It’s inevitable living in the northern half of the United States that the weather will eventually turn cold. Where we are it is warmer than some areas due to the air from the ocean, so I’ve been told, and cooler than others but generally speaking New England gets cold and that’s all there is to it. The combination of the cold air, the kids going back to school, everyone’s schedules making us tired and what ever other reason there is with the season, you can expect to start to hear sniffles, sneezes and coughs. The close proximity to others with staying indoors more can cause us to get sick. So what can we do to support our immune system to possibly prevent colds, the flu and even just exhaustion? Or to help us recover more quickly if we do get ill. Well, frankly it’s going to happen, sickness will infiltrate the walls of the house and hopefully we will make it through. People do a great many things in hopes to avoid getting sick and others still do nothing and they are the ones who get us sick, sometimes.

A few years ago I starting making fire cider. A concoction of a great number of “hot” vegetables like white onion, garlic, jalapeno and other healing spices and herbs like tumerac, black pepper and rosemary all steeped in a large jar with apple cider vinegar for a number of weeks then strained , bottled and refrigerated. As the temperatures drop the shots of fire cider start getting thrown back. I also make an elderberry syrup for the kids who can’t handle the strong taste of the fire cider. Not too long ago I also started making home brewed kombucha. If you haven’t hear of this it is a fermented drink which assists with your gut health. It is a bit pricey buying it in the stores but is relatively easy and most definitely cost effective to brew at home. This is something I try to drink daily and when I do I have no issues with my reflux symptoms it actually seems to alleviate them. I am of course not a Doctor or scientist to know if this is due to the kombucha or now but it’s working for me.

On top of both fire cider and kombucha there is of course the importance of eating the right foods and allowing your body to rest. I can not stress enough the importance of two things, hydration and sleep. Taking a multivitamin is another staple and of course exercise of some form. Yoga is a fantastic form of low impact exercise that you can slowly increase your ability at both in flexibility and strength. I find myself doing yoga stretching, although sometimes modified, throughout the day. One I do a lot is a standing cow/camel it helps relieve stress in my lower back. Another thing we started doing here was walking. A brisk one mile walk can do wonders not only for your physical health but your mental health as well and it has become a time when we can talk without interruption of electronics because we leave those things at home.

The colder months are also a great time to start a reading schedule to get your brain in the game as well as a time to spend quality time with our family, finish projects inside or create something new. These things are great pick me ups for your brain and spirit.

Are there any suggestions, tips or questions you could add to this topic? I would love to hear them. Until next time.

xo