Healthy Holiday Tips

The holidays are a great time to celebrate with friends and family. Even though many people go into the holidays with the best of intentions to stay healthy- the immune system can be pounded down from the stress of excessive shopping and over-eating, leaving illness an easy entry. Here are a few solutions to keep your family healthy and happy this holiday season:

Stay Away from (Refined) Sugar

Refined sugar is not a treat – it is artificial; a non-food. It cannot be well digested, actually inhibits digestion, is addicting, and causes a great number of biochemical errors. Remember, natural fructose is contained in most raw fruits and vegetables. It is a natural food. Moderate amounts of natural fructose can be easily digested by the body with no stress or depleting of mineral stores. Natural fructose does not cause rollercoaster blood sugar, unless the person overdoes it. Natural fructose is not addicting. There are many other great options to enjoy a sweet “treat”, that don’t involve refined white sugar and HFCS.

Stay Away from Processed Food

We are literally making ourselves sick from our own food. Nobody is forcing the soda down our throat, or the chips, cookies, or all the other non-nutritious things we devour. We are doing it to ourselves, while at the same time complaining about the high cost of health care. All of these foods items suppress and decrease the body’s immune response. Some people call it “junk food.” That’s really what it is. Junk. And it has no business in our bodies.

Keep Immune System Supercharged

Remember, your body is an incredible complex of systems, and your behaviors and choices will determine the health and vitality of those systems, especially the immune system. That’s why I recommend the Core Four of supplements (Whole food multivitamin, Probiotic, Omega 3, Vitamin D). It only makes sense that your supplements should get their nutrients from fruits and vegetables, rather than synthetic man- made chemicals. So aim for whole food vitamins, and remember, when comparing supplementation prices, cheaper is not better…you get what you pay for.

Get Adjusted

Since the nervous system controls all functions of the body ‑ including the immune system ‑ chiropractic care can have a positive effect on immune function. Through research we know that chiropractic has beneficial effects on immunoglobulins, B‑lymphocytes (white blood cells), pulmonary function and other immune system processes.

Get Proper Rest

Without rest, your body can not properly delegate its energy to the system that needs it the most. Interrupted or impaired sleep can dramatically weaken your immune system. If your body feels tired: rest.

Hydration

Drink pure water over sugary drinks. Water is critical for almost all cellular function. Dehydration promotes histamine production; histamine promotes mucus production and inflammation, which lead to infection. Drinking water helps the body regulate temperature, especially during a fever.

Eat Well

A wholesome, whole food diet, rich in nutrients, is really the best medicine.  “Let your food be your medicine, and let your medicine be your food. Check out our Grocery list here.

As holiday festivities begin this week and run well into the New Year, make a conscious effort to pay close attention to everything that is put into your families bodies. Everything we put into our bodies either builds and strengthens our immune system or it depletes and weakens the immune system.

Choosing to build the immune system is the single best way to avoid illness.