getting sick

It's that time of year when everyone is getting sick!   My kids included!  So I thought I would share some knowledge and information on what to do to prevent getting sick........  And let me tell you it is about PREVENTION.

Get enough rest:  Seriously you need your sleep.  If you are feeling overworked and overtired guess what... your body will have a hard time fighting off those cold and flu bugs.

Stress:  Yep we all have stress, some more than others.  It's important to keep it to a minimum, take action when stress starts to overwhelm you.  Write your thoughts down on paper, sometimes just taking an actual pen and paper out and getting it out gives you a different perspective.  Going for a walk outside taking big deep breaths.  Sounds silly I know but honestly it works!

Avoid Sugar, Fructose and Processed foods:  Yes they taste good and are so convenient but they are NOT going to help your immune system.  It is a proven fact that Sugar almost immediately impairs your immune system.

Up your Vitamin D level:  This is the absolute BEST strategy for avoiding infections of ALL kinds.  This is the single most important and least expensive action you can take.  You want 1500-2000 IU of Vitamin D daily

The best way to get Vitamin D is from safe sun exposure.  You can also get this from a safe Tanning bed (don't get mad at me here) or you can take it orally as a last resort.  Your body will produce 10,000 I.U. of Vitamin D in just 15 min of sun exposure.  What does safe sun exposure and safe tanning bed mean?  It means that you limit your time in the sun to 15 min or less uncovered without sun screen. But what about skin cancer?  Skin cancer is not caused from the sun, Skin cancer is caused from being burned by the sun and repeated sun exposure at high levels for long periods of time.  Even burning your skin one time can increase your chance of skin cancer.  Being responsible in the sun and or using a tanning bed wisely is safe and effective. I encourage you to do the research if you disagree.   And do NOT take this as a license to spend the day in the sun or jump into a level 3 or less tanning bed and fry your body.  I am not a physician nor do I claim to be.  Be responsible and educate yourself on this topic before sun exposure and tanning beds.  I recommend the book "The vitamin D solution"

Use Natural Antibiotics:  Some great examples of this are..... Coconut oil, oil of oregano and garlic.  These work like broad-spectum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses and protozoa in your body.  And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.  This means that over time your body still uses them as a defense.

Lastly, even though we don't like getting sick and missing work and all that goes with it...... Getting sick once in a while is actually healthy for us.  It builds our immunity which helps us fight off the REALLY bad bugs and different types of cancers.  So don't be afraid to get sick, just take care of yourself and treat your body well.

Be well my friends!

Jen