Fight the flu (part two)

If you read our last post you know that here at Peas of Mind we’re staying healthy and fighting the flu by washing our hands, getting enough sleep and eating our veggies.  But because desperate times call for desperate measures we’ve turned to our Peas of Mind Facebook followers to see what other things we could be doing this month to stay healthy. We got some great suggestions, so get out a pen and paper, take some notes and get ready to fight the flu (part two)!

Start your morning off right.  Michelle recommends a healthy shake/smoothie in the morning.  It’s much easier to load your day with fruits and veggies when you start it off with a bang.  This morning we drank a green smoothie that had a two cups kale, 1 cup of orange juice, ½ cup of blueberries, a banana, a peeled orange, an apple and a tablespoon of chlorella.  This made about two smoothies and it was so tasty!  Be creative and try different fruits and fresh juices always adding some type of green.

Christena suggests oil of oregano (one of our favorite health secrets).  It’s a powerful antibiotic and antimicrobial and is great when you feel like you might be getting sick.  It’s not for everyone so do your research and use cautiously.

Sarah recommends good old-fashioned exercise.  Exercising on a regular basis helps to lower stress and speed up the rate our white blood cells fight off illness; this has a major immune-enhancing effect.

Micheal says he uses Echinacea tea and also drinks a tall glass of water with a dash of Bragg Live Foods raw apple cider vinegar and honey.  Sounds interesting and so easy to add in pre smoothie.

The last two helpful hints from Jennifer and Kathy are so easy and oh so important: drink lots of water and get your vitamin D.  These are two key pieces in keeping your immune system up and ready to take on any germs that come your bodies way.  So this afternoon (if it’s sunny) grab a big glass of water and sit in the sun for 20 minutes – simple AND relaxing!

We hope this helps you stay happy and healthy the rest of this flu season!

Fight the Flu

If you’ve been watching the news, you know that flu season is here, and it’s here with a vengeance!   How do you stay healthy when it seems everyone around you is getting sick?  Well here at Peas of Mind, we are practicing two simple tips to stay healthy: stay away from germs and keep our immune system strong.

First things first, wash your hands! I know we hear it all the time but it really is one of our best defenses against germs. By washing our hands (sing happy birthday to yourself to gauge how long you should wash) we wash off the germs we constantly come in contact with from doorknobs to sneezes. And remember to avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes because germs can easily sneak through these entry points. Did you know that the average person touches his or her face three to five times per minute? This means you've probably touched your face three times while reading this blog so go wash your hands!

Secondly, get in touch with your animal instinct and find time to hibernate!  Winter should be the season we slow down and get lots of sleep. Now I know sleeping for four months is just not an option but during these cold months it’s important to aim to get about 8 hours per night.  This not only boosts your immune system but it also reduces stress, inflammation and increases positivity.

An apple a day DOES keep the doctor away…well sort of… Diet greatly affects our body’s ability to fight off sickness, which means a helping of veggie wedgies (which is about 10 fries and contains 1.5 servings of vegetables) can really keep those nasty germs at bay.  Combine your veggie fries with seasonal produce, garlic (fresh garlic has been shown to fight off viruses) and whole grains and you will have that healthy edge you need to fight the flu and make it through the winter with a clean bill of health!