not get enough vitamins and minerals from their food choices.   Therefore, it is imperative to incorporate supplements into your daily routine. During peak virus season, a multi- vitamin will not provide a strong enough dose of the key supplements that are needed to boost your immunity. Do your research and read reviews when selecting a brand of vitamins.  Unfortunately, since supplements are not regulated, you often get what you pay for. The most valuable players include      

- Vitamin C is  vital in the defense against viruses and bacteria. It is recommended during high stress times to increase your Vitamin C dose to 1500-2000 mg per day. 

 -  Zinc  is the most important mineral in the fight against illness is.  To  obtain the most therapeutic benefits from Zinc you must consistently take 5-10 mg per day. 

-  Vitamin D3 is another MVP in the world of immunity. Eggs are one of the top sources of vitamin D.  If you are not willing to eat 1-2 eggs everyday and you can not be outside for 30 minutes of sunshine,  we recommend you supplement with vitamin D3.   Sublingual supplements are preferable over pills or capsules.  The vitamin and mineral absorption will be much greater when taken in the sublingual delivery rather than swallowing and digesting them.

3.      Clean your air.

In addition to washing your hands and using hand sanitizer multiple times a day, another way to decrease your risk of catching a virus is by cleaning the air you breathe. One of the oldest ways of fighting disease dating back to the Egyptians, has been burning or diffusing certain herbs and essential oils with anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. We recommend placing an essential oil diffuser to each bedroom.  The top four therapeutic and medicinal essential oils for cleaning air pathogens are Eucalyptus Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Sage Oil and Peppermint Oil. 

We suggest running the diffuser daily, especially 1 hour before bedtime and while you are sleeping. The only time your body truly repairs and restores itself is when you are sleeping.  Try to get 7 hours of sleep each night.  Using an essential oil diffuser will improve relaxation, support cleaner air, and help clean your respiratory pathways while you sleep. 

We thank Amy for these simple proactive strategies that we can use to help our body’s immune system while it fights to keep us well.

Take care of yourself and be safe.

Clara

Amy Fairchild | The Holistic Concierge