Top 10 to keep in the pink of winter

Is the winter cough and cold troubling you?

With pleasant temperatures comes a slight deflation of your usual healthy self. Breathing problems, flu, joint pains and other ailments. However, if you have a healthy immune system, none of these would bother you. So here is our Winter Top 10 to keep you in the pink of health!

DRINK YOUR LEMONS

Lemon is the ideal food for restoring acid-alkali balance. Drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice in water, or adding it to tea, salad dressings (in place of vinegar), baking or cooking, helps maintain the body's internal "climate" at a pH which supports healthy bacteria instead of the viruses and harmful bacteria which thrive in more acidic environments .Apple cider vinegar is another great way to improve your body's alkalinity, but the taste of lemons is much more pleasant!

GIVE YOUR BODY AN HERBAL BOOST

Hundreds of herbal supplements and tinctures exist to give the immune system additional support during the winter. Essential oils are an excellent source of immune-stimulating compound, and the rawest and most natural form of any medicinal plant, but there are other supplements which can be effective. Fresh herbs and whole food remedies are always preferable over packaged herbs or supplements, since they have a much higher potency and frequency and your body absorbs more of their value.

GET A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP

Everybody's different: your body may need anywhere from 6 to 10 hours of sleep each night.Whatever your personal sleep requirement is, get it! Sleep has been linked to balanced hormone levels (including human growth hormone and the stress hormone, cortisol), keeping weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin.

EAT PLENTY OF PROTEIN

Protein is a building block for a healthy body, mind, and immune system. Diets low in protein tend to be high in carbs which convert readily to glucose, spiking blood sugar and stressing the pancreas and the immune system.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

This is almost, but not quite, a given; most headaches occur because despite the number of reminders, people still aren't getting enough water! Headaches and thirst are both signs of dehydration. You should be drinking, in daily ounces, half your body weight in pounds. (i.e. Body weight in pounds, divided by 2 = number of ounces of water per day.)

STOP DRINKING COFFEE

Contrary to recent marketing as a source of antioxidants, chocolate and coffee are two of the worst things you can do for your immune system and your health. Caffeine robs your body of minerals and vitamins, and it dehydrates you. If you drink coffee, make sure you add an additional two glasses to your water intake per cup of coffee. A mineral supplement helps to offset caffeine's damage, too.

WORSE YET IS THE IMPACT OF REFINED WHITE SUGAR

If you do only one thing to boost your immune system, eliminating sugar will do the trick. You will see noticeable results in your energy levels, weight distribution, immunity and your ability to think clearly when you break the cravings and stop eating refined sugar. Many holistic nutritionists consider sugar a drug for its impact on the human body. Healthier sugars such as agave and stevia do exist, but I avoid artificial sweeteners; they are more toxic than cane sugar.

STOCK UP ON RAW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR THEIR ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMINS, MINERALS, FIBRE AND ENZYMES

The nutritional content that you receive from raw fruits and veggies is unparalleled. Many vitamins, including C, are antioxidants and will protect cells - including those of your immune system - from damage by toxins in the environment. Dark-coloured produce (berries, kale, broccoli) tends to be higher in flavonoids, polyphenols and other antioxidants.The perfect source of minerals is seaweed, which is sold dried, but can often be found raw (dried at low temperatures to maintain most of the enzymes and nutrients) in health food stores.

SPEND SOME TIME OUT IN THE COLD

Snowball fight, anyone? Exercise can make a noticeable difference to your health and happiness by releasing endorphins. Most of us spend 90% of our lives indoors, inhaling dubiously filtered air and other people's germs, so take any opportunity to get outside. Time spent outdoors in the cold also stimulates the thyroid gland.

NURTURE YOURSELF

Make sure you take time to yourself, spend some time with friends, and indulge yourself in a massage , a hot bath, or an energy work session when you want one. Our bodies respond to our emotions - if you're feeling harassed and anxious, it can manifest in a sore throat or a cold. Create a space within yourself and your living environment for harmony, self-love and joy (giving thanks, prayer and blessing the abundance in your life and of the world around you helps). Pay attention to warning signs of sore throat or exhaustion so you can keep them from getting worse.