Cold and flu season can get us all. Building your immunity up by strengthening your immune system will help in both preventing and healing once you’ve been infected. 

*Disclaimer: Always do your own research. + I’m not allowed to tell you that essential oils or anything of the such treat or cure anything. Therefore, the following information is only my opinion. Always consult your healthcare provider.*

The changing of the seasons is beautifully bitter sweet. We’re happy to welcome the beautiful colours of the changing leaves, the cool weather that gives us a break from the horribly hot humidity we have here in Alabama and lets us know that the holidays are just around the corner with tons of good food to look forward to.

Although we’ll miss our green grass and porch swings (or in my case, porch hammock), we know that it’s only temporary and after the winter we’ll be able to run around the yard barefoot again.

The biggest irritant of the weather changing as autumn “falls” upon us (hahaha) is not the chilly temperature or having to be cooped up inside all of the time, it’s cold and flu season.

I’m a huge advocate on prevention methods. Our bodies are designed to take care of things themselves and with proper upkeep we’ll breeze through such seasons either unaffected or minimally effected.

Unfortunately, the lifestyles we’ve become accustomed to living have changed drastically in the past hundred or so years and it takes evolution a lot longer than that to catch up and balance things out. The things our ancestors drank, ate and did on a daily basis kept them strong and healthy. They were building and maintaining a healthy immune system without realizing it. Similarly, we have slowly destroyed ours without realizing it. Oops.

How Do We Repair Our Immune Systems?

» Eat Correctly

That means your fruits and veggies (mostly veggies), preferably organic. It’s still unclear if GMOs are harmful or not and honestly, do you really wanna be the guinea pig that finds out the hard way? It has been confirmed, however, that organic produce has significantly higher vitamins and minerals, which is technically the most important parts. You want all of those you can get. Not to mention, buying organic encourages companies to change their ways since companies do what is most profitable.

You also want to cut out all processed foods. You don’t want anything to do with them. Also, when consuming meat, all natural, grass fed is always best. That means no antibiotics or anything chemical. Meat and produce, alike, should be consumed as they are found naturally to ensure that they have all of their proper nutrients. Proper nutrients are what allows our bodies to function as they are meant to.

I also don’t want to scare you, because all of this can be pretty overwhelming if you’re new to it, but dairy and gluten (bread) is also indigestible. Which means it clogs up your digestive tract and makes absorbing vitamins and nutrients difficult as well as causes inflammation.

» Probiotics

We’re learning more and more about gut health these days and how important that it is to our immunity and overall well-being. Our health depends vastly on how well we absorb nutrients. How well we absorb nutrients depends vastly on how well we digest food. How well we digest food depends vastly on the good bacteria in our digestive tract breaking down food.

Gut health has such an impact on health, that there are experiments going on with using such things to cure autism. What?! Yeah. Pretty remarkable stuff.

Having healthy good bacteria helps in providing adequate immunity to diseases and curbing digestive issues. Three of the worst things for your helpful little buddies are:

• Sugar
• Stress
• Antibiotics

To curb the harmful things we do to them, we should all be consuming probiotics on a daily basis for optimal health. Especially if you’ve been on antibiotics (which all but destroy your body’s natural defenses), eat lots of bad stuff or are particularly stressed.

So how do I get these wonderful probiotics to consume everyday? I’m glad you’ve asked!

If you’ve never taken any probiotics, you should start slow. Too much, too fast can cause some, ehem, unpleasant bathroom type effects, if you know what I mean.

Fermented Foods for Immunity

Fermented foods use to be a part of people’s everyday diet because fermenting was a common food preservation method. Fermented foods are teeming with wonderful bacteria hoping you’ll allow them to help you!

Some fermented foods are:

• Kombucha (this is my favourite by far)
• Kefir
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Live cultured yogurt
• Raw cheese

Supplements

Or you can take the other approach of probiotic supplements.

Be aware though, that not all supplements are created equally and when it comes to such things, cheap is not the way you want to go. Because supplements are neither a food nor a medicine, they kind of get stuck in limbo with few or no regulations. Therefore, what they say they are, aren’t always necessarily what they actually are. (Essential oils also fall into this limbo).

» Vitamin C for Immunity

Everyone knows that at the first sign of illness you should start chugging some Oh Jay. That’s because of all the vitamin C in orange juice that supports your immune system. Your body needs vitamin C to keep everything functioning properly. However, it neither creates nor stores vitamin C, therefore you have to consume it often.

Some foods in order of amount of vitamin C they contain are:

• Guava
• Black currant
• Kiwi
• Orange
• Strawberries
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Pineapple
• Brussels Sprouts
• Grapefruit

» Tending to the Inside Air for Immunity

When the weather starts changing and warm becomes cold, we turn up our heat inside. This dries out the air and in turn, our sinus cavities and airways. This allows them to be more susceptible to irritants and allows bad things to get in.

Also, with staying cooped up and closed inside, the air becomes stagnant which allows for bad stuff to circulate around you instead of being recycled out. Especially in office type settings.

Some ways to help this are:

• Humidifier (moistens the air, prevents dryness)
• Boiling water (does the same thing)
• House plants (recycle air, cleaning it)
• Diffusing Lemon essential oil (cleanses the air)
• Salt Lamps (cleanse the air)
• Burning Sage (cleanses the air)

Always try to air out indoor places whenever the weather permits by opening windows and doors. This is especially helpful after a rain, as the air outside is particularly clean then.

» Lower Stress

Stress is our body’s survival response. The “fight, flight or freeze” response, if you will. When things stress us out, our body goes into survival mode which halts all non-essential functions and redirects everything to our physical need to either fight or get away from whatever danger is threatening us. This includes halting our immune system.

In order for us to release the stress, we have to get rid of the energy it throws at us. By:

• Exercising
• Taking a break
• Meditating
• Taking a walk
• Stretching (yoga)
• Breathing exercises
• Getting plenty of sleep
• Lavender essential oil
• REST

That last one could be a whole point on it’s own. Your body needs adequate rest.

There is not a magic pill or supplement that eliminates stress. Stress is a complex thing and requires constant management. However, some essential oil blends that may help.

» Proper Hydration for Immunity

Your body is made up of mostly water, continuously replacing said water allows your body to naturally cleanse itself. Flushing out toxins and whatnot which allows and promotes smooth mechanics.

Water, of course, is preferred. In particular, filtered tap water. We would love to think that our tap water is safe to drink but you’d be surprised at the things that are legal. Filtering will get most of the bad stuff out. The plastic in bottled water can leach chemicals also, so just be mindful of such things.

Teas are great too. They have great benefits and have been used as medicinals since ancient times. If you have to sweeten them, use honey (which is also great for immunity support).

What If I’m Already Sick?

Oh no! I hate to hear that! Healing vibes to you! If you’re already feeling bad, do all of the above things and then try these as well:

» Honey and Cinnamon for Immunity

*Never give raw honey to babies under 1*

Mix them together, a teaspoon or so of honey and then probably half of that of cinnamon. (If we’re being completely honest, I have never and probably will never measure much of anything. I eye ball amounts) This concoction is great for a cough.

» Pineapple Cough Syrup

This works amazingly for my family and myself. It’s super simple also! I don’t cook, so anything I ever give you is going to be crazy easy. 

 » Apple Cider Vinegar for Immunity

Apple cider vinegar is one of those cure-alls. Take about a shot glass’s amount either alone or with water. It alkalizes the body which allows it to fight things off easier. Disease can’t live in an alkalized environment.

» Essential Oils

Diffusing them helps the respiratory system, easing coughs and congestion. The best ones are Frankincense and Breathe. I swear by the Breathe. We go through 2 bottles a year at least (that’s a lot). It’s also a highly effective vapor rub alternative. 

Peppermint Essential Oil: Mix with a carrier oil such as Coconut oil (especially on children) and then rub on the bottoms of feet. This should help with fever.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil: Diffusing for respiratory relief.

On Guard essential oil helps boost immunity so you can get better faster.

» Real Bone Broth for Immunity

Not that store bought stuff. But the real stuff isn’t hard to make!

• Just get some bones with the marrow (Remember, grass fed is best),
• 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar,
• salt and pepper to taste and
• then some vegetables of your choice,
• cover with water and then
• simmer on high in a crockpot for 48 hours.

Simple, simple and it helps with all sorts of ailments.

» Golden Milk

Turmeric milk has amazing benefits. It will help with your cough and speed recovery time. Not to mention it’s also a great tasting hot beverage for cold, wet days. I love me a hot beverage.

» Detox Bath for Immunity

2 cups of Epsom Salts in a bath will detox and an oil of your choice (Frankincense or Eucalyptus for respiratory or Lavender for calming) for 30 minutes.

» Wet Socks

Are said to lower fever.

» Elderberries for Immunity

I haven’t had any experience with this yet because no one in my family has been sick since I heard about it. I like to learn from experience. As soon as I figure it out, though, I’ll let you know.

This one is definitely worth looking into though as I’ve heard of some pretty wonderful benefits from it.

» Mindset

Mindset is everything. You’ve heard of the placebo effect. It’s possible because of mindset. The way you think means everything. Stay positive! Your body has the ability to heal itself.

I hope this helps you out! Feel free to hit me up with questions, suggestions and comments or sign up for Potions Class to learn the basics of essential oils!

Best vibes Always, S.S.Blake

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Author

S.S.Blake; Spiritual Life Coach, Yoga + Meditation Teacher and Founder of Earth and Water

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