Carry around tissues as little as possible!
Help, everyone around us is getting sick! The season is changing again, and suddenly everyone has a cold, is sniffly, and is getting ill. You too? We certainly don’t feel like carrying around a pack of tissues all winter or being the one with an awkward tickle cough during yoga class… Don’t feel like it too? We get it. And that’s why we developed the 3-step plan against colds!
Viruses are flying around everywhere, but we notice that the strength of your immune system can greatly impact whether or not you get sick from those flying viruses. And guess what, a large part of your immune system resides in the intestines. Good news: you can influence the health of your intestines through what you eat. Here’s how it comes full circle: you can influence what you eat, so let’s start with that.
1. VITAMINS
Yes, you saw that coming, didn’t you? The more vitamins you intake, the better you can resist floating germs. Cliché, but true. The best way to get extra vitamins? Eat more vegetables and fruits!
- Ensure at least half of your plate is filled with vegetables. Not just at your evening meal; also add some extra salad or soup to your lunch.
- Start your day with a green smoothie! Or have a green juice as an afternoon snack. Not only a great vitamin boost, but you’ll also notice it in your energy level soon.
- Make fruit your standard snack. And if you’re watching TV and leaning toward a bag of chips, choose carrots and cherry tomatoes with hummus as a dip instead. Just as tasty!
In addition, we use a high-quality plant-based vitamin supplement daily for an extra boost of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Read more about this in this article.
2. HEALTHY GUT BACTERIA
If a large part of your immune system is located in your intestines, it is crucial to keep them as healthy as possible. For this, you need a large army of good gut bacteria. With all those vitamins from fresh fruits and vegetables, you provide the right breeding ground for these bacteria, and you supplement the good bacteria via a probiotic supplement or probiotic-containing foods. What foods contain probiotics? These are fermented products, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, or drinks like kombucha and kefir (found at health food stores). A few tablespoons of sauerkraut through your salad provide a daily dose of probiotics!
3. VITAMIN C, ESSENTIAL OILS, AND SLEEP
Okay, these are actually three points… But all important and work very well together! We find that natural and plant-based vitamin C and essential oils can work wonders for our immune system. Feeling a headache coming on, a tickle in our throat, or a stuffy nose? Then we mix a few extra scoops of vitamin C into our water for a few days, make the FLU BOMB with various essential oils, and go to bed early. Admittedly: that last one is easier said than done, but we can’t deny it; sleep is really very important when our body wants to recover.
When taking vitamin C as a supplement, choose a pure plant-based variety in the form of camu camu, acerola, or acai berries.
The essential oils we use and that are safe for intake are from doTERRA. We make the FLU BOMB as follows;
- 2 drops of Melaleuca
- 2 drops of On Guard
- 2 drops of Oregano
- 2 drops of Frankincense
- 4 drops of Lemon
Take in a veggie capsule (can be taken multiple times a day if you’re feeling sick), or on a spoon of honey (since the taste is quite strong). Also applying it in the diffuser and under your feet before bed works wonders. Want to learn more about essential oils and how you can safely use them to support your health? Join a free workshop!
Miracle cures in practice
These are, of course, not miracle cures, but the longer you follow the basics of these tips, the more you’ll notice your immune system strengthening. In Your 50 Days of Green Happiness we explain much more about this and give you tips on how to actually apply this in your daily life.