Winter Wellness……………and Reflexology’s role in the Immune System.

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Crisp, frosty days with clear blue skies, the glow of open fires, the taste of warm nourishing soups, freezing mornings, ice on the windscreen, chilling winds, bare branches on tall elongated trees and damp rainy evenings are all descriptive of winter.

It is a time of year that many people dread and a season that often brings with it coughs, colds and various viruses. True, we cannot do very much about the weather but we can certainly do something about our overall health and whether we become ill or not.

Some strategies that I use to help me stay well throughout Winter include:

  • Reducing Stress. Chronic stress causes inflammation in our body and reduces the amount of antibodies available to fight illness. Take time out for yourself. Rug up and walk in nature. Meditate. Laugh. Spend time with those you care about. Think positive thoughts. A positive mindset increases endorphins, our ‘feel good’ hormones.
  • Regular Exercise. This is often harder to do in winter as the cold weather is not an incentive to go outside. However exercise boosts your immune system by increasing circulation. This improved blood flow increases immune cells, by actually doubling the amount of cells circulating. Exercise also boosts endorphins and helps you to sleep better. Exercise indoors at a gym or if that’s not your thing, dance around the house or put on your hat and coat and explore nature. Just move your body. Make sure you get spend some time in the sun too, to boost your Vitamin D levels.
  • Having uninterrupted sleep. 7 – 9 hours is recommended nightly. A lack of sleep can lead to more inflammation in your body and higher levels of stress hormones, which will affect your immune system. Try going to bed at the same time every night and establish good habits. Avoid lights in your bedroom, including clock radios and don’t work on computers or other devices late at night. It disrupts your melatonin (sleep hormone) levels.
  • Healthy Diet. Our diets play a major role in our immune systems and our overall health. A diet high in sugar will reduce immune cells so make sure to include brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, especially those high in Vitamin C, such as strawberries and kiwi fruit. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrot and broccoli and mushrooms such as reishi or shiitake also help improve immune levels. Don’t forget to include red meat, chicken, fish and eggs to increase zinc levels, ginger, garlic and green tea and herbs such as echinacea,astragalus, andrographis and olive leaf which have been shown to ward off viruses.
  • Using Essential Oils. Essential oils are my ‘go to’ medicine whenever I feel a sore throat or cold coming on. “OnGuard’ by Doterra or “Thieves” by Young Living are two blends that work very rapidly to ease symptoms. Other oils I use in winter are Thyme, Frankincense, Tea tree, Eucalyptus, Lavender and Lemon, to name a few. Essential oils are highly anti-viral and anti-bacterial and work very powerfully so are only needed in small amounts. Diffuse them throughout the house to get rid of airborne bacteria or use them in inhalations if you have a cold. My husband recently had a very heavy cold and rather than banish him to another room, (which I was very tempted to do), I kept a tissue infused with thyme and frankincense in the top of my PJ’s or under my pillow while I slept. Despite normally succumbing to whatever bug he had, I was able to avoid any infection.

A favourite strategy for me is regular Reflexology.

Reflexology plays a significant role in your immune system by detoxifying the body and boosting its immune response.
It not only feels wonderful but it helps reduce Stress and improves the quality of your sleep.
It increases your circulation thereby boosting the transportation of immune cells and nutrients throughout your body.
It improve the functioning of your spleen which filters your blood and produces blood cells. It boosts your thymus gland which produces lymphocytes to fight disease. It increases lymphatic drainage so that toxins are removed, your immune response is increased and white blood cell production is elevated.
Reflexology also assists the lungs to improve breathing, helps the large intestine in detoxifying the body and supports the adrenal glands to reduce inflammation.

So this winter don’t just sit back and hope for the best. Take active measures to support your body throughout these colder months. You never know – you might actually feel better for it and escape the worst that winter offers.

What do you do to stay well during winter? Let me know in the comments below. We can all benefit from each other’s ideas.

 

With love,

Judy

 

References: www.webmd.com, www.newscientist.com, www.health.harvard.com, www.bodyandsoul.com.au

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her knowledge and the above references. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.