The Ultimate Guide to Winter Wellness
Winter is a time of stillness and contemplation- a season to go within. We can honor this by basking in the quiet and listening to ourselves.
What do you need in this moment?
During the winter I like to light candles and get cozy, sip peppermint tea tea and do some introspective journaling.
Give yourself permission to slow down.
The holiday season while beautiful can be full of mixed feelings of hope for the new year perhaps threaded with anticlimax. You may be running on empty dear one, and that’s okay.
Ask yourself, what can you do to nourish your soul? Your physical body?
Prevention
Do you feel like you’re on the brink of getting a cold?
Or maybe you’ve been around a bunch of sick people lately?
Here are some preventative options to help you tonify the immune system and avoid getting sick in the first place:
1. Fire Cider– An exciting herbal concoction with warming ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, garlic and ginger. Fire cider may not be the most delicious thing you’ve ever tasted and it will burn on the way down, but it is chock full of antioxidants that boost the immune system considerably. Say sayonara to cold and flu.
2. Adaptogenic Tincture– Adaptogens are nature’s superheroes. They reduce stress and anxiety and fortify the immune system. When taken over time they even teach the body how to regulate its biological functions. They are powerful herbal guardians that protect our health and are believed to increase longevity. You can find out more about adaptogens here.
3. Thieve’s Oil– Thieve’s essential oil (or an alternative) was used by grave robbers during the plague to avoid contracting the fatal illness. Hey, if it was good enough for them… You can apply a drop or two of thieve’s oil to a cotton ball and rub it on the soles of your feet. Or you can use the oil in a diffuser to ward off germs. Both methods are effective and smell good too!
Restoration
“But wait!” you say, “I’m already sick…”
I would like to share some of the steps I take to restore my health in case you find yourself with a cold or flu this season. Keep in mind that I am not a doctor, nor do I claim to be one.
1. Drink several cups of tea per day, especially nettle, chamomile, ginger and mint which are particularly fortifying and nourishing.
2. Elderberry is my favorite herbal ally during the winter. While elderberry gummies are my go-to, you can also imbibe them in tincture or syrup form. They taste delicious and are often capable of shortening the lifespan of the illness considerably. If you are only going to try one thing on this list make it this one.
3. Manuka honey– Take a spoonful a day. Manuka honey is a superfood known for its healing properties. It is anti-viral and anti-microbial by nature. Avoid however if you have an upset stomach.
4. Vitamin C supplement– I use a powder, but it is available in tablet form too. Vitamin C is especially effective at fighting the common cold and protects against immune deficiencies.
5. Cough Be-Gone– If you have a cough consider sucking on whole cloves (no more than 2-3 at a time) which you can purchase from most health food stores. They numb the throat which alleviates coughing. Once you feel the cloves’ effect on your throat dispose of them- do not swallow. If cloves aren’t for you or they aren’t effective enough, chamomile tea is another option. This herb is an antispasmodic and eliminates that tickle in the back of the throat that leads to coughing.
6. Rest– Make sure you get plenty of rest and pay attention to what your body needs, it is more intelligent than you might give it credit for.
What are your winter time rituals?
What strategies do you use to reclaim your health?
I would love to hear about them in the comments section below.
