Wednesday Wellbeing: Health during the change of season by Rina and Zoe

Rehna September 9, 2020 Boosting your immune system, change of season, Health

What’s better than a wellbeing queen?

Why, TWO wellbeing queens, ofcourse!

Rina and Zoe join forces to protect us from the dreaded change of season health annoyances.

Change of Season

If you are returning to your office or place of work this month, or have children returning to school, you may be particularly keen to ensure your body is fighting fit. At the core of my health and wellbeing is sleep. I’m an eight-hours a night kind of girl and although I rarely sleep for longer, my body knows and expects a certain amount of rest. So, I try my best to ensure that I honour that.

I take a range of supplements and vitamins every day and try and incorporate movement in some form or another into my routine. It may be a walk, a spin class, or a wonderfully restorative kundalini yoga class with Zoe (hosted virtually).

My absolute go-to time and time again to boost my immunity is the dōTERRA On Guard Collection. On Guard itself is a powerful proprietary blend of oils that supports a healthy immune function. It contains Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Wild Orange, Rosemary and Clove. When combined, these oils have antiviral, antimicrobial, antibacterial and purifying properties.

I use the On Guard hand wash, and carry the On Guard purifying hand mist with me wherever I go. I diffuse On Guard essential oil when I’m at home. I use the On Guard cleaner concentrate in my home-made non-toxic cleaning products. My clothes are washed with the On Guard laundry detergent. I use the On Guard toothpaste and the On Guard mouthwash. I take the On Guard softgels if I’m feeling under the weather, and the On Guard throat drops if I have a sore throat. It’s all about On Guard!

I’m also a fan of roller bottles as they are ready-made and ideal for easy access when you’re on-the-go. You’ve guessed it, there’s an On Guard roller bottle (containing the On Guard essential oil, diluted with Fractionated Coconut Oil). This is safe to use on children, although there is an entire range – the Kids Collection – designed with little ones in mind. The Collection includes wonderful oil blends such as Thinker, Brave, Calmer, and Steady, perfect for supporting children as they return to school.

Eucalyptus essential oil is another powerhouse when it comes to boosting immunity. Its top uses include, easing congestion and dispelling mental fatigue. My top tip for Eucalyptus is to use it in the shower – I pop a drop into the palm of my hands and inhale deeply, and another drop into the shower tray. I like to close my eyes and imagine, that just for a moment, I am in a spa, relaxing and clearing my mind of any worries or concerns I may have.

Over to you Zoe, what tips or routines can you share with us to boost immunity during this change of season?

Oilwards and Upwards

Rina x

Thanks Rina, I have the full set of doTERRA oils too!

As a yoga teacher and wellness coach, it kinda feels as though this should be easy for me to answer (She says with a wry smile and a wink)! And yessss I suppose it is!! I can reel off all the things I do BUT I’m only human and human things happen to me too and these make me just as susceptible to the impact of stress, which is the top contributor for weakening the immune system. And I know this from past experience, managing repeated bouts of painful shingles following prolonged periods of stress. Urgh!

So, what I know works for me is making sure I stick to what I call my daily ‘non-negotiable rituals’ of meditation, breath work and a yoga practice and/or some other type of movement. Over the summer I included daily swims in the sea in Hove, Cornwall, Shoreham and Brighton and big long walks. Cold water therapy, including cold showers is incredible for boosting the immune system.

Daily meditation and breath work help process the impact of stress and keep me in the present moment. When I’m mindful it makes it so much easier for me to observe rather than react and this definitely makes me less prone to experiencing stress because I’m more conscious of managing my responses. The yoga practice supports my whole body and each of the body’s systems within it, including being able to release emotions and trauma. But this only works if I keep up with my regular practice! I tend to combine all of these into a morning or evening practice if I have time or split them up if I’m time poor!

Supporting my immune system is a holistic (whole) process. For me and everyone else, keeping the immune system firing on all cylinders involves a combination of factors. It’s not just about one thing. And as Rina suggests, this most definitely has to include getting good quality sleep!

I make sure my food choices are nutrient dense. As a yogi, fresh food is important so I make the effort to meal plan, cook from scratch and batch cook, so I’m not ever tempted to eat convenience food, which often contains very little nutrition. I love getting creative in the kitchen making soups, vegetable chillies or curries with fresh turmeric, ginger and chillies and eating heaps of steamed or stir- fried greens.

Riverford deliveries make my life easier! I also avoid food types I know my body finds hard to process, for example, gluten, avocados, lentils, coconut oil. Yeah, I know, odd for a veggie but they’re not for me!! Intolerances or allergies impact on how the immune system functions. So be aware of these too.

My go to tips are:

• Find ways that support your unique requirements in processing stress. NB: If you’re already stressed doing strong, taxing, physical workouts may not always be the answer. As this can increase adrenalin and cortisol in the body.

• Make time to relax especially after a hard workout.

• Make good sleep a priority and develop a sleep routine that supports this. Sitting on the side of the bed for 5 minutes closing off the right nostril with the right thumb and inhaling in and out of the left nostril is my go to bedtime practice.

• Eat well, include lots of fresh veg and fruit & minimise consumption of alcohol and sugar if you’re feeling particularly stressed or run down.

• Work out what non-negotiable self-care practices work for you and begin to incorporate them in to your week or day. Remember this isn’t all about bubble baths, they’re great but making time to sort out anything that mitigates the impact of stress ie. managing finances or planning the week ahead, count as self-care.

• Finally, if I ever feel like I’m run down or coming down with something I make myself a warm cup of golden milk (a fresh turmeric latte) Get my recipe here. It works!