December 24, 2015
The holiday season seems to create a perfect storm for getting sick, with stress levels through the roof, errands galore and little time to relax.
This season, add yourself to the gift list by making time for self-care and (fingers crossed) flu prevention.
Below are four remedies by local wellness bloggers to help keep away, or chase away, a cold before it catches you.
Carrie, a Philadelphia-area blogger behind the crafty blog Making Lemonade, shares a lavish recipe for DIY peppermint bath bombs -- a "seasonal and invigorating" blend of rosemary for added energy, eucalyptus for the sniffles and peppermint, a common ingredient in over-the-counter cough remedies, which also helps relieve congestion.
While we haven't made this ourselves -- yet -- Carrie promises it's super simple: "Once you realize how easy these are to make, there will be no stopping you."
See ingredients and recipe here.
Paige Chapman, the founder of Mama's Wellness Joint, an alternative wellness haven for Philly-area women, shared a powerful piece on "making time" earlier this year, which listed several ways to make "me time," including reiki. Reiki is a healing technique where a practitioner can channel energy into their patients through touch to begin the healing process.
"We come up with a million different reasons to not set aside time for self-care – and sometimes, we are so disconnected with our own needs, that it actually doesn’t even enter our consciousness that we may need some extra TLC," Chapman wrote.
Reiki practitioners are said to have special symbols for ridding the body of lingering flu symptoms, including the distance and power symbols.
According to Philadelphia holistic health guru and author Jolene Hart, one way to avoid the flu is to stop using antibacterial soap.
Although it may sound oxymoronic, Hart explains the reason for this interesting advice on her blog, Beauty is Wellness, in a Q&A interview with Dr. Frank Lipman of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City.
"Antibacterial chemicals (like triclosan) ... contribute to resistant bacteria and can even dry out your skin further, making you prone to cracks that allow bacteria to enter your body," Lipman told Hart.
Here's another tip from Jolene Hart, author of "Eat Pretty" - a nutritional guide to eating foods that make you feel good inside and out - and Hippocrates: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."
On her blog, Hart shares a recipe for a flavorful flu-fighting dish, garlic mushrooms with sage polenta:
"While different types of mushrooms have distinct healing properties, all mushrooms are prized for their ability to eliminate mucus and toxins in the body, and their natural detox powers are fantastic for our inner health and outer appearance. Shiitakes (included in the recipe below) fight colds and flu, allergies and a depressed immune system, while white button mushrooms (also included) are full of B vitamins and detoxifying power," she writes.
Get the recipe here.
