So how did I do it? How did I go from being an extremely fit and an otherwise healthy person who was still getting sick to an extremely fit, healthy girl who doesn’t get sick? Well, the short answer is getting adjusted. But more than that, I started to evaluate all of the small triggers that were compromising my immune system and changed them one by one.
It took me awhile to figure all of this out, and it seems only right that I put it all together and help out as many people as possible.
Fight the Flu Naturally
1) Get Adjusted: Many people think of chiropractic as a source of relief for back and neck pain and it is! But more importantly chiropractic is a way to maintain a healthy nervous system. The nervous system is responsible for all cell and tissue health in the body. The brain controls everything and it relays it’s messages to rest of the body through the nervous system. The spinal cord is the main highway for information, when the spinal cord is under intense pressure and cannot relay messages effectively, the rest of the body starts to suffer. You can’t fight off diseases, illnesses, messages get mixed, your body might attack itself (autoimmune), or you may experience pain.
For me, my cervical spine was out of place and was causing just enough pressure to irritate my Eustachian tube. The tube that runs from your ears, down your throat. When the pressure changed outside bacteria would get caught in this kink in the tube and grow and fester and cause infections. Once I started removing the pressure, the tubes were free and the bacteria didn’t get trapped and wasn’t able to grow into an infection.
2) Drink Plenty of Water: Water flushes everything bad out of your body. The more water you drink, the greater turnover you will have in your body. Meaning, that your system is able to round up the allergens, bacteria and viruses and send them on their way. So, it’s really important to drink half your body weight in ounces everyday.
3) Use a Humidifier: During the winter months, we turn our heat on and the heat dries out the air. When this happens, our nasal mucosa dry out as well. The mucus we produce is essential for trapping dust, debris, bacteria, viruses and allergens. So when your mucus is dried out, you have a greater chance of allowing these foreign invaders to pass into your system. Using a humidifier in the air can help to re-moisturize the air and provide some much needed hydration to your nasal mucosa.
4) Supplements: Now is the time, to take your vitamin C, B12, probiotics, D, etc… Many people get a great dose of vitamins in the summer from the sun (vitamin D) to fresh fruits and veggies (vitamin C, B12, etc…) when winter hits we are not getting as much of these and can fall victim to illness and disease. Therefore, if you live in the frozen tundra (Buffalo,NY – my original home) you need to be extra conscientious that in the winter months you keep up on supplements. These will boost your immune system.
5) Exercise: It’s really easy to get extra exercise in during the summer months, and much harder once it’s cold and snowing. Exercise is a natural way to improve your immune system. It keeps your whole body healthy: muscles, lungs, nerves, and releases endorphins to make you happy! So don’t forget to pop in your favorite DVD, or go to your favorite gym and get your sweat on.
6) MOST IMPORTANT!!!!!!! ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!
What good is keeping yourself healthy if everyone around you is getting sick and can’t have fun with you? Spread the word on how easy it is to stay healthy. Seriously people, those are not hard steps to take to keep the flu at bay.
You’ll be saving:
1) Money at the doctors office
2) Saving “sick time” for beautiful spring and summer days
3) No more prescriptions for antibiotics which we all know are being abused anyways
4) Enjoying all of the holiday parties and family get togethers
You’ll be gaining:
1) New appreciation for fall and winter
2) A fabulous fit body from all the exercise
3) Increased energy
4) No more fatigue
These may seem too good to be true, but this is my strategy and it’s worked fabulously. I have talked with many colleagues and friends who have done similar strategies and it’s always the same outcome, no more sickness.
So give it a try, drink some water, take your vitamins, exercise and get adjusted, you’ll be glad you did.
About the Author:
Dr. Morgan Crowley has her Bachelor’s in Exercise Physiology and her Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine. She is committed to providing her community both locally and at large with quality information that they can use in their own personal lives. She resides in Mount Pleasant, SC with her two dogs and enjoys running her Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic office, Weight Loss Coaching, and Blogging. Inquiries can be sent to mcrowleydc@gmail.com or feel free to check out her blog at www.theeverydayhealth.com .
