Are you ready for Winter?

It’s hard to believe Winter is almost upon us.  Where has the year gone.  Easter holidays have arrived and so have the customary cooler mornings.   With the cooler weather come viruses and bugs.   This may be partly due to our vitamin D levels being lower during this time.  If you are prone to getting coughs and colds, have been under considerable stress, have had a poorer diet or tend to suffer from chest infections and the like, it would be a good idea to start building up your immunity before we welcome Winter in all her glory.    Regardless of age  I recommend incorporating the following as preventative measures, but also:

• increase your intake of zinc rich foods, ie. ginger, beef, oysters – studies have shown zinc to be particularly effective in its citrate form
• have your vitamin D levels checked (this is as simple as a blood test)
• if you are prone to infection or have suffered from anaemia recently, have a full blood count done to establish your iron levels but also the state of your white blood cells
• increase your intake of fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi.  If purchasing these take care not to purchase the pasteurised versions as the immune building capacity will have been compromised.
• start a veggie patch and increase your consumption of fresh fruit and veggies.  Nothing’s fresher than straight from the garden – full of phytonutrients, minerals and of course the therapeutic aspect of growing them 🙂
• take an immune tonic – we’ll be happy to chat to your regarding the best options to help boost your immunity pre-winter
• take a probiotic.  Probiotics can be liken to breeds of dogs….(sort of anyway :))… that is they are all different shapes and sizes and work in different ways.  Taking a probiotic for the next few months will help to boost your immunity, but ask us which is the most effective strain for you.  Studies have shown taking a probiotic daily to reduce the incidence of infection, esp. gastro
• reduce your intake of sugar.  Sugar is highly inflammatory in the body and has a suppressing effect on the immune system
• look out for our upcoming workshops on how to Beat the Bugs Naturally for all the family.
• book an appointment for the whole family for a pre-winter health check.

Watch out for our post on healthy easter recipes, including gluten free hot cross buns and of course….CHOCOLATE!