It's upon us, folks. The cold and flu season likes to pop in on us this time every year (which feels very unfair as we're still falling pray to mosquitos around here)!
Do you have an immunity plan for yourself or your family? As I mentioned in the video, the most important thing to consider when creating your plan is that it's realistic and manageable. Anything that will cause you more stress will be counterproductive here. High stress = Low Immunity
What you really should know about PURELL
In honor of back-to-school time here in NY - and the simultaneous start to cold / flu season - I decided to record a video all about Purell and other hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial soaps.
Now, the video below was recorded live before my kids actually went back to school, so there are A LOT of extra noises, distractions, and cuteness. If you can handle that, check out the video right here. ;-)
Here's what you need to know:
Purell is full of toxins and actually banned in the state of Minnesota as a result. These toxins can be absorbed through our skin, leading to inflammation, disease, and estrogen dominance issues (such as weight gain).
Even organic hand sanitizers and anti-bacterial soap - anything meant to kill germs on contact - is killing off your good bacteria as well.
Just like we have a gut microbiome that consists of healthy flora, our skin has its own microbiome as well.
A robust skin microbiome helps to overpower harmful microorganisms we encounter.
A lack of diversity (too many beneficial microbes being killed off) will lead to skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and rosacea.
Have I convinced you to skip the Purell - and the like - yet?
But what about germs?!?!
The most important thing we can do for our immunity is actually to support our body's own innate ability to be resilient. Germs are unavoidable, so focusing solely on steering clear of them isn't a good defense.
One exemption, however, is hand-washing. Hand-washing is actually one of the more effective ways to 'defend' yourself against colds and the flu.
Hand-washing checklist (yup, you might be doing it wrong):
Use soap (but not anti-bacterial) because it acts as a detergent - lifting germs off the surface of your skin so that they can be washed away with friction.
Get after it! Friction is important here! You don't need to scrub or be harsh, but simply rubbing your hands together will help.
Work all sides - in between the fingers is an area that harbors lots of germs (I know, gross).
Time. Sing the Happy Birthday song twice… or hum your favorite Bruno Mars song…before you reach for the towel.
BUT FORGET THE PURELL, PLEASE!
Health + Happiness,
Tara
7 ways to ADD stress into your life (yup...ADD stress)
Hey guys,
I'm sharing 7 (it's actually 8...shhh) tips that I use to varying degrees to add beneficial stress (called hormesis) onto my body. This beneficial stress is enough to build a more robust immune system, allow my body to become more resilient, fight disease, and prevent some future disease.
Curious about this? Check out my tips in this video.
P.S. If you want to make sure you don't miss any of my healthified recipes, workouts, and wellness tips, make sure you sign up for my newsletter list AND join my private facebook community. That's where all the fun is! :-)
In good health,
Tara
Here's why I'm breaking up with hand-washing...
Holistic Cough Medicine
Magnolia has a cough. Magnolia requests honey about 2,406 times a day. How are these things related?
We mix up a quick "cough medicine" for her when she's sick or something else is going on that may be compromising her immune system (like when she skips too many naps or happens to have a few dairy-heavy days in a row). The best part? Make a bunch and leave it, covered, on the counter. Honey is the ONLY food that doesn't spoil.
**Please note: honey is not recommended for babies under the age of 1 due to their lessened ability to fight off a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum - which can cause botulism in young babies.**
Here's the "recipe": mix together raw honey, turmeric, and cinnamon. Feel free to add some powdered probiotics if you'd like for an added immune boost.
- The honey contains antioxidants, is antibacterial and anti-fungal, soothes a cough and sore throat, and aids in fighting allergies if using a local, raw honey.
- What does the turmeric do? This is a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant! Therefore, it helps relieve pain and promote healing.
- Cinnamon not only helps to mask the strong taste of the turmeric, but it helps stabilize blood sugar and insulin responses (which an important player in our health and immunity. It is also anti-microbial and contains antioxidants (see a pattern here?). Oh, and it aids blood circulation so your little one's own defenses can get to work!
- Probiotics boost the health of our "gut". Think of these as soldier reinforcements…more good guys to help fight the bad guys. :-)
This is a safe, effective, and relatively inexpensive staple to keep in your household this Fall / Winter to give to any child or adult over the age of 1 as prevention or as an extra boost when a cold or cough appears. 1-3 teaspoons spread out throughout the day works well! I hope your kiddos request this "medicine" as much as mine does.
In health,
Tara