Seasonal Cold Remedy
When the weather begins to change and the leaves begin to fall, it’s important to modulate your health and take care of yourself. This past weekend, I found myself suddenly under the weather. When I’m feeling a seasonal cold arriving and I only have a few days to recover, I pour back into myself with the following recovery tools.
Prevention
Mindful Eating
In Chinese medicine, it’s important to eat seasonally and keep the inside of your body warm as you would the outside. Warm meals can make all the difference. If you typically have a salad, try lightly sautéing your greens until just warm. Adding healthy fats such as olive oil or ghee is a great way to supplement the dryness of the season. Nourish your body with vegetables, grains and protein. I find that when I’m eating healthy, I feel better. Preparing your food with the seasons helps to transition your body through the chill of the season.
Cleanse
If you want to take mindful eating another step further, consider doing a cleanse that will help reset your system. There have been studies that have shown that doing a short cleanse can reboot your digestion, clear up your skin, impact your sleep and more. In the fall to winter months, kitchari cleanses are a warmer alternative to juice cleanses. Kitchari is an Ayurvedic dish that consists of mung beans and sometimes rice. This food is said to be tridoshic and a complete protein. Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga and means “knowledge of life”. Ayur means life and veda means knowledge. Ayurveda governs the internal maintains balance throughout the mind, body and consciousness through diet and lifestyle.
There are 5 main principles of Ayurveda:
Vayu: Air
Jala: Water
Aakash: Space or ether
Prithvi: Earth
Teja: Fire
These five main principles come together to form the doshas.
The 3 main doshas are:
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
You can take a quiz online to find your dosha and their are different lifestyle recommendations for each dosha to find internal balance for a healthy state of mind and body.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a type of holistic healing based in ancient Chinese medicine that can help treat a variety of conditions such as pain, headaches, digestive issues, quality of life and more. A small needle is inserted into specific trigger points with minimal pain in order to stimulate healing, relaxation or energy. Some scientists say that the needles trigger the central nervous system and muscles while TCM believes that acupuncture balances “Qi” or vital life force within the body, creating harmony between yin and yang. Your Qi flows through the meridians of your body and can become stagnant or blocked due to stress, illness or daily living. (Source, Source)
Yoga
A regular practice of asana, pranayama and meditation can help maintain a healthy immune system by keeping your stress levels low and purifying your body of physical and mental tension. Choose a practice that resonates with you whether you choose yin, hatha, flow, etc. A regular practice of physical asana helps create a physical temperament that can sustain concentration in meditation and daily life. Practice not only for the physical benefits, but also for deep awareness, presence and concentration. You can practice with me in-studio, on Insight Timer and on YouTube.
Journaling
Keep your mind free and clear with daily journaling. Free writing is a practice in which you put pen to paper for a set amount of time allowing yourself to “brain dump” and process anything that is going on in your life. End your journaling practice with a list of gratitude and an intention for your day.
Remedy
Elimination
This is a good time to eliminate sugar, processed foods, dairy and any other food groups that might cause phlegm. Although sweets can be enjoyed with the sweetness of life, consider only reintroducing these sweet treats in moderation after the cold has passed. I find that although this is difficult, a little rest of the system is sometimes all I need.
Sinus Rinse
A sinus rinse is a natural way to clear congestion using distilled water and a formulated solution packed. I use the sinus rinse from NeilMed.
Rest
One of the best ways to allow your body to recover is to rest. Get 8-10 hours of sleep during the night and allow yourself to nap when you get tired. Everyone needs a varying amount of sleep but on average 7 hours of night is sufficient. When you’re under the weather, sleep more and focus on improving the quality of your sleep. Studies show that sleep helps keep you healthy, reduces stress, improved mood and more (Source).
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is commonly known as psychic sleep. It’s a deep rest state that allows your physical body to recover and heal and for your emotional mind to process and release. Yoga Nidra is said to improve thought patterns and shift limiting beliefs. Many practices in today’s article are focused around reducing stress. You may have heard of cortisol which is your main stress hormone produced and released by your adrenals. It is a glucocorticoid hormone and because almost all tissues in your body have glucocorticoid receptors, cortisol can affect nearly every organ in your body including:
Nervous system
Immune system
Cardiovascular system
Respiratory system
Reproductive system
Musculoskeletal system
Integumentary system
When your body is in a constant state of stress, your sympathetic nervous system is activated and it enters into “fight or flight mode” and impairs your immune system and cognitive function over time (Source). Stress is known as the “silent killer.” In Yoga Nidra, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, allowing your system to regulate into “rest, digest and release.” Studies demonstrate that long term practices can reduce both stress and anxiety (Source).
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
Reduce stress and anxiety
Develop a deeper connection with yourself
Turn limiting beliefs into liberating beliefs
Process unresolved situations from your past
Re-write limiting beliefs
Improve quality of life and mood
Practice Yoga Nidra with me on Insight Timer.
Hydrate
Drinking enough water is essential for healthy living. Hydration can come in any form such as water, vegetables or tea. I love drinking warm lemon water with a spoonful of Mandela honey in the mornings. Throughout the day I’ll continue drinking water and green tea. When I’m feeling under the weather, I’ll also drink warm broths and avoid any dairy or coffee drink.
Hydrating helps “regulate body temperature, keeps joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells and keep organs functions properly. Being well-hydrated also improves sleep quality, cognition, and mood. Experts recommend drinking roughly 11 cups of water per day for the average woman and 16 for men” (Source).
Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual that is similar to modern day mouthwash.
How to Oil Pull
Choose an organic oil such as coconut oil
Scoop out a half tablespoon
Swish in your mouth for 15-20 minutes
Spit out and rinse out your mouth
If you’re oil pulling for the first time, it can seem a bit unpleasant, but after a few times, it’ll become more familiar. Oil pulling helps to reduce bad bacteria in the mouth and improve oral health (Source).
Vitamins
When I’m feeling sick, I might supplement the nutrients in my diet with Vitamin C, echinacea and magnesium.
Stay Warm
Keep your internal and external environment comfortable and warm. Make sure you stay bundled up, wear socks, use heating pads and avoid the chill. Now is the time to take care of yourself.
Recovery
Cupping
To help ease back into life, I’ll usually schedule a cupping appointment after I’m feeling better to help release tension and toxins. Cupping is an ancient alternative medicine that improves circulation and blood flow and is generally a great addition to healthy living. I always feel reenergized yet relaxed after a session. This also pairs well with acupuncture.
Sauna
Infrared sauna sessions are becoming increasingly popular. If you don’t have a sauna at your local gym, there are many sauna studios which offer 40-50 minute sauna sessions in a private room with Netflix, Hulu and other steaming services. It’s a great way to get warm, detox, relax and escape the world a little bit. I like Perspire Sauna which has locations nationwide.
Studies show that consistent infrared sauna usage helps:
Improve mood by decreasing anxiety
Assist quality of sleep by allowing you to be more relaxed
Reduce oxidative stress which is associated with cardiovascular and degenerative diseases
Improve heart health by increasing blood flow and reduce blood pressure
Soothes sore muscles by increasing circulation
(Source)
Bodywork
One of my favorite parts of my month is my monthly bodywork session. Similar to a massage, this work is a little more intensive and integrated to realign the whole body.
In summary, you may have noticed a general theme in all steps of prevention, remedy and recovery: reduce stress and improve quality of life. When you feel the leaves begin to change and a slight snap to the weather, come back to this post on how to recover mindfully.