Healthy Winter Medicine Cabinet Needs
By The Honey Tree Health Store Northfield
We all want to stay as healthy as possible, right? Sometimes it takes a little extra effort to do so, and is certainly harder during cold and flu season. Making matters worse, cold and flu season is then followed by allergy season. It’s no wonder our immune system has a hard time keeping up! One of the things we recommend doing is to supplement your diet (extra, add-on, adjunct). Supplements are substances you eat or drink that can help to keep your body healthy. They can be vitamins, minerals, herbs or other plants, etc. in pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid form. So, why is there a need to supplement?
– Poor dietary choices
– Not enough nutrients from our diet
– Soil depletion , lack of minerals
– Non organic or GMO selection of fruits and veggies laden with pesticide, fertilizers
– Too many toxins
– Excessive medications
– Too much sugar
– Not enough clean water
A few options to consider when supplementing are outlined below. They can have a dramatic and positive impact on your immune system this winter!
Vitamin D3
Considered “the sunshine vitamin”, D3 is needed to absorb minerals. However being in the sun may not be enough, especially if you live in the north. Low vitamin D can set us up for a myriad of problems. Increasing D3 boosts immunity, fights depression and cancer and aids thyroid function. And much more!
Vitamin C
One of the most powerful and affordable antioxidants. Vitamin C is the first line of immune defense, and is a natural antihistamine used at high levels as a blood cleanse. There is great benefit to increasing your C during the winter and when sick.
Probiotic
Probiotics are good bacteria for stomach and colon flora balance. Probiotics help crowd out bad bacteria, so the beneficial bacteria can get to work and boost your immune response. If imbalance is high you may also need an anti-fungal such as grapefruit seed, oregano or garlic. Get the bad out while putting the good bacteria in! Also apple cider vinegar and honey can assist our good fighters.
Other Immune System Boosts
Many use silver liquids like colloidal or ionic silver to fight infection along with colostrum (first milk) from bovine or goat to assist the immune system. Also, you can add Immune supporting herbs, throat sprays and lozenges like zinc, oregano, garlic, echinacea, elderberry, slippery elm and goldenseal.
Benjamin Franklin said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. This is certainly true! However, sometimes we still get sick and feel miserable. This is because when we have a cold or flu our immune system sends out the army to battle the illness which sometimes causes histamines to over react and cause multiple unpleasant symptoms such as itchy tearing eyes, sinus pressure/pain, stuffiness or running nose, sore throat, cough and congestion. Following are a few suggestions to get you back to your usual self.
Breathing Easier
A neti pot is a container designed to rinse debris or mucus from your nasal cavity. You can use a neti pot to treat symptoms of nasal allergies, sinus problems or colds. A warm salt and water solution is used to flush out the nasal passages. If you choose to make your own saltwater solution, it’s important to use bottled water that has been distilled or sterilized. To also breathe easier, you can diffuse eucalyptus, wintergreen , peppermint or clove essential oils.
Stay Hydrated
Don’t dehydrate! If you do get sick it’s important to drink even more fluids – especially when you have vomiting or diarrhea. Cut back on the food, and drink more fluids.
One way to re-hydrate and re-mineralize is with alkaline/ ionized and infused water. You can add lemon, lime, maple syrup, honey or sea salt to your water. Adding stock, bone broth, green drinks and tea to your fluid line-up will also add nutrients. Minerals and micro mineral supplements are also good to add to water. Electrolytes that our body gets from minerals are lost when sweating from a fever or because of gastrointestinal issues and should be replaced.
Tea is also a great partner for staying hydrated and easing some of your illness symptoms. Drink ginger or rooibos tea to calm the digestive tract and ease stomach cramps. Chamomile has soothing properties, and can help you rest easier. Fennel tea helps with indigestion, gas, bloating and cramping.
Other great supplements to consider: Stinging nettle, quercetin for nose, eyes, throat; Feverfew, arnica, magnesium for pain; Osha or elderberry syrup for cough; Homeopathic remedies targeted to individual symptoms.
Take a fresh approach this year, and try some of these recommendations to avoid getting sick or to become well quicker. The Honey Tree Health Store is located at 331 Tilton Road, Suite 26 inside the Tilton Shopping Center. 609-641-6524. The staff at The Honey Tree wishes you all a Happy Healthy 2018!
