Here’s how you can avoid getting sick these holidays…
Are you the kind of person who really looks forward to your Christmas break because the lead up is packed-full of social events and winding up at work for the New Year, but lo and behold, as soon as you’re on your holiday, you’re sick? For some of us, getting sick on holidays is a regular thing, and when you don’t have that much time off, it can really spoil the break you’ve been looking forward to. “But why me?!” you cry, before letting out another sneeze. Let’s talk about why your body thinks a holiday is the perfect time to get sick and what you can do now to lessen the chance of it happening to you.Our bodies are a fascinating and interconnected structure of multiple systems, all of which support and have an effect on one another. Which is why when you push yourself in one area (like – “I need to organise and go to all the events in a four-week period, while trying to stay on top of my workload and the housework and get my Christmas list ticked off and getting the dog-sitter organised and don’t forget the presents for the kids’ teachers and my partner’s work party and oh gosh, what am I going to get Mum?! – your stress management), it can negatively affect other systems – like your immune function.
We know stress has a negative effect on the body when we can’t manage it well. When life is busy, it’s so easy to let put stress management at the bottom of your priorities – exactly when you need it most! – but did you know that unchecked stress can lead to deficiencies of the very nutrients your body needs to support your immune system?
For example, during times of acute stress, vitamin D can be depleted, which is a key nutrient for your immune health. If you’re already depleted, that stress might just be what brings your vitamin D levels down so far that it can’t do its job properly, and you get sick.
Stress also depletes vitamin C, zinc and glutathione, more key nutrients for your immune system, along with magnesium, a key nutrient for your stress management, energy and mental wellbeing – no wonder all that stress can really take its toll!
Here’s how you can improve your immune function in the lead up to the silly season.
Prioritise 5-10 minutes per day to decompress. As wonderful as 2 hours of meditation followed by a 90 minute yin yoga can be for your nervous system, when life ramps up, you need to find ways to calm yourself down that can fit in with everything else.
Here are a few quick suggestions to try:
- Write down everything you need to remember for tomorrow so that it doesn’t spend the night spinning in your head. Let the paper remember it so you can have a peaceful night’s sleep
- Wind down with this quick meditation called The Cave by Elle Steele. Take some deep belly breaths and feel your entire body relax.
- Find you’ve got a headache at the end of the day? Try this stretching sequence with Shona Vertue to release some of that tension
- Spend a few minutes tapping/EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to process and release your stress. Try this Quick Tap to Release Anxiety by Erin Laishley
Boost your vitamin D with our My Liposomal D+K and getting at least 15 minutes of sunshine (depending on your complexion) on the biggest surface areas of your body (chest, belly, back). If 15 minutes is too much, aim for 3-5 and slowly build your body up to it.
Do your best to eat 3 main meals each day full of protein, veggies, good fats and some complex carbohydrates. These will not only keep you going (and reduce your sugar cravings) they will provide your body with the building blocks it needs for a thriving immune system and help to replete some of those nutrients your stress is depleting.
Why not try:
- Start your day with eggs, homemade baked beans or even leftover savoury mince for a big protein hit first thing
- Make a big batch of pulled chicken/beef/jackfruit so you have plenty for leftovers to put in salads and other dishes
- This smoothie recipe with our Pure Collagen Peptides + C
Support your body’s glutathione levels with our minty-fresh My Liposomal Glutathione. Just two pumps on the tongue is a delightful start to the day!
Make sure you do something that brings you joy every day! What’s something that will make you happy today? Forget guilty pleasures, indulge in something you love and forget what someone else might think about it. If it feels good for you, it’s going to break down that pesky cortisol (your stress hormone) and reduce its suppressive effects on your immune system.
In summary, it’s the small things that have the biggest impact when it comes to your health, and you don’t need to dedicate hours of rigid determination towards it for it to matter. Look after yourself as best you can, and have FUN while doing it!
Wishing you a safe and happy holidays, from the team at Therapure.