Winter Wellness Gameplan

Winter Wellness Gameplan

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

With your nose being smack dab in the middle of your face, it’s kind of hard to hide when you are feeling a bit under the weather.  It can go a couple different ways when you’re not well. One, you can have the annoying drippy runny faucet nose that has your reaching for a tissue every couple of seconds which leads to dry irritated red skin and has you looking like Rudolph. Ever happen to you? A drop of Lavender on the bridge of the nose is great for the drippiness. That red flakey irritated skin from blowing your nose too much, Lavender is great for that too! Then to really seal the deal, apply a little Rose Ointment over the Lavender for additional comfort and to soothe the skin.

(Rose ointment is  a deeply nourishing blend of rose essential oil with tea tree and rosewood. *It also works wonders on any dry itchy skin spots that tend to flare up in the winter.)


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

Put the Halls down and slowly back away and get yourself some of these Thieves Cough Drops. We all know how miserable a scratchy throat and cough can be, but this combination of Thieves and menthol in a delicious cough drop will soothe your throat, cool your nasal passages, and relieve your cough. This is an actual cough drop that brings you major relief, and because of the FDA approved ingredient, you can call it a cough drop and tell everyone exactly what it does! Since I don’t want to be without, I add these to my monthly Loyalty Rewards. These Thieves Cough Drops are minty, spicy, and sweet without any processed sugar, dyes, artificial flavors, or preservatives. They use naturally derived ingredients to make these, including Young Living’s pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils and natural menthol from peppermint.

Respiratory Support

I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy breathing.  So when you or anyone you know starts to have to gasp for air and or starts making seal-like barking sounds, break out the Bark Roller and apply it to your chest and under your nose. RC and Lemon are so great for opening up your respiratory channels.
 


5ml Bark Roller:

8 drops RC or Raven
8 drops Lemon
Fill with carrier oil. Apply across chest, bottom of the feet, bridge of your nose.
 


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




There you have it.  Stock up on these essentials and you will be ready to fight the next bacteria or virus that hits your home! I've linked all the products that you need to step up your wellness game. Simply go back and click on the product names or Shop Here to start filling your cart. Purchase a premium starter bundle or add 100 PV to your cart to unlock your 24% discount and free shipping. Add anything to a monthly loyalty order and receive a free diffuser the second month!

Questions? I'd love to help you. 


Stay Healthy!
-jen
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