Are you looking for a way to start taking care of your body and nourishing it naturally? Most of us believe the only way to nurture our bodies is through pharmaceuticals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! The ancient wisdom of traditional medicine shows us that we can build strong bodily resilience—think of it as tending to an incredible garden! Whether it’s cultivating immunity from sickness or balancing hormones, these approaches offer long-lasting support for overall health. Read on to learn more about how you can harness the power of nature to reclaim control over your life and make transformative changes naturally.
The best defense is a good offense.
The cold and flu season is upon us.
No matter the season, you’re never too far away from a cold or flu. There are over 200 different viruses circulating that could be to blame. The germs typically inhabit your upper respiratory tract for anywhere between four and 10 days before releasing their grip on you.
When it comes to colds and flu, the best defense is a good offense.
The body is a garden.
I like to think of the body as a garden. How do you prepare your body for good health?
The truth is, it’s the same way you prepare the soil in your garden—making sure you have good soil, some compost, and a proper mineral balance for the plants to grow. Let me now share with you my top seven ways to prepare your body garden for good health.
My Top Tips to Boost your Immunity
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
They’re the body’s main source of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. Eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates and too few fruits and vegetables deprives our body of the nutrients it needs to properly nourish and feed the immune system.
Drinking water is key.
When it comes to keeping your body healthy, hydration plays a huge role. With plenty of fluids in your system, your red and white blood cells can perform as well as they possibly can. Their job is done more efficiently, circulating around the body to meet its needs as quickly as possible.
Get plenty of rest.
When the sun sets, more than just darkness follows; our immune system gets a boost too. That’s because melatonin—an infection-fighting super antioxidant—is released in response to the absence of light. But beware: disruptions like inadequate sleep and exposure to artificial lights at night may weaken this natural protection shield.
Reduce stress.
Our immune system can be weakened by stress, which halts the activity of natural killer cells, our body’s personal virus police. These specialized cells are responsible for preventing infections from getting a foothold and wreaking havoc on their host.
Exercise.
While over-exercising can reduce immunity, moderate exercise is very good at increasing the natural killer cells that help us fight infection.
We all understand exercise is important for overall health and well-being, but did you know it can also make a huge difference in your immunity levels? Research has demonstrated that regular exercise can increase the number of natural killer cells in your body, which are vital for fighting off infections like colds and flu. This just goes to show how powerful exercise can be—far more than just a medicine or a way to stay in shape. Our bodies crave movement, and it’s this healthy activity that helps us fight off dangerous illnesses. Thus, exercise should be taken seriously as part of our regular routine.
Good old Handwashing.
I think we’re all very good at this—even our children now. Good old-fashioned soap and water do the trick. Antibacterial formulas destroy the bacteria on our hands and dry out our skin.
Our skin does need to be healthy to keep the healthy bacteria in and the bad guys out. So using only antibacterial products diminishes our natural immunity, making us more susceptible, in the long run, to bacteria and viruses.
Vitamin D
It is one of the most useful nutritional tools we have for improving overall health.
Vitamin D is the only vitamin the body can manufacture from sunlight. In the wintertime, people are not exposed to enough sunlight, and vitamin D deficiency is very common. Despite spending more time indoors, surrounded by computer screens, and protected from direct sunlight with sunscreen, many of us are still deficient in vitamin D—even in places where sunlight is abundant.
Vitamin D dramatically stimulates antimicrobial peptides that exist within the natural killer cells and in cells lining the respiratory tract. Vitamin D is very helpful in protecting against lung infections in adults and children. Look at consuming somewhere between two and 4,000 IU per day of vitamin D, especially at those times of the year when sunlight is scarce.
Prevention, as always, is key.
When it comes to immune boosting, prevention is key and a smart strategy. A few, well-chosen supplements can provide all the natural armor you need to help strengthen your and your family’s immune systems this winter. Honestly, I would not dream of having an empty natural medicine cabinet.
As the cool fall air brings with it a chill, I boost my family’s natural medicine cabinet to take on any germs that inevitably come this time of year. It’s crucial to stay one step ahead; making sure all immune-strengthening remedies are at your fingertips can be instrumental in beating sickness before it has an opportunity to set in.
Here’s how it works.
Be proactive and build a strong immune system. It’s essential to start naturally boosting your immune system right away at the first sign of any nasal congestion, a tiny cough, or a scratch in your throat before the viruses or bacteria begin to replicate and move deeper into your system.
The good news is, by taking good care of your body and then stocking up on some key supplements you have on hand, you can make a world of difference and help your body fight these infections.
It can be as simple as adding powerful immune-boosting supplements to your natural medicine cabinet and filling up what I call a “Kitchen Basket” with some natural antimicrobials.
My Top 3 Favorite Immune Boosters
Zinc
This is the number one essential mineral for boosting immune function. Zinc is in the top three of the most common mineral deficiencies people have. It kills bacteria and viruses and strengthens the immune system. Getting an adequate amount of zinc in your diet is essential to overall health and wellness. Not only does it help prevent common illnesses like colds, flu, and the like, but it’s also easy to incorporate into your daily routine with a simple dose of around 30 milligrams per day! And the best part? It tastes great when taken alongside food.
Vitamin C
It is one of my favorite nutrients. We’re the only mammal that doesn’t produce vitamin C. This means we need to get it from our diet.
Vitamin C fights off cold and flu bugs by speeding up white blood cell recovery. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin C is only 65 mg. If we’re using vitamin C for body repair and immune boosting, we need much higher dosages—1000–4000 mg a day—especially if you’re fighting a certain illness.
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberries have been used by herbalists for decades as an effective remedy for bacterial and viral infections. Elderberry has the ability to shorten the duration and severity of an illness, and it works by slowing down viral replication, which means the virus doesn’t multiply as quickly.
Elderberries are the perfect way to keep your respiratory system healthy. Not only do they pack a punch of Vitamin C and flavonoids, but elderberry syrup can help loosen up congestion in the lungs. ; it’s like taking vitamins for your health—just sweeter.
My Immune-Boosting Recipes
Garlicky Guacamole
You’ll need
1 Avocado
2 large cloves of crushed garlic
Half of a lime
⅛ of a teaspoon of sea salt.
Mash all the ingredients in a bowl using your potato masher (your avocado masher in this case). Eat it with cucumber slices, or gluten-free crackers, or just put it on some gluten-free toast—it’s a very potent immune booster.
Dr. Purcell’s Immune Soup
You’ll need
2 boxes of vegetable or chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic
A 2-inch segment of ginger.
Boil it all together for 30 minutes. Strain it and drink the broth like tea during the day—it’s helpful at boosting immunity.
Taking care of your body should be a top priority, and that includes growing and nurturing your immune system. By following the advice in this blog post, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your immunity and staying healthy all winter.Remember, prevention is key, so don’t wait until you’re sick to start taking care of yourself. And if you need more help developing an immune-boosting plan, I’m here for you. Schedule a discovery call with me today and let’s chat about how we can get you feeling like your best self.
Natural medicine is an exciting, powerful approach to holistic wellness! To explore its potential in your life, visit me on the web at www.drandreapurcell.com and discover a brave new world of well-being today.
Your health journey starts here! You can share the knowledge provided in this blog post with your friends and family to inspire them. But if you’re looking for a more personalized service, I’m available to help you reach your optimal wellness goals – let’s chat and make 2021 the year of good health! We’d be happy to schedule a discovery call with you. During this call, we can discuss your symptoms in more detail and come up with a plan tailored specifically for you.
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DISCLAIMER: The information in this email is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content is for general informational purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional
