It’s been a long, tough winter. Let’s just get that out in the open. There was a lot of snow/rain mixed in with lots of bitterly cold days with a few alarmingly warm days stuck in there as well. Aside from that or maybe because of it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was a bad year for the flu. It seems like there’s I knew at least one person who had some sort of cold, flu or respiratory infection.
At one point, the state’s Department of Health said that the flu was so widespread that most hospitals had a temporary masking requirement so that people who hadn’t received the flu shot couldn’t enter a patient care area without wearing a medical mask. Although it’s too late to prevent sickness, there are ways to boost your immune system after battling a virus to make sure you don’t end up with another awful bout of flu just as the weather starts to warm up.
First off, crank up your antioxidant and vitamin intake. Eat loads of colorful fruits and veggies as they are nutrient rich! If you don’t eat lots of colorful produce, take a good multivitamin. I’ll give you some ideas of where to get them below. Once you’ve fully recovered from whatever ailed you, get a little exercise, slowly building to whatever amount you did before getting sick.
Make sure you drink lots of water and get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. If you were on antibiotics, make sure you take a probiotic to build up the good bacteria in your gut. Perhaps drink some kombucha or eat some kimchi or other fermented food, they’re loaded with probiotics. Get some sunshine if you can: Vitamin D does wonders for your immune system – why do you think you get more sick during the darker, colder months?
Another idea is to head to a natural food store to pick up some fresh juice, supplements, or organic food. Or make an appointment with a homeopathic specialist to learn about some of the natural ways to help your body prevent infection and illness. We all want to be the healthiest we can be, especially going into spring and summer. Here are a few suggestions in Westerly:
Herbwise Naturals – 35 Broad Street, Mon-Fri 9:30am to 5:45pm, Sat 9:30am to 5pm
They have homeopathic remedies, vitamins, supplements, etc., and have one of the largest inventories of bulk herbs and spices in New England. If they don’t have it in the store, they can probably order it for you. They also have an in-house nutritional counselor who can offer dietary consultation.
Nature’s Wisdom Wellness Association – 54 High Street, Mon 10am to 4pm, Weds 10am to 6pm, Fri 10am to 4pm
One of the area’s top facilities for natural health with herbal and homeopathic care being their specialties. Offering ONDAMED® electromagnetic frequency treatment, electrodermal stress analysis, ionic footbaths, reflexology, a sauna and customized weight loss program.
New England Acupuncture and Integrative Therapies – 35 Wells Street, #5, Tues-Thurs 8am to 5pm, by appointment only
Ancient medicine meets modern science at this clinic. Offering Chinese medicine such as cupping and acupuncture, collagen induction therapy, functional medicine and nutritional coaching.
