“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
~ Benjamin Franklin
There is nothing like prevention when it comes to winter wellness. We are able to avoid many of the seasonal sicknesses by applying the following lifestyle practices. Is there anything that you can add to our little list?
1.
Drink plenty of herbal teas - This is a gentle and warming winter habit that you will enjoy! I like to keep a teapot out all day filled with herbs. As it is consumed, I refill it with more hot water to keep it available to all who could use a soothing cup. Immune building herbs such as
elderberry,
rose hips, peppermint, hibiscus, lemongrass,
citrus peel and nettle are all good choices (mix and match your favorites). Echinacea should be added to teas as soon as you feel the cold/flu symptoms coming on but discontinue use after a few weeks in order to avoid an immunity (you can take the other herbs as often as you please but echinaceas effectiveness will decrease if used continually). Ginger, honey and lemon stirred into hot water also makes a nice (and medicinal), warming winter beverage.
2.
Drink homemade broths and stocks - Nutrient-dense bone broths provides the body with much needed minerals, immune-boosting and infection fighting powers and overall health support. Keep a thermos filled with hot broth and serve in between meals as a warming beverage, use as a base for soups, stews, sauces and in place of water in rice.
3.
Eat lots of onions and garlic - What a tasty way to provide immune support! The sky is the limit to using these medicinal foods. Both being a part of the allium family, they contain allicin which is an immune stimulating compound which promotes the activity of white blood cells to destroy cold and flu viruses (among other immune support benefits). Eating the foods raw is more favorable. Try adding them to homemade salsas or sprinkle raw garlic over pizzas with a drizzle of olive oil and herbs.
4. Stock your pantry with (and use) medicinal spices and foods - Stir
herb infused honey into teas, pour
herbal syrups over pancakes and
herbal honey into hot oatmeal. Add plenty of the immune building spices to your meals such as turmeric, cumin, cayenne, ginger, coriander, fennel, black pepper, curry powder and cinnamon. You will find many of these kinds of recipes in our ebook
here.
5.
Enjoy essential oils - If you have an essential oil diffuser, add the citrus oils, cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender and/or the
Thieves and
On Guard Blends. These will help to purity the air, kill bacteria and keep moisture in the dry winter air. If you run a fireplace, keep a pot of water filled with some essential oils in the room to help avoid dry coughs that can bring on the croup in young-ins (or place pot directly on wood burning stove and continue to add water as it evaporates). Apply the
On Guard and/or
Thieves oil blends onto the back of neck, front of neck and shoulders when going out in public (or frugally make your own
here). Make up some
"Get Well Soon Spray" which will not only disinfect but also cleanse the stale indoor air. Use it as a room spray, germ killer and sanitizer for door handles, sink handles and telephones.
Besides keeping hydrated, balanced nutrition and getting the proper amount of sleep each night, these are easy ways to keep a healthy home during the cold and flu season. To your health, dear reader!
All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Make Your Home Sing Monday, Good Morning Mondays, The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, The Homesteader Hop, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop, Wow Us Wednesdays, Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up, Five Star Frou Frou Friday, and Shabbilicious Friday. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).
Greetings, dear ladies! For the new few months, I will be sharing a few pre-scheduled posts (and round-ups) as I prepare for and enjoy a wonderful extended visit with out-of-town family. With that being said, I will not be able to do much online "visiting" and commenting but would still love to hear from you in the comments should you desire to share. Thank you for understanding and have a lovely week!
Love, JES
