Healthy Living: Nana’s Tips For Staying Healthy During the Holiday Season

We are officially in the thick of “cold and flu” season… Oh, joy! But how are we supposed to enjoy the season and keep up with “life as usual,” even though we don’t feel well? We really don’t want to “pass it along” to everybody we come in contact with, so what are we to do?

Every year we humans are the sickest from January through March since we have trashed our immune systems with holiday cheer from October through December! It is so important when we don’t feel well to stay at home and be kind to ourselves. If we have to go out while sick, one option is to wear a mask. (Because of Covid, there isn’t the stigma of wearing a mask there was four years ago.)

It is easy to make ourselves sick by overeating sugar, lack of sleep, and the stress of trying to make the holidays perfect down to the last detail. We start down this bad trail by finishing up the Halloween candy. We continue with pumpkin and pecan pie after a huge Thanksgiving dinner.

How are we making ourselves sick?

The Holidays are full of treats around every corner. We tend to eat lots of sugar in the form of candy, cookies, desserts, and alcohol. Although it tastes good, it weakens our immune systems, which can make us more prone to getting sick. Eating quick meals at fast food restaurants which are full of preservatives and unhealthy oils, can make us gain weight and feel worse during the holiday season. When we drink city water at restaurants that are often full of chemicals, parasites, and viruses, it puts additional stress on our kidneys and hurts our lower backs.

Some might stop taking their vitamins and resting on Sundays or any other day of the week because they believe that “we are only of value if we are constantly working or being productive.” Others stay up late watching Christmas specials on TV, going to parties, wrapping packages, and writing Christmas cards. Yet still, many people become very tired and sleep-deprived, leading to drinking more caffeine and eating lots of chocolate, both of which drain our adrenal glands so that when a virus hits our bodies, we will be too weak to fight it off.

It’s common to over-commit and agree to everything — after all, we think we are super-humans. To add a little spice to the month of December, some help with the children’s Christmas play or decorate the office for the Christmas holidays.

What can we do, in general, to make ourselves well?

• If we are not feeling well, it’s essential to “cancel life” and rest. Go to bed and sleep! (The body heals during sleep and rest.)
• Drink lots of pure filtered water; put a bottle of water by your bed and aim to drink a gallon a day.
• Stop or severely limit sugar, dairy, caffeine, and processed foods consumption. (Dairy products cause congestion.)
• As much as possible, eat organic, fresh, preservative-free foods.

What can we do to treat a cold, flu or virus?

• Take a hot bath with two cups of Epson Salts and Eucalyptus Essential Oil. The hot bath will remove toxins and heat the body to kill the virus. The Eucalyptus Oil helps drain the sinuses. After the bath, go to bed to keep the heat in the body. God made the body to react to viruses with a fever. A high temperature in the body will kill viruses.
• Fill a rubber hot water bottle with hot water and place it on the throat, face, and ears. A heating pad can also be used. The heat brings blood to the area, reduces congestion, and removes the pain in the face, neck, and ears.
• Rub Vapor-Salve on your chest and below your nose; this will help to open up the sinus cavities and make you more attractive to your partner.
• Suck on Zinc throat lozenges. (Viruses like to live in people with a zinc deficiency).
• Also, Vitamin D, A & C are wonderful immune support supplements.
  A colloidal Silver nasal spray is excellent for opening up the sinuses.
• The most important thing is to “cancel life,” stay home, and stay warm in bed.
• I also recommend chicken soup served with love.

Be kind to yourself. You are worth it! Your friends, co-workers, and boss will be thankful that you didn’t share it with them!

It’s my sincere hope that this has been helpful. I pray that your Holiday Season is blessed with health and happiness.

Much love,
Nana