2-2020 Newsletter Dear Friends, wishing you winter wellness! I have some new office offerings and some immune system tips to share with you.
Reiki Certification Classes
Reiki Master, Lori Belton, is offering Reiki Level 1 Certification Classes beginning April 5th 10a-4p with one Sunday per month offering in the future! Reiki Level I is an introduction to Reiki, a technique using spiritually guided life energy. It is good for stress reduction and promotes healing by allowing everyone to access an unlimited supply of life energy. Life energy awareness has been part of many cultures since the beginning of human times. Reiki technique originates from a Japanese Buddhist, Mikao Usui Sensei in 1922. Reiki treatments are both simple to give and powerful. Reiki feels wonderful, promotes relaxation and the natural flow of energy to improve health and comfort. Level I Reiki training is a great way to improve your life, support those you care for and build a foundation for future learning if you'd like to practice professionally in the future. Learn more about Reiki Certification Classes here. Sr Ines is back! We gladly welcome Sr. Inés back from her trip to Chile. We missed her while she was away! She has returned to offering Massage and Healing Touch Sessions on Mondays and Thursdays 2:30-8p and Weds 8:30-1:30. You can schedule online here or reply with an appointment inquiry. Massage with Sandi Licensed Massage Therapist, Sandi Babson, has appointments available this week. She's in every other week as she transitions to her new West Boylston home. If you haven’t yet experienced her work or met Sandi, I encourage you to book an appointment with her. She has 2 appointments left tomorrow (Fri, 2/14) a 10:30 and 12p. Sandi’s experience (20+ years), passion for massage and calm positive attitude combine to create wonderfully relaxing and deeply effective massage sessions. Learn more about Sandi here. Massage for Heart Health?
The rest is posted here. Winter Immune System Care: Prevention and what to do if you start to feel sick.
Winter colds and other viruses have many on heightened alert this year. Though we don’t completely understand why one person gets the flu and others don’t, we do know that exposure doesn’t determine illness, susceptibility does. So what can we do to prevent winter illness or better yet, improve overall immune system health?
Lifestyle factors that make you more resilient include:
Be well rested
Get adequate sleep or avoid getting “run down”. Sometimes choosing to stay home to re-charge your batteries can make a big difference. Adequate sleep varies for each person, but if you want to increase the sleep you get consider making gradual changes. Earlier to bed by 10-15 min each week over a month could add up to an extra hour and let your body adapt easily.
Simple Hygiene
Hand washing and making a point to avoid touching your face are still two of the best defenses against the common cold.
Manage Stress
There are many links between emotional stress and immune system suppression. So, do your best to not sweat the small stuff and find moments to de-stress in healthful ways. This could be as small as the habit of shaking off a stressful moment. I first learned of this technique for stress reduction at a meditation workshop and have found it to be a good reset between a stressful moment and the next as well as helpful with obtaining relaxed and focused meditation state. You may have seen a dog, cat, horse, bird or squirrel give a good little head to tail shake after an interaction. They do this naturally; we’ve somehow lost the helpful coping mechanism they use. The technique I’ve used is a gentle progressive toes up gentle movement of each body segment followed by a gentle shake out. Here’s a site that goes over the science behind the technique and its’ potential benefits for humans.
Stay Hydrated
We think more of this in the summer when we are hot or sweaty but water loss is significant in New England in the winter. The colder it is outside the less moisture there is in the air and the more the heat kicks on indoors causing us to loose moisture. Dry skin and dry mucus membranes result. Yes, dryness in you nostrils and sinuses makes you more susceptible to respiratory infections in the winter. So, ensure adequate water intake. Water and herbal tea are you best bets! Drink 1/2 your weight in pounds divided by 2 as a baseline daily water goal in ounces for most people, more for athletes. If you have heart or kidney issues, check with your doctor for your ideal intake.
Avoid Refined Sugars and Alcohol
I know it’s cold and grey. Roast up some root vegetables to satisfy those winter comfort food cravings or make a big pot of soup. Treat yourself to a hot cup of herbal tea in the evening instead of an alcoholic beverage. The refined sugars including alcohol really zap your immune system. Raw honey, dates and maple syrup in small quantities are OK and have some health benefits. More about honey and apple cider vinegar benefits on our blog here.
Foods and Nutrients to support Immune System Health
Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Elderberry, Herbal Throat Spray, and please choose foods that strengthen you!
Vitamin C is important for immune and vascular health. Best food sources are sauerkraut (raw/live culture), citrus, broccoli, cantaloupe, cauliflower, kale, kiwi, papaya, red, green or yellow pepper, sweet potato, strawberries, and tomatoes. Up to 50% of vitamin C can be lost in boiling or cooking in water. So choose these raw, baked, sautéed or if cooked in water make it soup. We also carry many C complex rich formulas from Standard Process including: Cataplex C, Cataplex ACP, Cataplex AC, Cyruta and Cyruta Plus.
Vitamin D levels often decline in the winter when New England sunshine doesn’t provide enough intensity to stimulate D production in our skin and we don’t get enough skin exposure due to the temperatures. Vitamin D is important for immune health as well as bone, and brain health. Vitamin D is fat soluble so increase vitamin D rich foods such as; fatty fish (salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, cod liver oil), hard cheese, egg yolks and my favorite butter from grass fed cows. Another surprising source of D is mushrooms. If exposed to natural sunlight for 1 hr- 4 hrs D content in mushrooms increases, more so if sliced. Mushroom skin converts sunlight to D in the same way our skin dose and the D lasts even if then dried, stored and cooked at temps up to 400 degrees. We also supplement D with Standard Process Cataplex D, Dr Mercola’s Liposomal D and Energetix D3 K2 Liposomal Pump. We carry such a variety because of individuality and use muscle testing to discern the best fit for your body.
Garlic has been used to support the immune system for ages. Modern studies have shown its’ effectiveness in preventing colds, reducing severity and duration of viral stress. Garlic is most effective raw and freshly chopped or crushed. For the best benefit use fresh garlic in dressings or to finish cooked foods just before serving. It’s also a very good anti-inflammatory for vessels and can contribute to healthy cholesterol levels. We carry several garlic rich products that we’ve found have good effect. Standard Process Organically Grown Garlic, MediHerb Garlic Forte and Herbal Revolution’s Fire Tonic.
Fire Tonic or Fire Cider
Herbal Revolution’s combination product, Fire Tonic, is an herbal tradition in New England also known as Fire Cider. It's something I keep in the cupboard and now have available in the office. It is a warming and spicy blend of vegetables and herbs infused in organic raw apple cider vinegar.
Elderberry
Elderberry Syrups and tonics have become increasingly popular. Studies have shown elderberry is effective for preventing and reducing the severity and duration of viruses including the flu. Daily dosing is low and preventative, but can be increased if you feel you are coming down with something. You can make your own. Here’s the recipe I make with my dad’s honey! We also carry one of my favorite pre-made Elderberry Tonics also from Herbal Revolutions in Maine. Here’s Kathy’s description:
Our Elderberry Tonic takes wellness to the next level by combining elderberries, mushrooms, roots and warming spices to create the beneficial and delicious tonic. Made with traditional ingredients that support healthy immune function throughout the year. We hope you enjoy this power packed immune boosting blend. Made with all Organic Ingredients: Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Elderberry, Astragalus Root, Reishi, Maitake, Ginger, Cinnamon.
What to do if you feel you are coming down with something. If you have a complicated immune or respiratory healthy history, contact your physician. To support your body during cold/flu symptoms continue the above diet and lifestyle interventions. In addition, the following are some of the things I keep in my “medicine” cabinet and that we now stock in the front office. I always keep Boiron’s Oscillococcinum for flu symptoms and Cold Calm for cold symptoms on hand. They can really reduce the length, severity of symptoms, have a great long shelf life, and don’t have any interactions with medications as they are homeopathic. They are also now available at most pharmacies. Elderberry Tonic and Fire Cider have similar benefits and taste great if you like pungent, vinegary and spicy. They can be taken three times daily when ill and mix with honey or tea to mellow down the flavor on the palate if you choose. MediHerb’s Herbal Throat Spray is great to have on hand to use if you’ve just been exposed to someone who is sick or at the first sign of a dry, tired or sore throat. I use it after seeing clients who are sick just to be on the safe side and it tastes great if you like cloves! More info on their site here. We also have a full arsenal of Standard Process and Mediherb food based and herbal immune support from Tuna Omega (fish oil), Cod Liver Oil, Congaplex, Cataplex AC, Cataplex C, Immuplex, Echinacea Premium, to Astragalus Complex and many more for immune support. For respiratory tract care and mucus clearing we their have; Antronex, Allerplex, Fen Gre and Albizia Complex just to get started! If taking medications, consult with a practitioner or your pharmacists for safety/interactions before beginning an herbal supplement. I hope you are weathering winter conditions well and integrate some natural immune system care into your days. If you have any questions, please reach out. Noelle and I are happy to be resources for your support. Wishing you winter wellness from all of us! Adrienne
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