With the Covid19 pandemic still among us, we all walk a little weary into the back-to-school season. The good news is, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help. Consider a TCM perspective for not only those anxious feelings, but also as a modality to keep the immune system functioning optimally. Here are 4 ways to optimize your immune system this season to reduce your family’s chances of catching the Coronavirus, and other unwanted illnesses.
1. Focus on Your Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm (CR) govern’s the body’s natural cycles and helps to regulate appetite, sleep and mood – this cycle is influenced and controlled by light from the sun. There is an entire field of study called Chronomedicine that focuses on illnesses and disorders that occur when the body’s biological clock is disturbed, such as Jetlag, which you’ve likely experienced.
Biochemical changes are known to occur when behavioral patterns are altered due to the division of night and day. We bring this topic to light (pun intended) because of the current Pandemic at hand. Many work, school and daily schedules are altered due to the fact that the majority of the population is unemployed and don’t have to abide by a schedule.
We encourage you to try and maintain at least a bedtime/wake-up time so that your body can function the way it’s meant to. The more inconsistent a sleep schedule, the more your life can be affected.
2. Optimize Your Immune System
Cold and flu season is just around the corner, which means our chances of catching the CoronaVirus and/or another illness increases drastically as we head into the Fall months. These types of illnesses have a higher incidence rate in school kids, the immunocompromised and in the elderly September onward, so it’s best to keep our bodies healthy and in the best condition possible heading into the new seasons. This can be done by consuming food and drink that help to optimize your body’s immune system functions such as the home remedy below.
A healthy tea that you can drink to help stave away colds is as follows:
-1 clove garlic
-3 slices ginger
-1 chopped scallion
-basil
-pinch of cinnamon
-3 cups water
Boil the above for up to 5 minutes, strain and then consume it just before bed. This recipe suggests that you will sweat quite a bit as it’s intended to open the pores in order to release trapped pathogens.
3. Keep a Balanced Lifestyle
Eating properly isn’t enough to stave off the CoronaVirus, but having a balanced lifestyle increases your chances of fighting off COVID-19.
The following are several important items that can help keep your body healthy and balanced when fighting off any illness.
-Keep a healthy weight
-Keep an active exercise schedule
-Limit alcohol consumption
-Limit your fast food intake, red meats and processed foods
-Limit the amount of sugar you consume
4. Exercise and Water Consumption
If you’re following the above steps, eating healthy foods and taking your vitamins, none of it will matter if you’re not properly hydrated, especially if we’re exercising.
Did you know that your body loses water through simple actions such as digestion, breathing and sweating? Water also helps your body dissolve vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the food you consume. It then delivers these vitamin components to the rest of your body for use.
If you maintain a balanced amount of exercise and water consumption, you’re helping to give your body the tools it needs to fight off illnesses. Remember the importance of rehydrating by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.
We understand that these are challenging times, and, the best chance we have to get through this is, by taking care of our bodies, minds, and supporting our overall well-being, with a variety of tools and techniques – reach out to use, we can help.
