4 Natural Ways to Fight Sickness
Whether you feel a little under the weather or feel like you got hit by a truck, it sucks. But unfortunately, our first instinct is to reach into the medicine cabinet for the first meds we can find to help bandaid the situation. As great as that can be at first, it can not only lead to side effects, but our symptoms are right back to where they started as soon as it wears off. So next time you think you need a little bit of help, maybe think about some of these more natural ways to fight off whatever it is that is dragging you down, therefore your body can take on the root issue head on.
Rest
This is an obvious one, right? Well, we tend to think so until we actually get to being sick and we try to do as much as we can, while still calling it “rest”. Trust me, I KNOW. Here’s the thing- think about your body like a machine. When one part of it is broken, everything else is a little thrown off and can’t functioning properly. However, mechanics don’t work on a machine while it’s still running. They have to completely shut it down in order to fix it the fastest. Your body works in a similar way. You can’t expect it to revive itself while other parts are moving, so congrats- you get to CHILL.
Use this time to sleep a little extra (the best rest your body could have), read a book, whatever. Now, don’t get me wrong, I always try to get up and walk for about 15 minutes every 2-3 hours or so. Preferably, I do this outside, if I can, to get some natural Vitamin D to help with energy levels. If you can’t, it’s just as good to walk around the house for a bit. That way you get the blood circulating again to areas your body probably needs, but if this doesn’t make you feel better- don’t. Listen to your body.
Exercise
Lots of people ask me about working out when their sick. In my opinion, it’s always best to take a few days off so your body can properly focus on repairing the ISSUE, not your muscles. If your itching to do something and feel ok to do so, I always go back to this- if issue is above the neck (head cold, stuffy nose, headache, etc), you may be ok to get some additional walking or low intensity exercise- PS this does NOT include a fever! Anything below the neck (nauseousness, diarrhea, etc), it’s probably best to keep it on the couch.
Ok, moving on…
2. Diet
Obviously this is something you should focus on every day, but ESPECIALLY when your body is fighting something. Think about keeping an anti-inflammatory diet during your rest period and avoiding anything processed- sugar, fried foods, alchohol, grains, dairy, etc. These foods are a breeding ground for virus’ and bacteria.
I know the old saying is to stick with “easy to digest” foods like crackers and bread, but this could just cause a road block in the recovery process. You want your body’s “repair team” to have one job and one job only- fix your illness. If now they have to pay attention to your gut inflammation because you gave it something that’s pretty foreign to it, that’s just delaying the job.
You definitely want to make sure to eat something so your body has something to work with, but here are some of my favorite options-
Soups (duh)- keeping it light with tons of veggies.
Room-temp Smoothies- I try to make sure to use nothing with dairy, but add dark berries, and veggies (or greens powder)
Salad- try to keep this light and with easy to digest veggies. If you add protein, make it a lean source like tuna or seeds.
Hot Tea- ginger and green are my go-to’s.
Add inflammatory spices- YES to cinnamon and turmeric.
3. Hydration
You should literally be so busy in the bathroom that you don't have time to do anything else- HA! Clean water is so essential when your sick. Your organs play a role in getting you healthier and water is a main source of supply to those babies. I like to carry around my Hydro Flask all day and re-fill it as many times as I can. Lemon and sea salt are great additions, but be careful that the lemon isn’t too acidic for you.
Also, watch that you aren’t just using water from the faucet. Studies show that over 4 million Americans are drinking tap water with pollutants above the legal level. Instead of actually fueling you, water like this can cause numerous issues within the body. The best thing to do is invest in some sort of filter- on your sink, in your fridge, or a separate filter, like a Berkey.
4. Herbs & Supplements
This section is not meant to diagnose anything, but just to help you guys be more aware of vitamins and supplements I like and have been proven to help with any sickness we face. Additional ones during this time can help wonders in your recovery process. It’s more than likely we aren’t eating the amount of food we need, so taking some of these could help benefit the body in a number of ways. I would recommend reaching out to a holistic doctor for amounts specific for you.
Vitamin C
Echinacea
Elderberry
Oregano Oil
Zinc
Vitamin D
Sweet’s Syrup- One of my favorites!
Essential Oils
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Frankincense Essential Oil
Peppermint Oil
Clove Essential Oil
Do you have any other things that help get over sickness? Comment below!
