Winter Wellness Wisdom
Here are two ways to support your immune system during the winter months. A little wisdom goes a long way!
How to create an atmosphere of wellness this winter
Many people diffuse essential oils to help with the immune system and this is a great idea. My favorites are some sort of Thieves/On Guard or any other brand with the same ingredients.
Myrrh oil is often overlooked in preventing and treating seasonal ailments, but it is a powerful antimicrobial and winner in my book. It's actually a winner in another book as well…the Bible. That's right, the wisemen gave Jesus Myrrh. I believe it is likely they were giving him something to keep him well, but that's just my assumption.
While diffusing is great I prefer to atomize. Using an atomizer puts more smaller particles in the air for a longer period of time. An important thing to consider with the flu is the humidity level in your living space.
Research shows us that the drier the air the more virulent flu viruses can be. Using a humidifier will moisten the air and thereby create resistance for the virus to travel through. Humidifying the air will also moisten nasal passages that will keep microbes from getting into the system. Combining that with atomizing the oils is a good preventive strategy for the winter season.
Being Mindful About Sugar Consumption
Another MAJOR consideration in the winter months is sugar. YOU MUST AVOID SUGAR!!! Even though it’s the holiday season and it’s ok to treat yourself, it is necessary to keep the indulgence in check.
In an experiment testing the effects of sugar on white blood cell (WBC) activity 6, 12, 18, and 24 teaspoons of sugar were ingested and blood was drawn over 5 hours (one coke has 6 teaspoons). Blood samples were then mixed with Staph bacteria and the number of bacteria eaten by each WBC was counted. Here are the results:
The control subjects WBCs who had no sugar ate 14 bacteria.
The 6 teaspoon group ate 10 bacteria.
The 12 teaspoon group ate 5.5 bacteria.
The 18 teaspoon group ate 2 bacteria.
The 24 teaspoon group ate 1 bacteria.
This is an astounding result! I hope you can see that the sugar has a diminishing effect on the WBC. This means that eating sugar can leave your body open for infection! So, consider eating as many fermented foods as you can to help strengthen the immune system. Remember, it’s ok to treat yourself just keep it in check.
So when you’re going for that second helping of moms homemade pie you’re going to have to ask yourself, “Do I feel lucky?” Well, do ya?