Last week my best friend Heather texted me that her man was sick and asked for recommendations. I sent back a group of mile-long texts with specific DO’s and DONT’s and immediately realized I should share this stuff with you.
Because honestly, who has time to get sick? We all want energy to do the things we love and getting sick sucks, yet most people I know fall victim to a nasty flu at least a couple times a year.
But then there’s those people who seem to magically never get sick.
Today, I’m gonna teach you how to be one of those people.
If you’re already sick, this list will help you get better super quick.
Get ready to say sayonara to sneezing, coughing, runny noses, body aches, exhaustion, and that weird thing where you feel like your head’s underwater (because you’re that congested).
I’ve packaged it into 12 simple steps.
Let’s do this:
1. Sleep. This is the most important step. In fact, if you’re super busy you can throw out the rest of this list and just sleep a lot.
Ok, don’t do that because there’s a lot of other helpful tips here, but sleep is that important. Neglecting sleep weakens your immune system, leaving you 100% more likely to get sick.
Your body does tons of backend repair work when you’re sleeping, and it’s crucial to get 8 hours per night.
Everyone is different: some do better on a little less – perhaps 7 hours – while others need 9-10.
Don’t judge yourself for how much sleep you need. It’s an amazing way to spend time because you’re allowing your body to heal on a deep level. You know how much sleep your body needs – give it to yourself.
2. Switch up your morning beverage. You might reach for coffee first thing in the morning. As the weather gets colder, and during all seasonal changes, I encourage you to first eat breakfast, then see if you still feel like coffee.
If you feel a flu coming on, reducing or removing coffee will help you not get sick. Coffee is one of the most yin substances according to Chinese medicine, and a yin (or open) condition in the body quickly leads to illness. Think open=more susceptible to illness. Contracted=less susceptible.
Here’s a metaphor: An open wound is yin and a closed, healed wound is yang.
Try starting your day with warm lemon water, and choosing tea instead of coffee until you’re feeling 100% healthy.
I know this step is really annoying for some people, but know that you’re just getting rid of coffee temporarily to make sure you don’t get super sick and miss tons of fun events and work. Coffee can come back into your routine, don’t worry.
3. Nix sugar. Sugar is also extremely yin. In fact, it’s the most yin substance in the modern diet. It compromises your immune system, and some say it’s more addictive than cocaine.
When you’re sick, sugar will make you feel temporarily better because it gives you a superficial boost of energy. What happens next? An epic crash that leaves you feeling even sicker than before.
Replace refined sugar with unrefined sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and coconut palm sugar as you ease off the white stuff, but go easy on those too since they’re still sugar. The sicker you feel, the less sugar you should be eating.
4. Exercise in moderation. When you’re sick, mild-moderate exercise will help your body detox and heal, but super vigorous exercise is likely to drain you and leave you in bed for the rest of the day. Go for long walks (make sure you’re bundled up if it’s chilly out), take restorative and yin yoga classes, dance, and do tai chi.
5. Meditate. Meditation has been proven to increase immunity and calm the mind. You might get stressed out when you feel a flu coming on or are already sick, because you feel like you’re missing out on important things. Meditation reminds you that it’s ok to slow down and give your body time to repair. We’re human and occasional illness is inevitable.
6. Take oil of oregano. This is one of the most powerful natural antimicrobial, antibiotic substances out there. You can get it at health food stores. Add one dropper full to a little bit of water, stir, and take it as a shot. Have plain water available to chase it with! This stuff is super intense and can burn. It’s worth it though, as it boosts immunity and brings the body back into balance.
7. Drink turmeric tea. Turmeric is an awesome anti-inflammatory that I love taking when I’m sick. Add a ½-1 teaspoon powdered or fresh-grated turmeric to a big mug along with a teaspoon of raw honey and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Pour boiling water over top, stir and drink. All sickness is inflammation, and turmeric quickly calms flare ups and allows illness to move out of the body through detoxification.
8. Reduce raw foods. Raw salads, juices and smoothies kill the digestive fire and compromise immunity, especially when it’s cold outside. Healthy digestion is crucial for a strong immune system. When the seasons are changing and you’re feeling sick, you need warm foods like soup, bone broth, and roasted vegetables. Cooking vegetables, especially with a great fat like olive oil, makes nutrients more bio-available and helps to improve immunity.
9. Have sex. Were you expecting this one? I actually wasn’t either when I sat down to write this, but DUH. Sex boosts feel-good hormones like serotonin and wipes out stress and the hormones that come with it, like cortisol. When you’re feeling frazzled, your immune system is compromised and you’re more likely to get sick. Cuddle up and have fun with your special someone.
10. Don’t take too many showers. This one sounds a little crazy, but it’s actually believed that taking too many showers disrupts the body’s natural microbiome – balance of good and bad bacteria – leaving you more susceptible to illness. I recommending showering once a day as a rule of thumb. Sometimes if I’m working out I have to do two quick ones, but I always aim to keep it to one.
11. Get a massage. Massages help the lymphatic system detoxify and release bacteria that might be trapped in your body. By stimulating the glands through pressure and touch, the body naturally releases the bad stuff, allowing you to ward of sickness and/or heal quickly.
12. Bump up your vitamin intake. I aim to get most of my nutrients and vitamins from food, but when I’m getting sick, I’ll add in a few key supplements. My #1 is probiotics, as a healthy gut affects everything, including whether or not you’ll get sick. Gut health is intrinsically linked to immunity. I also like to take vitamin C, D, echinacea, iron, zinc, and fish oil when I feel a cold coming on.
What do you do when you feel like you’re about to get sick?
Do you feel a flu coming on now, as we head into winter?
Which one of these 12 steps will you try out? Leave a comment below and tell me.
Have a friend who’s always getting sick?
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