Although getting colds and flus is sometimes unavoidable, don’t surrender to getting sick! Washing your hands to prevent germs from getting inside of you is critical, but once they do, there are many things you can do to fight them off.  Strengthening your immune system can stop bugs in their tracks and help you feel better faster. Here are some things you can do everyday:  

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Your white and red blood cells fight off infection so you need to keep them in tip top shape. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help keep cells healthy by repairing them so they fend off and attack nasty bugs.   

Avoid sugar. Sugar destroys the ability of our white blood cells to kill germs for up to five hours after eating. It also interferes with the absorbtion of vitamin C – an antioxidant which protects our cells.  

Keep hydrated. Cold air and dry heat can dry out your mucus membranes which provide a natural barrier to infection. Turn your heat down and you may save yourself from getting sick and save some energy at the same time.   

Be kind to your gut. Your intestines play a major part of your immune system and are host to trillions of bacteria. Optimize your ratio of good bacteria to bad bacteria by eating whole foods, and fermented foods such as miso or sauerkraut, kefir and yogurt and take a good probiotic. 

Eat immune-boosting foods like garlic and ginger everyday! Garlic helps multiply infection-fighting white blood cells and is an antioxidant which reduces free radicals in your blood stream. Ginger is anti-viral and helps increase sweat production to help you sweat out toxins.    

For more on how you can boost your immune system join me and Dr. Margaux French on Thursday, January 21 from 7:00pm – 9:00 pm for a cooking and wellness class in Portsmouth.  Check out my blog for more details on classes and keep any eye out for more tips to boost your immunity.

It’s impossible to “make” time, so forget about adding things to your plate in the new year and try to prioritize the things that are already on your list, like eating.  If your health is important, “saving” time out of your busy day is one of the best investments you’ll ever make.   

Save time in your busy day to take of yourself and eat well!

If you spend as little as 10 percent of your day (1.6 hours  or 96 minutes based on a 16 hour day) eating healthier meals, versus skipping them, running out the door with a pop tart, or eating fast food, your investment will pay off in the short term and the long term.  Take a few minutes to add up how much time you actually spend preparing and eating your food….you may be surprised at how little time you actually devote to nourishing yourself.

I think too many people have lowered their expectations so much that they don’t think twice about feeling lethargic, popping aspirin and ibuprofen to get rid of headaches, drinking coffee to stay awake, taking sleeping aids to fall asleep and just plain feeling under the weather.  Saving time to eat healthy, wholesome foods can make all the difference between “surviving” and thriving.  I know the difference and as I’ve made changes to my diet the last few years, I know what it feels like to feel fabulous or just “okay.”  (Do you ever notice how many people just say, “okay” when you asked them how they’re doing?!)

Here are a few quick tips for healthier eating….stay tuned for more.  Or, call me to find out how I can help you change your diet to change your life.

Breakfast: Skip the highly processed cereals and take a few extra minutes to cook whole grains like oatmeal or buckwheat. Or, scramble an egg and throw some spinach in it. Most breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and highly refined grains which act like sugar in your bloodstream.  If you’re hungry at 10:00 a.m., you’re eating the wrong breakfast. (15 minutes)

Lunch: Skip the Subway sandwich or McDonalds hamburger and try a hot bowl of homemade soup and a salad. Lunchmeats are loaded with salt, nitrates and too much fat. If you’re trying to lose weight, make lunch the biggest meal of your day. (35 minutes)

Dinner: Think outside the box and instead invest 20-30 minutes to prepare a dinner with whole foods instead of take-out or microwavable processed food. Keep it simpleL a small piece of meat or fish with 2-3 types of cooked vegetables (orange, red, green and white) and a green salad. It doesn’t need to be fancy food, it needs to be REAL food!  (46 minutes)

Saving just a few more minutes a day to cook, or even just “compile” REAL foods (like a big salad) is not that difficult – and even though the fast food restaurants and food companies try to convince you that you can’t cook, you can!   

The better you eat, the better you feel and the better your life will be! You deserve it!

Hopefully you’ve had your share of Halloween candy and are ready to take a break from sugar-coated treats!  If you have the sugar blues – you’re not alone. Americans are pretty much on a sugar high and we’re paying the price for it.  More and more people are considered obese and diabetes is on the rise.  Unfortunately a lot of the sugar we consume comes from breakfast cereals and quick breakfasts like pop tarts and cereal bars. (Did you know they make a hot fudge sundae pop tart?) This is a shame because the first thing you eat in the morning kicks your metabolism into gear and sets the stage for your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Melts in your mouth, not in your hands!

Too much sugar can causing cravings and mood swings. (Who isn’t a little cranky when they’re hungry?)  Moms, don’t let your kids skip breakfast either. Research has shown that kids who skipped breakfast had trouble concentrating in school and became inattentive and restless by late morning.

Here are a few things you should know about sugar that might help you think twice next the next time you reach for something sugary and sweet:

• Americans eat way too much sugar: about two pounds of sugar per week or nearly six times more sugar than the average person in France.
• White table sugar has no nutritious value!  In fact it is considered empty calorie or an “anti nutrient” because it depletes your own store of minerals and enzymes to absorb it.
• Sugar is in everything – cakes, cookies, crackers, breads, baked beans, tomato sauce, and watch out for sugary yogurts.
• Sugar suppresses your immune system.  Did you know that doctor’s visits go up after Halloween!?
• Sugar can cause depression, weaken your eyesight, arthritis, migraines and contribute to Alzheimer’s disease!

So enjoy an occasional treat, but don’t let sugar get the best of you.  Make sure to read labels before you buy something.  Look for the amount of sugar on food labels: four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon of sugar.  Or, look in the list of ingredients for fructose, sucrose, dextrose and maltose.  

And, remember, the more sugar you eat the more you will crave!  So don’t fall into it’s seductive trap. Just say “NO” to sugar!

If you want 76 more reasons not to eat sugar – write me and I’ll send you a fact sheet.