Categories
Archives
Take care of yourself this winter... naturally
Winter is here and I’ve already faced down a cold and gastro. I visited my lovely naturopath and she reminded me of a few simple things we can do to take care of ourselves naturally. Here’s a little of what we discussed...
- Take a good quality Echinacea and vitamin C to boost your immune system and function.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids help to flush your body. If you’re struggling to drink a few litres of cold water every day, try mixing it up with some warm drinks – warm water with a slice of lemon, scrape of ginger and a little honey is soothing and warming. I also love fruit infusion herbal teas for their lovely aromas.
-
Keep your vegies up, but eat them warm. Soups, casseroles, slow-cooked meals etc. Load them up with vegies and some kind of protein (being a vegetarian I love lentils and legumes, but bacon bits, chicken and beef cubes are also great).
My favourite soup base at the moment is a few tablespoons of soup mix soaked for a few hours or boiled in stock for an hour depending on the time you have available. I add a sachet or 2 of wakami paste (miso soup), loads of vegies (carrot, celery, potato, anything else in the fridge), a little salt and pepper, soy sauce, squeeze of lime juice and my favourite seasonings. Simmer for an hour or so for wintery goodness. - If you’re (un)lucky enough to get a gastro bug, boiled rice and chicken is the best to ‘block you up’. (Our vet also prescribed this for our dog also when he had a tummy bug some time back). Reduce or cut out your dairy intake and eat meals of cooked, soft food – warm porridge, weetbix with warm milk, warm baked beans and soups and casseroles with rice. Avoid anything over-spicy, think ‘soothing’ for your tummy.
- Get plenty of rest. If you're unwell, your body is working hard to fight the illness. Getting a little more sleep, taking naps, skipping the gym and taking things easy for a few days will help your body focus on healing.
Finally, if symptoms persist past a few days or your condition worsens, seek medical assistance.
Update 4 July: I visited the naturopath with a bad cold and gastro when I was about 8 or 9 weeks pregnant. I took echinacea under her guidance for about 10 days. Normally this wouldn't be prescribed during pregnancy as over-stimulating the immune system can be fatal for baby, but my lovely naturopath sought further confirmation (despite being 99.9% sure it would be fine for a short period) as my immune function was "on the floor". Vitamin C is also fine to take whilst pregnant (and I've read since, can assist with gum problems during pregnancy such as bleeding and swelling).