5 Tips for a HEALTHY Winter!

1. A Better Understanding:
People do not get sick more often in the winter because there are more germs and bugs floating around. They get sick more often because they are LESS healthy and strong than they are during the summer and because their environment changes. If you simply understand that you have to work a little harder to stay healthy during
the winter, you’ll have a great winter.

We do not get sick from simply being exposed to germs, we get sick when we are too weak to fight them off. The key here to staying healthy is having a healthy and strong immune system. Mainstream media and most medical doctor’s offices will do there best to convince you to “get your flu shot”, but vaccines and drugs at best provide artificial immunity, and their overuse can lead to weakened immune systems- the opposite of what we want. A message centered around things that proactively boost and strengthen your immune response is what you and your family need to hear!

2. Take a Vitamin D Supplement:
The human body is incredible. It has the ability to transform sunlight and turn it into energy and Vitamin D. However, the majority of us live in regions where for many of the winter months we see very little sunlight, and those who live in better climates still don’t get outside enough. As a result, we will produce an insufficient amount of Vitamin D on our own throughout the winter. While some foods are now fortified with Vitamin D, it is
simply not enough by itself.

Vitamin D is crucial for immune support, and will go a long ways to fighting off winter time colds, flu and respiratory troubles and a lot more! It’s estimated that a full 80% of the population is deficient in Vitamin D, and in the winter the only way to address that is with proper supplementation. You can get quality Vitamin D
supplements for you and your children in most health food stores.

3. Get Plenty of Exercise:
Most people do not get sufficient amounts of exercise (especially kids) and that gets worse in the winter when we barely venture outside. However, nothing has been proven to be as immune-boosting and mood-boosting as GETTING MOVING!

The best form of exercise is what we term “functional fitness” – meaning that it offers a variety of different types of exercise (cardio, strength training, endurance, stretching etc.), keeping you constantly motivated and excited, while keeping you fit, healthy, and strong. We strongly recommend you check out a local gym, yoga studio, or other fitness center… and make it an absolutely priority to get there and get moving on a regular basis during the winter months!

For your children- get them off the couch and into the outdoors moving! Building a snowman, shoveling a sidewalk or simply going for a brisk walk will make a big difference in their health. For nursing mothers, keep yourself well and you baby will follow.

4. Eat Your Fruits and Veggies:
You’ve heard this one a million times and you just can’t seem to do it! Well, stop making excuses and start making it a reality. Farmer’s markets are typically over so one very easy way of getting what you need is by signing up for a food co-op or business that delivers healthy, organic produce to your door, making it EASY and CONVENIENT! One such example my family uses and loves is Door To Door Organics. If Door to Door is not in your town or city, look for something similar!

Committing to one box per week ensures that you will have organic produce in your home each week, have the highest quality of produce (“the most bang for your buck”) and save $$$ compared to buying it in the store.

Other great options and tips include shopping at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, ordering a side of veggies or fruit instead of fries and potatoes when eating out, and linking up with local farmers to get their produce during the winter.

Perhaps the easiest, fastest, and best way to ensure success here is to make the commitment and purchase a Vitamix or similar blender! Having one on hand simplifies this: buy fruits and veggies, put them in the Vitamix, turn it on and blend them up and drink away! There are a many books available on juicing and smoothie recipe creations, buy one and mark some favorites and make this part of your daily routine!

5. Get Regular Chiropractic Adjustments… Don’t Wait Until You’re “Sick”
Regular chiropractic care has been shown to boost immunity, improve DNA repair, improve mood, and so much more! Not only that, but by getting all those benefits and staying healthy through preventative or wellness-based adjustments you save tons of $$$!!!

Getting sick is very costly! Between visits to the doctor, pediatrician and pharmacy things add up quickly… not even to mention the additional costs of time off work if you can’t go in or you need to stay home with your child, and all the lost productivity there.

This point was well illustrated by a recent study of 70,000 Chicagoland patients compared to patients under the care of a Medical Doctor, those under the care of a Doctor of Chiropractic demonstrated decreases of 60.2% in-hospital admissions, 59.0% hospital days, 62.0% outpatient surgeries and procedures, and 83% pharmaceutical costs.”

Another study showed that compared to the non-chiropractic patients, those getting adjusted had a 200% STRONGER immune system! That takes us back to our original advice of doing things that BOOST your immune system, and the chiropractic adjustment may be the best option out there for that! People that get adjusted on a regular basis get far less colds and flus, and when they do, get over them far faster than most others!

No one wants them or their family to get sick! Drugs designed to treat sickness are often worthless and dangerous at the same time, so don’t rely on them. Stay healthy and proactive with these 5 simple steps this winter, and you’ll be flying into the new year!!!