The leaves have changed color and are falling, the temperatures are dropping and the daylight hours are getting shorter. Fall is almost over and winter is coming. The winter months for most people result in less physical activity, more time indoors, and being a bit more flexible with ones diet. All of this leads to weakened immune systems and the dreaded cold and flu season. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long and rich history of treating seasonal colds and flu’s. Below I will list five simple ways that you can strengthen your immune system and best protect yourself from catching any nasty colds this winter.
5 pro-tips to make your winter-life better than ever!
- Stay active: Movement and physical activity is beneficial in helping boost our bodies natural immune response1.
- Go outside and get some sunshine: The temperatures might not be as hot and many days will be overcast and dreary, but exposure to sunlight is essential in helping your body make vitamin D which plays an important role in your immune system2. Whenever it’s sunny try to go outside and take a walk.
- Sleep more: It’s common knowledge, but sleep is essential to being healthy and having a strong immune system3. Unfortunately even though everyone knows this the average American is chronically sleep deprived. Try to get 8-9 hours of sleep a night. If that’s not possible then at least try to get 7 hours of good rest every night
- Boost your immune system with Chinese medicine and supplements: Even if you follow all of the steps above, sometimes your immune system still needs a little extra help in combating any virus that you may come in contact with. Thats where supplements and herbal remedies can prove useful. Making sure your body has adequate levels of Vitamin C, D and Zinc is a great start in fortifying the immune system. TCM has a number of great herbal formulas like Jade Wind Screen that have been used for thousands of years to boost the immune system and have been clinically shown to be effective4.
- Most importantly follow universal precautions: With everything that’s been going on in 2020 we’re all more familiar with masks and social distancing than ever before. Even so the protection that universal precautions gives cannot be overstated. Some general tips are to never touch or bring anything near your face unless you have just washed your hands. Read up on universal precautions and the steps that you can take to lower the chances of catching any communicable diseases by following the link below.
Best of health,
Dr. J. Blake Boring, DAOM, L. Ac., Dipl. OM
