My Top 5 Wellness Tricks For When You're Sick
Last week I was sick, sick, sick. Parker and I both were. I am not sure if it was all of the travel and work, coming back from the high altitude in Colorado, or just something that we caught, but I became sick for the first time this season a few days within coming back to Arkansas.
As someone who barely even takes Ibuprofen, much less antibiotics, I always turn to natural remedies first. I also avoid the doctor if I can, since most of our mild illnesses will naturally go away on their own with rest, sleep, and the right nutrients, which was exactly the case with this bout of sickness (plus, who wants to wait forever in the waiting room and take medicine if they don’t have to?)
After just a few days of resting, taking some time off work, and incorporating these little wellness hacks, I started to feel like myself again. My congestion cleared up over time, and I was able to regain my energy pretty quickly. Our bodies are amazing, and most of the time will naturally heal themselves when we treat them right. We all have different bodies and will need different things, but here are some little tricks that can help to promote natural healing in the body and can aid with sickness. It’s what I just used to just help boost my immune system, so I just thought I would share them with you all.
Of course, if you’re sick for an extended period of time or have a very high fever, you should see a doctor. Pharmacological medicine is not bad! It just doesn’t always have to be the first resort.
So, here are my top 5 wellness tricks I used this past week:
Plenty of liquids. In addition to drinking plenty of water, I chose to drink less coffee and choose liquids that would also give me a bit more hydration. I chose hot tea most days, including black, green, or herbal tea with turmeric. Personally, Art of Tea’s Dark Chocolate Peppermint loose leaf tea was my favorite morning treat. In the early mornings and afternoons, I would make a caffeine-free mixture of hot water, lemon, orange, sliced ginger, and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, which helps helps promote digestion and immunity. Just squeeze part of a lemon or orange directly into the drink, or slice it with the ginger and add it directly into the drink (wash first).
Liposomal Vitamin C. We’ve all been told that Vitamin C boosts the immune system, and it’s true. From what I’ve learned in school, Vitamin C acts as a powerful antioxidant, and also works with Vitamin E, another powerful vitamin that acts as an antioxidant to decrease inflammation in the body. Vitamin C also enhances iron absorption (which can support energy), helps with collagen synthesis (firm skin forever, please!), and helps promote healthy nervous system function. It’s important to note that liposomal vitmain C is more absorbable than a non-liposomal Vitamin C supplement. Because it is delivered via liposomes, which are essentially tiny fat vesicles, the drug is better absorbed by your intestinal tract instead of just being absorbed as the typical water-soluble vitamin that it is. The barrier of fat slows the method of delivery and allows it to make it further down your digestive tract, enhancing absorption. I took one 500 mg capsule/day. (Note: these are just my suggestions/what worked for me - always check with your doctor if you have anemia or any sort of blood disorder before consuming Vitamin C supplements).
Xlear Nasal Spray. I never was a nasal spray person, but I’ve recently been converted. Instead of taking a nasal spray that contains steroids, I chose a nasal spray that gently cleans out and soothes the nasal passages to help loosen secretions and improve airflow. I loved this brand because I felt like it really worked, but because it doesn’t have steroids it’s safe for use with nursing/pregnant mothers (not me, just a benefit)
Athletic Greens Vitamin D. While this is something that I try to use regularly, I definitely used it every day while I was sick. Vitamin D helps to modulate the immune system, and a deficiency in Vitamin D, which is fairly common, is linked to a more susceptibility in the immune system. Vitamin D3 is the more absorbable form of Vitamin D, and should always be be paired with Vitamin K2, since they work together to absorb calcium into the body and promote optimal bone health. I use Athletic greens as a liquid dietary supplement directly under the tongue, but sometimes I add it into my smoothies.
Wellness Herbal Resistance Liquid. Speaking of adding things into smoothies, I am not a big fan of this Source Natural’s product. I went to my local Natural Foods store and up to my favorite supplement guru (also a dear friend of mine) with a mask on and said, “what do I need!”. Kristin pointed to to this tincture immediately, which includes elderberry, echinacea, ginger, baybark root, Yin Chiao, and other amazing immune supporting herbs. Yin Chiao is a Chinese herb that is said to help clear heat from the body, and it has become a recent obsession of mine to study. You can add it into your water as well, which I did in addition to adding it into my smoothies. totally to 2 drippers/day.
Not included, but of course, you should drink plenty of water! Another trick is to make fire cider, a great immune system booster and old recipe I go back to every year.
Hope this helps you. XO