The seasons are changing. Last week when I arrived in New York it was freezing and raining sideways, (making umbrella’s utterly useless) and the following day the sun was beaming down so hard it felt like summer. As the weather shifts if we are caught in a hectic work cycle and over stressed and not sleeping enough, or simply get caught out and about in a summer outfit on those days when it feels more like fall, we can leave ourselves susceptible to getting sick. Below is a list of seven preventative supplements and herbs that I love to have around as we transition into the colder seasons. If you’d like to join me and group of wellness professionals tonight in DC to chat more about transitioning your wellness practice to fall, check out my last post and RSVP for the FREE event. See some of you all very soon! -XO Raw Girl
- A Good Selection of Herbal Teas. Nettles, Green Tea, Gypsy Cold Care, and Egyptian Licorice are just a few of my favorites that can help ward off a cough, provide awesome nutritional benefits, and soothe the throat.
- Slippery Elm Bark Powder. This amazing herb soothes and coats the throat, has expectorant properties so it can help to expel mucus, and is also a great supplement to include in your regimen for gut healing. I like to add 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon to my tea if I have a cough or want to prevent the onset of one.
- Ginger will never go out of style as a preventative measure and a remedy in the event that you find yourself under the weather. You can make fresh ginger tea, take ginger shots, and also cook with it or add it to your favorite vegetable juice.
- CALM is a powder supplement that is essentially magnesium citrate and can help wind down if you are dealing with regular stress and anxiety while also giving your elimination a boost too. I generally love to add a teaspoon in place of sugar to a relaxing cup of herbal tea at the end of a long day.
- Vitamin C is something you can never go wrong with having more of. In fact it is perfectly healthy and acceptable to take up to 16,000 mg of vitamin C daily without any adverse side effects. Want to read more: check out my past article on how taking vitamins can change your life. When it comes to vitamin C, we can also include foods such as oranges, papaya, camu Camu powder and more.
- Vitamin D is not just a vitamin, it’s a hormone responsible for many essential reactions in the body and also helps to keep our immunity high. Many diseases can actually be prevented with adequate supplementation and monitoring of vitamin D levels. It’s not necessary to take vitamin D separately unless you have a deficiency. For most, taking a multivitamin with at least 2000 IU of vitamin D is adequate.
- Umcka Cold and Flu is my favorite homeopathic cold remedy when and if the onset of sniffles begins. I learned about it years ago from my primary care doctor who knew I had a strong aversion to taking medication and actually had some knowledge of holistic medicines. You can find it online and at general health food stores in tablet and cough syrup forms. It can help with cough and congestion and works pretty rapidly to help the body get back to one without any side effects.