Elderberry and Winter Wellness Tips

As winter approaches, people "Winterize" their homes to protect them from winter temperatures and weather. How much more should we prepare our bodies for the winter months, so they will maintain health and wellness through this season?!

An easy way to support health is removing the things that tear it down and weaken our Immune System.

Did you know that SUGAR (even in juice) will completely freeze/suppress your white blood cells and your body's ability to get rid of germs/bacteria/damaged cells? When preventing illness, and especially when you're fighting it, SUGAR will completely derail your efforts. While many reach for soda, Gatorade, juice or carb filled "comfort foods", you will experience far more comfort by avoiding those sugar laden foods & nourishing your body with healthy fats, green leafy vegetables & antioxidant rich foods. Here are several recipes for each meal!

Toxins from environment, household cleaners, body products, disrupt the pathways of the Immune System. Getting rid of toxic products in home is a simple way to boost Immune System! Thieves Household Cleaner is an amazing powerful and safe cleaner for every room in the home!

A weekly DETOX BATH is a great way to maintain Lymphatic flow and reduce toxins and stress. I have a couple recipes I like...

1 cup Epsom salt

1/4 cup organic baking soda 

Add EOs to salt and soda

-  Serious Immune support: Ginger, Thieves, Orange, Frankincense

- Relaxing detox: Lavender, Stress Away

- Respiratory support: RC and Lavender 

As a former "germophobe", I used to think staying away germs would keep us healthy. Inevitably, we will all be exposed to something. Strengthening & nourishing our God given Immune System empowers us to live the healthy life God created us to live!

I LOVE that we can be empowered to take charge of our health and make healthy choices for ourselves and our families! Our family supports our wellness with an antioxidant rich sugar free paleo diet (no mucous forming dairy or inflammatory difficult to digest grains). We eat lots of leafy greens (in smoothies, in soups and on plates). 

Antioxidants are SUPER important for maintaining wellness because they get rid of free radicals in our body and protect cellular health. We can eat enough foods to give us a significant amount of antioxidants, so we drink 1oz of Ningxia Red for an antioxidant boost! Our entire family love this drink!

Cloves contain the highest antioxidant level of any substance on the planet and are amazing for boosting the Immune System! Clove is the #1 ingredient in Young Living's Thieves Essential Oil and is also one of the ingredients in my elderberry syrup. My elderberry syrup recipe contains elderberries, rosehips (super high Vitamin C), Astragalus, cinnamon, cloves and Young Living Vitaity Essential Oils: Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon and Ginger.

I make bone broth every week and use it to make soups/gumbo, quinoa, lentil pasta, in my chicken salad. It's great to drink in a mug too!

Supporting digestive/gut health, where 70% of the Immune System resides, is absolutely vital for health! We take probiotics daily and increase to several times a day when our bodies are stressed.

We use MANY Young Living Essential Oils to support Immune, Respiratory and Digestive Systems!

In addition to elderberry syrup and probiotics, our boys LOVE Goop! It's amazingly soothing to throats and respiratory systems! To an 8oz jar of local honey and unrefined organic coconut oil, I add 7-10 drops Young Living Vitality lemon and orange, 3 drops Vitality peppermint and frankincense and 1 drop Thieves Vitality EO.

One of my sons used to have often ear issues. Since adjusting our diet (cutting sugar, dairy and grains) and supporting our body systems, his ears are much healthier! Ear candling is another method that greatly supports ear health and is super simple!

Weekly chiropractic visits with our favorite chiropractors at Active Life Chiropractic have been a HUGE part of our family's wellness! When your body is aligned properly, it can function and even heal better. From torn ligaments to sniffles and clogged ears, they have helped us! Our boys love Dr. Barrett and Dr. Emily and how they keep us healthy!

Young Living's Raindrop Technique is a powerful Immune boosting method of layering oils on the spine. We try to do this weekly/monthly on our family.

 If you don't yet have these amazing oils, I am happy to mentor you and support you as you take charge of your health and wellness!! Follow this link to get your oils!!