Winter wellness tips

Are you wanting to stay healthy with everyone around you getting a cold/flu? Here are my top tips:

• Elderberry syrup: A powerful immune booster!

• Fire Cider: A concoction of apple cider vinegar, lemon, ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric, rosemary, raw honey and more.

• Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir, and kombucha. A large percentage of the immune system is in the gut, so it's important to keep the gut microbiome happy.

• Skip the sugar! Sugar suppresses the immune system. Opt for fruit such as citrus (added bonus of boosting vitamin C levels) or berries (powerful antioxidants).

• Keep the kidneys warm: In Chinese medicine, the winter is the season of the kidneys, so it's important to pay extra attention to this organ in the colder months. The kidneys are located in the lower back region. Try wrapping a warm scarf around your waist covering your kidneys before going out into the cold. You can gently give your kidneys a massage, and also massage your ears as they are the external representation of the kidneys and have kidney stimulating acupressure points on them.

• Prioritize sleep and rest. Too little sleep and too much stress also depletes the immune system. This is the time of year while the nights are still long to give your body the rest and rejuvenation it deserves.

• Get outdoors! (But dress warmly). Too much time indoors exposes us to high levels of EMFs (electromagnetic fields) from our cell phones, computers, TV, Wifi, electrical outlets, lamps, etc. EMF exposure decreases the immune system's ability to ward off pathogens, in addition to many other negative effects. Give your system a break from this constant exposure and go for a walk in nature. Getting outside also exposes us to much needed vitamin D.

• Incorporating warming foods and spices: Think soups and stews, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg.