It’s that time of year where pharmacies are promoting flu shots nonstop.  The weather is getting colder, and it takes our bodies more effort to stay healthy especially with the stress of larger work loads, and the holiday season literally starting next week.  Here are some simple natural solutions to promote a health filled and joyous winter season.

1. Morning Lemon Tea

Drinking a warm cut of lemon tea in the morning will keep your respiratory system clear and also gently detox your body.  Simply squeeze a fresh preferably organic lemon in a cup of hot water.  If you’d like add raw organic honey, yet I love the bitter taste of warm lemon water, and it certainly wakes me up on a sleepy day!

2. Take An Immune Boost Supplement

When the weather was still warm in LA, yet beginning to slowly get cooler, I started a job with daily eight hour dance rehearsals.  I hadn’t been in rehearsals like that for awhile so I picked up a supplement to boost my immune system.  The one I bought was Irwin Organics Organic Immune Boost.  This supplement contains vitamin C from acerola berry, organic acerola berry juice powder, organic maitake mushroom powder, organic shitake mushroom powder, organic reishi/ganoderma mushroom powder, and a digestive proprietary blend of organic ginger and papaya powder.  Taking an immune boosting supplement not only will help with energy, but will of course keep your immune system super strong to fight off germs.

3.  Get Adequate Sleep

Your best sleep is always before midnight.  Also good sleep allows your body to do its necessary repair work to keep your body resilient.  I always have to remind myself to save some work for the early morning, and get the best rest I can at night.

4. Use A Natural Hand Sanitizer

Hand sanitizers are great to keep with you in your purse, yet many hand sanitizers on the market contain a toxic chemical called triclosan.  Triclosan has been reported to have negative endocrine effects, developmental and reproductive toxicity, chronic toxicity, and carcinogenicity.  You can read more on triclosan here.

There are natural hand sanitizers on the market, it just takes a moment to read the cosmetic labels to find them.  One that I like is Burt’s Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer.  The Ingredients are ethyl alcohol, water, witch hazel, glycerin, natural fragrance, and aloe vera extract.

5. Evening Stress Reliever

One of my favorite ways to end a stressful day is with a soothing bath.  I will admit that I sometimes stay way to busy to indulge, but when I finally make myself stop working to treat myself it is heaven.  Espom or sea salt, a few drops of organic eucalyptus essential oil, and a favorite scented soy candle is an evening dream for this winter season!

6. Echinacea–A Cold Fighting Herb

If I haven’t taken any immune supporting supplements, miss out on a few nights of good sleep, and am literally working myself silly, I can easily start to feel a little bit of a cold trying to break through.  When I was young I would get bronchitis two and three times every winter.  I took tons of antibiotics and spent many school days in bed.  When my mother decided she was tired of doctor’s visits and worrying about me, she got some advise from a naturalist.  That was the day echinacea entered my life and I never got bronchitis again!  Now if I feel anything cold-like and I’m not currently stocked with echinacea, I purchase some right away.

“Echinacea is widely used to fight infections, especially the common cold and other upper respiratory infections… Echinacea is also used against many other infections including the flu, urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, genital herpes, bloodstream infections (septicemia), gum disease, tonsillitis, streptococcus infections, syphilis, typhoid, malaria, and diphtheria.”  You can read more about echinacea here.

Also please use echinacea with caution if you are allergic to ragweed, and note that this herb is most effective taking for 1-2 weeks then with a resting period before beginning to take again.  Mountain Rose Herbs provides echinacea in bulk, and also an Echinacea & Roots Tea which contains pau d’ arco bark, organic echinacea purpurea root, organic dandelion root, organic roasted dandelion root, organic cinnamon chips, organic burdock root, sassafras bark, organic ginger root, and organic stevia leaf.

7. Eat Immune Boosting Foods

Eating healthy is kind of a given for feeling your best.  Yet there are definitely certain foods that will give your immune system an extra boost if needed.  Fermented foods rich in probiotics, garlic, ginger, pineapple, papaya, green super foods, and turmeric are all incredible with giving your body that extra kick to helping you feel great this winter.

Let this winter be your healthiest yet!

(Images by miamiaromatherapy.com, drugstore.com & mahoneysgarden.com)

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