We hear the news-- the numbers of daily cases have doubled, and it's October. Some kids are back in school and more are returning. Parents are discussing whether or not to allow their children to go house to house for candy. And the family Thanksgiving tradition is not the same without everyone around the table, so who's coming?
How do we stay healthy from viruses and air-born diseases when we are supposed to self distance ourselves? Can we afford to gather with others yet?
One proactive thing we can do now is build up our natural defenses instead of depleting them. Here are ten ideas:
#1 Washing Hands regularly with vegetable-based hand soap. The antibacterial soap actually overcleans off the good bacteria that our bodies need to work in balance. You can make your own or buy a trusted source. Dr. Bronner's vegetable-based soap is good, but you'll have to put it in pump containers at your sinks. You can add your own essential oils to build up your immune system, like Thieves. Or you can buy Thieves Foaming Hand Soap directly from Young Living. There is a refill bottle available too. They have other scents, my favorite is Lushious Lemon. The holiday scents become available November 9th Christmas Spirit (Northern Lights Black Spruce, Cinnamon, Orange) and Winter Nights (Northern Lights Black Spruce, Peppermint, Cedarwood, Orange).
#2 Ditch un-naturally scented items in your home, those made with the description "fragrance." The chemicals used in home and beauty product fragrances are tearing down your body's fighting system. Whether you breathe it, ingest it or put it on your skin, the invisible damage occurs. Candles are some of the worst offenders! And don't get me started on those bottles you put in electrical plugs. Replacing all these at once seems overwhelming, so do one thing a week, every two weeks, or monthly. What do you replace them with? Natural, organic, essential oil scented products that the EWG says is clean. (Their scientists have rated more than 160,000 food, cosmetics, and cleaning products based on the healthy and transparency of their ingredients.)
#3 Stop using harsh chemical sprays to disinfect & clean your home. Your body reacts and accumulates these chemicals lowering the bridge to your defenses over time. My father-in-law would add bleach to the sink water and do dishes without gloves on, and he is highly susceptible to respiratory diseases years later. The chemical bottle warns against skin exposure and now they are in the business of making wipes, go figure!
#4 Add prebiotics and probiotics to your daily diet to grow the good bacteria in your gut. This can be done via food or supplements. Mine comes in the form of pills.
#5 Cut back or eliminate sugary foods and drinks from your diet, so your body has the power it needs to fuel the right body systems to help keep you well.
#6 Clean the air in your home using air purifiers, ultrasonic diffusers, and mood-boosting essential oils. Changing your ventilation systems filters often, especially since there is more foot traffic at home these days.
#7 Drink antioxidant-rich liquids and lots of filtered water. One of the best things I do for my health each day is taking a 1-2 oz. shot of NingXia Red wolfberry drink infused with essential oils. It's like my own personal "happy" hour!
#8 Practice weekly self-care. Take a hot bath, read a book, watch an inspiring movie, exfoliate and moisturize your skin. Find what you enjoy the most and begin a habit of doing it for yourself. Put it on the calendar if you have to!
#9 Lower your stressors with better choices. Sometimes the stress we allow into our lives is not what is good for our bodies. Mental, emotional, spiritual, and social stressors come in the form of people. Learn how to have better boundaries and protect your heart, mind, and soul. It will make you healthier! I recommend the book, "Boundaries" to start.
#10 Practice great sleep habits. Preparing for sleep by not eating after a certain time or having just a little bit of protein before bed, taking a supplement if you need extra melatonin, create a safe and comfortable spot to sleep with clean linens, a sound machine, and a diffuser running with oils that relax the mind and body, and cool temperatures in your room. Do what you need to get your optimum level of restorative sleep, it's a very personal decision. We recently got a new mattress, which helped.
All ten of these things sound like work, and to make them easier, you can join a community of like-minded people who order products from a trusted source on a monthly basis. You pick the items you want each month and can ask questions to those who have been doing it for a while. Plus the money you spend on your grocery bill will decrease and it will leave more spending money for the immune-boosting products (and the loyalty reward program puts free promotional products in your box and spendable points in your account). It's similar to Thrive Market but better!
I'd love to share with you how I've done these things for the last 6 years and have worked on having a wellness mindset instead of the US illness mindset like the general public. I've earned thousands of dollars of freebies and points to buy what I was saving up for.
Drop me a line and let's get a personalized wellness box shipped directly to your door. I'm sure you have questions, let me answer them.
Shawn
About Me
