Autumn Wellness Tips

You might be slipping back into your September routines and I'd like to chime in with some simple rituals to support your immunity and boost your chances of sailing through autumn without the sniffles.

I follow the principles of Ayurveda to daily and naturally cleanse and better manage my digestive and nervous system. In ayurvedic medicine, digestion is key and all physical health is thought to derive from the gut and so the approach is to cleanse or purify the body and then nourish. This wisdom is ancient and I have found it not only very helpful for my own health but in supporting others bring a new radiance to their lives.

The concept of dynacharya encourages establishing a collection of morning rituals which could include oil pulling and tongue scraping to support oral health, nasal rinsing with a neti pot followed by nasya oil to support respiratory health, bathing and abhyanga (self-massage with oils) to support integumentary health, meditation and a yoga practice with pranayama or mindful breathing exercises to strengthen mind and body, and warm water with a couple drops of lemon essential oil to support the digestive system along with a little belly massage.

If you just thought, "what the heck, Fran?", perhaps these tips look more familiar.

General Recommendations to Keep You Well

1. Drink LOTS of water. Ideally, take your body weight in kg and double that per day. If you work out, add more ounces throughout your day. Adding a drop of Lemon to warm water is an excellent way to start your day

2. Move your body 4-5 times a week (or ideally every day) for a minimum of 20 minutes and preferably in nature. There's lots of research to show that exercise not only supports immunity but it also keeps our spirits up in the shorter days of winter to come

3. OnGuard - take an OnGuard beadlet once a day and rub diluted OnGuard on the bottoms of your feet at night to support an optimal immune response while you rest. If symptoms arise - take an OnGuard soft gels every 3-4 hours.

4. Diffuse a combo of any of the following at any time to support immunity by lightly hydrating and adding negative (good for you) ions to the air as well as cleansing the air of pathogens: OnGuard, Easy Air, Arborvitae, Clove, Wild Orange, Ginger.

5. Vitamin D: 500-1000 mg/day for kids; 4000-5000 mg/day for adults

6. So your daily oil routine could look like this ... Balance oil on the bottom of the feet and back of neck to ground you from undue stress before the day begins, a drop of frankincense under the tongue to wake your mind, lemon or another citrus oil in your water during the day, Deep Blue rub on muscle tension from typing or sitting improperly or headaches, more water with citrus oils, LifeLong Vitality supplements + a tea made of peppermint oil and warm water after dinner, apply lavender to shoulders and diffuse your favorite restful oil(s) to help you deeply rest, apply onGuard roller to bottom of EVERYONE's feet to make sure you navigate flu season sucessfully.

7. Nutrition: focus on nutrient dense foods like vegetables, fruits, fats, and quality lean proteins including those from nuts

8. Get regular professional support. Get a massage, see your chiropractor, think about seeing an osteopath or naturopath for holistic guidance

9. Make sure you have someone to talk with and book time with friends to help decompress and bring laughter into your week

10. Help someone else. Research shows that getting out of our own concerns or drama and acting generously with your time and skills boosts our mood and immunity

11. Carve out time to make sure you stimulate creativity, so listen to music, paint, sing in the shower, cook a really delicious meal and enjoy with your neighbors. We know upbeat music played at a particular volume can be highly motivating, energizing, and supportive of immunity and mental health

I'm not suggesting you have to "do" it all. Select a few that have worked for you in the past or that peak your curiosity now and let me know how you're feeling.

Until next time, my friends, stay well !