Are you looking for natural ways to protect yourself during this pandemic? Common sense and following our elected officials' advice at the local, state and national level are paramount at this time. It is not a time to panic, but it is a good time to re-assess. Living a healthy lifestyle is the best way to keep your immune system strong and healthy which is the best way to keep yourself healthy regardless of the seasonal threat being discussed. I do use doTERRA essential oils to help boost immunity throughout the year, however I will be the first to tell you that essential oils alone are not going to be a "slam-dunk" guarantee for you to never get sick. It is just one piece of the puzzle as we work to stay healthy and to keep our immune systems strong now and in the future.
Here are my Top 10 strategies for keeping the immune system healthy. It works for me and I hope you enjoy this list and take it to heart so you can keep yourself healthy and happy in this new environment we find ourselves living in.
- Get Plenty of Sleep: Research proves getting proper sleep each night will boost your body’s ability to fight off illness. While the amount of sleep each person needs can vary, most healthy adults need between 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
- Diffuse OnGuard every night: OnGuard is packed with oils such as cinnamon, clove, rosemary, eucalyptus, and wild orange. By themselves, these oils are great to boost immunity but as a blend they are a synergistic POWERHOUSE to kill airborne pathogens.
- Take Off Your Shoes: Think of all of the nasty-ness that gets on your shoes when you are out in public?! Don’t let those germs in to your home! The first thing you should do when you walk in the door is take off your shoes.
- Wash Your Hands: The second thing you should do is wash your hands whenever you first come home. Hand washing is the number one way to stop the spread of infection! Using OnGuard hand wash? Even better because of the anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties in the oils that make up this fabulous blend. Be sure to wash for at least 20 seconds and get the backs of your hands and in between your fingers too.
- Use OnGuard Hand Sanitizer: This compliments your hand washing routine really well. Take it to the grocery store (skip the bleach wipes—TOXIC!), use after you have been to the bank or after shaking hands with someone (or just elbow bump your friends and business associates and skip the hand shake for now). When I am out of doTERRA's OnGuard hand sanitizing mist, I make my own. I include 5-10 drops of OnGuard with water in a 15 ml bottle and add a few drops of alcohol to give it a little extra boost.
- Drink LOTS of water: Cut out the soda (really, there is nothing nutritious about it so STOP THE POP! See #7 about why so much sugar is bad for your immunity) and drink ½ of your body weight in ounces of water each day. It helps to flush your system and staying properly hydrated boosts the immune system!
- Stop Eating Refined Sugar: I know it is not easy, but it is SO worth it! Eating refined sugar feeds the bad bacteria in your gut which means it takes over. When the bad bacteria out-numbers the good bacteria the system cannot fight hard enough to protect you against those nasty seasonal threats. Want something sweet? Try something made with natural sugar (fruit, honey, or maple syrup). I have some great recipes too—just ask me!
- Take 2 tablespoons of Elderbery Syrup every day: Elderberry syrup has an AMAZING amount of anti-oxidants which help to bolster your immune system. You can buy it, but if you are looking for a cost effective way, just make your own! All you need is some dried elderberries, water, raw honey, and doTERRA essential oils. Contact me for the recipe!
- Exercise: Just like a healthy diet, exercise is good for general good health and therefore leads to a healthy immune system. It also contributes directly by promoting healthy circulation, which allows our cells and substances in our immune system to move through the body freely and do their jobs.
- Try to minimize stress: Stress hormones can suppress your body’s immune system and when under chronic states of stress the body produces more of these hormones. Go for a walk, talk to a friend, pray, write in a gratitude journal and use some essential oils (my favorite is doTERRA’s Adaptiv blend) in your diffuser to help manage your stress.
As you read this list, what is the most challenging part for you? Is it the healthy eating? The exercise? Water consumption? Getting a good night's sleep? Not eating sugar or drinking pop? I would love to hear from you--comment below and I will help encourage you and get some natural solutions and ideas to you. If you are new to the world of essential oils and have never tried OnGuard before, reach out to me today. I would love to mail you a small sample for you to try!
Best regards to you as you work to boost your immune system!!
Karla