10 Lifestyle Changes to Implement When You Start Feeling Sick

Winter is here and with that, comes the season of back-to-back-to-back sickness (that's how it started this Fall anyway!!)

Whether you want to hear it or not, the truth is, we're now paying the price for 2 years of us oversanitizing and overprotecting ourselves. Especially our kids who haven't had a chance to develop their immune system as they normally should have.

With that in mind, I actually accept the seasonal sickness and almost see it as a necessary upgrade. 

I know it's no fun and overly disruptive to be sick but sometimes, it's what we need to finally slow down and prioritize rest.

Why do we get more sick in winter anyway?

The lack of natural sunshine (therefore natural vitamin D production), the fact that we spend more time indoors with less natural air flow in our homes, that we tend to be more sedentary and that we do more indoor gatherings are some of the reasons why germs are spreading and affecting our natural immunity.

Here are 10 ways you can tweak your lifestyle at the first sign of symptoms.

And I mean, as soon as you start feeling like something is off, here are the things that I usually do for the whole family.

Here goes:

1. Rest, rest, rest. As soon as you feel like you're coming down with something, it's important to give your body an opportunity to heal and fight. Rest is productive, especially in this case. Prioritize sleep by going to bed early and aiming to get at least 8 to 9h of sleep.
2. Move slowly. Be gentle with yourself. Remember that workouts are stressors on the body. If your body is already under attack, the last thing it needs is more stress. Skip heavy workouts and opt for  something more gentle like a nature walk. It will increase blood circulation and get your lymphatic system moving all while helping you to switch to the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the only time your body can truly heal. 
3. Drink lots of liquids. Nothing new here but please skip the tap water. Opt for spring or filtered water and consider adding electrolytes to your water to give your system a boost. If you don't suffer from any gut imbalances, you can also go for a healing bone broth. You could also add chlorophyll to your water as it's been shown to stimulate the immune system. 
4. Avoid processed foods, dairy and sugar. For a speedy recovery, try to think about nourishing your body. To do so, whole foods and homemade meals will always win. Processed foods, sugar and dairy not only increase inflammation but also feed the bad guys and create a favorable environment for their fast growth. No good! 
5. Avoid caffeine. I know that when you're sick, you're often more tired and feel like you need more caffeine. Caffeine is another stressor and will peak your cortisol which keeps you away from the parasympathetic nervous system which helps you recover faster. Stick to herbal teas such as ginger, holy basil and echinacea.
6. Reduce stress by meditating. You can see a recurring theme here about stress reduction. It really is important not to be in constant fight/flight mode when we're trying to fight against a virus or bacteria. Try to do a morning and evening meditation to help your nervous system regulate. If you don't know it already, the Insight Timer free app is a wonderful tool for guided meditations.
7. Fast for 12 to 14h overnight. Give your overall system a break. By doing this easy fast, you'll redirect more energy from your digestive system to your immune system. 
8. Eat dinner early. The earlier the better. This will ensure that you allow your digestive system at least 3h to fully digest your dinner so that by the time you go to sleep, your energy can go on fully repair/heal mode. This tip will also increase the amount of restorative deep sleep you can get.
9. Take a liquid breakfast. Switch your breakfast for a smoothie. That hack alone will help you save 30% energy from digestion which will be able to go towards supporting your immune system. Easy and powerful.
10. Reach out to your biohacking tools. Whether it's doing a sinus rinse, going into an infrared sauna, drinking ozone water, nebulizing antioxidants, taking an epsom salt bath, exposing your body to red light...no matter which tool you have at your disposal, now is the time to utilize them. Don't be afraid to layer them to optimize the benefits and promote a speedy recovery.

The Ozone Bubbler by Therasage is something I use almost daily in my home. When sick, I use it to make ozone water to gargle with and/or drink. (Use code VANESSA20 for 20% off)

I hope these tips will be a good reminder to support you when you feel under the weather.

If you'd like to dive deeper and uncover how to actually make long-lasting lifestyle adjustments that will help you become more resilient and unlock more energy, be sure to check out my 3-day Energy RESET Bootcamp starting January 9, 2023! 

I hope to see you there!

XO