Winter.  Do you love it or hate it, or something in between?

I fall in the in-between category. 

It certainly isn't my favorite season, especially the winters in northwest Iowa, but there is something magical about a soft quiet snowfall and the coziness of snuggling under a warm blanket with your beagle right beside you. A cup of hot cocoa, isn't all that bad either. Plus, the long cold days do help me appreciate the warmer months to come.

However, one thing that makes me not appreciate winter is being indoors more and the germs that tend to spread. In the past few years I’ve had dreams of moving to Florida. I mean, the people who do this are really on to something. The extra sunshine and fresh air can go a long way to staying healthy!

Maybe someday. In the meantime, there are other winter wellness strategies and I’m here to share them with you. Keep reading to map out your gameplan for attacking any winter germs that come your way.

Let me start with a little background information.

What makes you feel sick?

Did you know, what makes you feel icky when you’re sick is actually your immune system doing its job and eliminating bugs & toxins from your body? It's not actually the germs themselves that make you feel sick.

We get a fever to help us sweat things out through our skin, and our noses run to remove toxins through mucous membranes. This is our body's natural detox method. When you take OTC meds from the pharmacy they make you feel better because they suppress your immune system’s ability to detox...thus your symptoms feel reduced. Essential oils and other natural remedies, such as good food, don't work that way; they help our bodies fight rather than shut down our immune response. 

What that means is that essential oils can help boost your immune system, help detox, and even help kill the germs itself. But they do not suppress the body's natural detox process...nor should you really want it to. Your body wants and needs all that ick to be out. This is why drinking a lot of water when you’re sick is important. It helps flush out all the bad guys.
 

My old school protocol for treating a cold is probably one you are familiar with. Ginger ale, salty crackers, canned chicken noodle soup and cold medicine. I used to fuel my body with gluten, sugar, corn syrup and processed foods in hopes of feeling better, when in fact, I was offering my body things that offered no real nutrition. 

Not anymore. Now I reach for the things that nourish my body and make it stronger so it can quickly detox the germs.

A Runny Nose

A Stuffy Nose

Or, how about a clogged nose? You either have the full blown both nostril clogging going on or you have the one nostril clogged and then the other wide open. Fear no more, there are support systems for this. Say hello to my little friend, Kidscents Sniffle Ease Try a drop of SniffleEase on the nose and chest and wait a few minutes. It helps support our body doing what we know it wants to - draining the ick and clearing us up. Plus it’s part of the KidScents collection so that means it comes prediluted and ready to use on children ages 2 and up. Have a kiddo younger than 2? Just roll a little carrier oil on the skin before applying this and you’re set.

How about that throat?

Have you ever had razor blades when you swallow? Or how about a hoarse throat? Purification and Lemon are both amazing for this. Take 1 drop each in your palm and add a little carrier oil and rub down the outside of your throat, do it every couple of hours. 

For me, the first sign that I’m coming down with something is when my throat and head start to feel hurt. That’s when I know it’s time to step up my oil game. When I feel that way, I grab my Thieves and roll it on my throat and diffuse it as I sleep. If I catch it in time, I usually feel better by morning. I also grab my Thieves Cough Drops for a scratchy, dry throat. Speaking of cough drops….

Thieves Cough Drops

Respiratory Support 

5ml Bark Roller:

Ideally, it would be nice if you could avoid being sick altogether. I can’t guarantee anything, but I do know regularly supporting your body with the powerful constituents found in essential oils and oil infused products can make a difference.  Taking a daily dose of NingXia Red (a whole super food liquid supplement that deserves it's own blog post) eating whole foods, getting adequate rest and sleep are also important to staying well and fighting sickness. I can also tell you, sickness in my family decreased noticeably when running a diffuser with Thieves became a habit. In order to stay above the wellness line and avoid being in bed for endless days this winter, here is a roller recipes to add to your home and your daily winter routine. 

Wellness Roller

Wellness Roller For adults

15 drops Thieves
10 drops Lemon
10 drops Frankincense
8 drops Purification
8 drops Oregano

Instructions

Combine above oils in a 10 ml roller bottle and top with a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil or almond oil

Apply to spine or bottom of feet daily