Getting Over The Flu

 

    

    10 days ago (yes, TEN) I came down with a stomach flu and am only just starting to get better. This flue was miserable, Vomiting relentlessly, traveling to urgent care, twice, and nearly making my way into the ER for an IV. I was deeply dehydrated, cursed with a painful headache (the kind that feels like your brain is floating in water) and couldn’t take anything to aide the pain, since I was far too nauseated to eat anything.

*shudder* Just writing about it is making me feel symptomatic. So, like I said, it was miserable.

               10 days later, I am no longer nauseous and my head isn’t hurting. I even made it into work today, and I was simply THRILLED to talk to my office girlfriend and a number of our favorite clients. It felt so damn good to talk, to laugh, and to see the world around me! On the drive home tonight, I kept getting distracted by the beautiful trees on the side of the freeway. *sigh* aren’t trees beautiful? Suffice it to say, I had a really great day. Everything felt so good. What I saw, touched, heard, and more, everything was just so sparkly today!

               Home now, I am noticing the exhaustion, a little sniffle in my nose and a teensy scratch in my throat. Hopefully it won’t develop into anything, but it is a clear indicator that my body is feeling it, and wondering why we didn’t just sleep all day. I imagine that a night of solid rest, and another day or two of “normal-ness” should be take me all the way back to normal.

I have hardly moved in 10 days. That’s certainly, not great. My blood stream and lymphatic system have both suffered. The blood system, less so, as my body will pump blood whether or not I physically move myself. The lymph system however, only moves, when you move. The lymphatic system not only cleans up toxins, but also fuels our cells with oxygen and nutrients. Pretty important stuff, and very important for our immune system. This is why things like working up a sweat and generally, moving, is highly recommended for immunity.

               And boy am I feeling it. I can tell that I’m simply physically off, and that my body isn’t moving or behaving quite right. While I know that I’m “better” I don’t feel awesome, and the reality is that I’m simply taking time to recover from being sick. When you’re a young kid and your lymph is all shiny and new, you get to bounce back. But as you enter adulthood, and things aren’t as shiny as they once were, you really have to stupor back to health. That said, I don’t like feeling this way, and I’m ready to take it in my own hands to better this.

I used to believe that colds and flus are simply a part of life; just something you deal with each fall. However, NOT THE CASE. One of the healthiest people I know, hasn’t had so much as a cold in at least 12 years, and SHE HAS KIDS, which really just tells me that she gets exposed regularly, but her immune system is so BALLER that she’s not catching these bugs; or its just going in and out of her system with great speed. So with that in mind, I have a goal: Build myself a shiny, powerful, immune system.  

               For years, I have felt like some after school special, reminding people that you have an immune system to protect you. And better yet, your immunity is not stagnant. It can get worse or better, depending on how we care for ourselves.

Below is a list of things I will be focusing on, while I pursue this immune boosting mission:

·        SWEAT, and sweat from cardio ~20-30 minutes, 3x a week, and treat it like medicine that I cannot miss! The consistency is key.

·        HYDRATE, I’m concerned that maybe I haven’t been intaking those 8 glasses per day (a number which is somewhat arbitrary, but a good rule of thumb) So that’s as simple as that

·        ZINC and VITAMIN C, I haven’t always been huge on supplements, because I think it’s best to get vitamins from food, and while that is “ideal” the reality is, that without a supplement I’m probably not getting enough of either of those immune boosters. So, I’m sticking to those vitamins. (I take other supplements, but maybe we can go through all that another day!)

·        SAUNA and/or MASSAGES Sauna and massage are both GREAT for your lymphatic system, as I mentioned, caring for your lymph is directly related to your immunity. So both of these are relaxing and luxurious ways to boost your system. A regular massage and sauna routine can really do wonders for your system, especially if you can find a masseuse who specializes in lymphatic drainage.

·        GREEN JUICE is such a great way to get in a variety of fruits and vegetables, which provides you with a slew of vitamins and minerals. While I’m not a huge fan or green smoothies (they can be a little intense for my tummy), I do like green JUICE. It’s way sweeter and actually tastes like a Juice versus a thick, green thing. Haha. If you prefer a smoothies, go for it, you’ll get the same vitamins and minerals either way.

    These five suggestions are certainly not all encompassing, but they are pretty achievable, natural options, that will really help. Let me know what you think! What is the easiest for you to implement? What is most difficult, and why?

 

My favorite Green Juice Recipe

1 Bunch Spinach

3 Stalks Celery

½-1 small lemon (skin removed)

1 small fuji or granny smith apple

Chop items as needed, depending on the mouth of your juicer, and juice!

I love my juicer, this is the one I use: https://tinyurl.com/ywf29wa7