It’s officially fall in Chicago. It’s cold and damp. It rains. We tend to start getting the flu around this time of year. So what can you do to prevent it?
First of all, of course, get acupuncture on a regular basis! If you are one of those people that gets sick every year, acupuncture can help boost your immune system and keep you from catching all of the nasty bugs that go around.
But there are plenty of things you can do yourself, at home, on a daily basis.
First is food. Make sure you’re getting enough nutrients, including phytonutrients (plant stuff). I know for myself when the cold weather hits all I want to do is eat heavy food like burgers and mac and cheese. But making sure to make healthy decisions about what you eat will help keep your immune system in fighting condition. Check out the fall food feature recipes on this blog to help get you in the right mindset. There are so many great healthy produce options this season, the sky is the limit!
Next, make sure you’re keeping up on your water intake. In the summer it’s easy; you’re hot so you’re thirsty and you want to drink water. But in the colder months people tend to decrease their intake, which can be problematic. Water is what helps your lymphatic system move white blood cells (the good guys who fight the bad guys) throughout your body. If you’re not drinking enough water, you can’t fight the bad guys! If plain tap water just isn’t appealing to you, try drinking tea. Be careful of caffeinated teas in high amounts; that caffeine can end up dehydrating you even more, just like coffee does. Subbing a cup of green tea instead of your afternoon cup of coffee is still a healthier option, but I like to drink things like chamomile, mint, and ginger teas throughout the day because they do not contain caffeine, and also have individual health benefits. Plus they taste nice!
Finally, when you go outside be sure to wear layers. It seems like this should go without saying, but Chicagoans tend to try to hold onto their warm weather clothes as long as they can. Earlier this week it was 31 degrees when I left the house in the morning, but I saw a woman in a skirt and sandals, and a man in shorts and a T shirt! So please, throw and extra sweater on and wrap up in a scarf, it only takes a second. The nice thing about layers is if you have too much on, you can always take something off. But if you leave the house under-prepared, you’re in trouble for the rest of the day! What we in the western parts of the world call “the flu,” Chinese Medicine calls a “wind invasion.” Its pathology is literally what it sounds like. Wind comes into the body, bringing symptoms with it, such as headache, chills and fever, body aches, cough, sore throat, and…you know the rest. So if you can keep the wind off of you (especially your neck, known as the wind gate), you can fend off that invasion!
So those are the basics. Get acupuncture, eat well, stay hydrated, and keep covered. There’s more that you can do based on your individual constitution and health background, and when you have a session with me we can dive even deeper. Call for an appointment today; it’s better to prevent sickness than have to treat it! (But I can do that, too)
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