Today, I am going to give you my best tips for winter wellness and how to jump start your immune system. We will be diving deep into ways to protect our health and how to support our bodies when we aren't feeling our best.
What You Will Learn
- How to improve your gut health, since 70-80% of our immune system resides in our gut.
- How to decrease stress in the body.
- How to improve quality of sleep.
- Non-toxic cleaning products that work.
- Daily use essential oils & supplements to support a healthy immune system.
- What to do when we don't feel our best. Protocols for everyday aliments.
Below you will find the top 10 reasons we get sick according to Google.
Top 10 Reasons We Get Sick
- Not washing hands
- Not getting enough sleep
- Working too much
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not cleaning things well
- Cleaning too much
- Too much stress
- Poor diet
- Not enough exercise
- Exposure to germs and toxins
Gut Health
Gut health is extremely important, as I mentioned above, 70-80% of our immune system resides in our gut. One of the ways we can support a healthy gut is by making sure the microbiome, the healthy gut bacteria, is there and that the un-healthy gut bacteria doesn’t go rogue.
Candida is yeast/fungus in our gut that is designed to be there, but it is often overgrown, and it grows through exposure to sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol. When we have over exposure to those substances in our diet candida starts to grow.
What is Candida Overgrowth?
Candidiasis, or yeast overgrowth, is very common and causes Candida overgrowth symptoms such as bloating, constipation, rashes, fungal infections, fatigue, brain fog, a weakened immune system, and mood swings.
Candida Overgrowth Symptoms
- Skin and nail fungal infections, such as athletes’ foot, ringworm, and toenail fungus.
- Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea.
- Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD, or brain fog.
- Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression.
- Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings.
- Feeling tired and worn down or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia.
- Autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, or multiple sclerosis.
- Skin issues include eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes.
- Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching, or vaginal itching.
- Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears.
The good thing is there are lots of things we can do to support healthy candida levels in our gut and in turn support a healthy immune system.
I recommend doTERRA’s Cleanse and Restore Program.
Days 1-10 you will take supplements that support the filtering organs, like the liver, kidneys, and colon. Days 11-20 you will take supplements that will cleanse the intestinal tract. Days 21-30 you will take supplements that renew and repopulate the gut microbiome and to support healthy cellular function.
Below is a graphic of a customer that tried the cleanse and shares her experience.
Lifelong Vitality is a supplement that you will see recommended in the cleanse, but this is a supplement I recommend taking every day. Lifelong Vitality is doTERRA’s number one selling product, because it works so well. LLV is full of essential nutrients, metabolism benefits, and powerful antioxidants and is designed to promote energy, health, and vitality.
LLV Supports:
- Bone Health
- Immune Function
- Stress Management
- Cardiovascular Health
- Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails
- Eyes, Brain, and Nervous System
- Liver Function and Digestive System
Children’s Supplements to support a healthy immune system and cognitive function
- A2Z Chewable Tablets
- PB Assist Jr
- IQ Mega
As I mentioned above, too much sugar can lead to an overgrowth of candida, try something like doTERRA’s Slim and Sassy Essential Oil, to kick sugar cravings.
Slim and Sassy Ingredients: Grapefruit, Lemon, Peppermint, Ginger, and Cinnamon.
Another way to increase the health of our immune system is by increasing hydration. When we are dehydrated our bodies have trouble detoxifying and moving nutrients optimally. One thing I do every morning to stay hydrated is to add a citrus oil to a full glass of water and then down the entire glass, I do this before I eat, tea, or anything else. Adding a citrus oil to your water will kick start your digestive system for the day and get everything move and increase hydration.
Nutrition
As you are working on a healthy immune system, fiber is required in building up a healthy gut flora. You also need fiber to help your digestive system get rid of the food waste your body no longer needs. doTERRA’s fiber supplement includes high potency vitamin C.
Reduce Stress
Stress can come from internal and external factors, a lot of time it is outside of our control. When we are stressed, our body goes into a response that impacts every organ and decreases the effectiveness of our immune system.
How Stress Affects the Body
- Head: Issues with mood, anger, depression, irritability, lack of energy, concentration problems, anxiety, and panic attacks.
- Heart: Increased blood pressure, fast heartbeat, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, and higher cholesterol.
- Intestines: Decreased nutrient absorption, reduced metabolism, decreased enzymatic output, increased risk for inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes, and more.
- Reproductive System: Decreased testosterone and estradiol production leading to reduced fertility. Dampening of sexual behavior and loss of sexual drive.
- Joints & Muscles: Aches and pain, inflammation, tension, lowered bone density (potentially for osteoporosis), tightness in the shoulders and back.
- Skin: Skin problems like acne, psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, random breakouts, and skin rashes.
- Stomach: Can cause ulcer disease, IBD, IBS, food allergies, stomach cramps, reflux, nausea, and weight fluctuation.
- Pancreas: Results in elevated secretions of insulin, which if chronic could lead to diabetes, damaged arteries, and obesity.
- Immune System: Suppressed effectiveness of the immune system to battle and recover from illness. Leads to high levels of inflammation in the body, which causes a variety of chronic health conditions.
The good news is there are somethings you can do to help decrease the stress hormone within the body.
Essential Oils
Essential Oils to Use to Decrease Stress
Adaptiv oil is doTERRA’s calming blend.
It contains Wild Orange, Lavender, Copaiba, Spearmint, Magnolia, Rosemary, Neroli, and Sweetgum.
This oil was designed to help decrease the stress response within the brain. Stress is what keeps many of us from falling asleep and staying asleep. Adaptiv is great to use during the day in high stress situations, but you can also diffuse it at night.
This is another oil I like to apply behind the ears.
Copaiba
If I had to sum this oil up in one word, I would describe it as homeostasis. This oil truly brings homeostasis to the body.
This oil has a mild smell that is slightly earthy, but it doesn’t have a ton of aroma. I recommend diffusing it with another oil.
This oil can be applied directly to the body, or you can put a drop under your tongue, which is great for physical discomfort, feeling stressed out, or feeling anxious. It helps to support a healthy neurological system. There are so many amazing benefits for your body of using this oil.
Improve Quality of Sleep
The mind and body are recharged through sleep; it is an essential function to keeping the mind and body healthy. Sleep deprivation has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Sleep helps the body strike a hormonal balance. Unbalanced hormones can lead to insulin resistance and lead to type 2 diabetes. A lack of sleep may also affect the motivation to be physically active.
Sleep deprivation reduces brain function, impairs concentration, and can lead to memory loss. People with good sleeping habits have been shown to be more productive. Getting adequate sleep has also been linked to the ability to recognize other people’s emotions and expressions and shows more emotional and social intelligence.
Mental health is severely impaired by sleep deprivation which leads to depression and other mental health issues.
Sleep supports healthy growth and development within the body. Your immune system is dependent on getting enough sleep to keep the body healthy.
When people come to me asking what oils to use to improve sleep quality, I always start with recommending Serenity.
Serenity is doTERRA’s restful blend, it was specifically designed to help you get a more restful night’s sleep.
This oil is a proprietary blend of Lavender Flower. Cedarwood, Ho Wood Lead, Ylang Ylang Flower, Marjoram Leaf, Roman Chamomile Flower, Vetiver Root, Vanilla Bean Absolute, and Hawaiian Sandalwood.
I like to use this oil by putting it directly on my body. Usually, I will add a little Serenity to the bottoms of my feet, which is a great place to apply any essential oil. Applying essential oils to the bottom of the feet helps them to soak into the pores and into the bloodstream; this is really relaxing to the body.
I also really love applying Serenity around my ears. Start by diffusing Serenity oil in your bedroom by your bed. If you need a little extra sleep support, you can try taking the Serenity Capsules. Serenity Capsules combined with the Copaiba Capsules creates a magical sleep combination. You may have to try different combinations to figure out what works best with the chemistry of your body.
Non-Toxic Cleaning
As mentioned above in the top ten reasons we get sick, many of the reasons had to do with hygiene; not cleaning enough, cleaning too much, and not washing hands.
Did you know the chemicals you are using to keep your home clean could be damaging your family’s health? The air inside our homes has been found to be 5x's more polluted than the air outside of our homes.
In fact, Silent Spring Institute found concentrations of toxic chemicals in our homes linked to diseases to be 200-500 times higher than outside.
One of the major reasons toxicity in our homes is elevated, is due to traditional cleaning supplies.
doTERRA’s Abode Line
The Abode line was designed to keep your Abode, aka your home, clean without using harsh, toxic chemicals that could negatively impact the health of your family.
This line includes:
- Abode Essential Oil
- Abode Multi-Purpose Surface Cleaner Concentrate
- Abode Dishwasher Pods and Dish Soap
- Abode Laundry Pods
- Abode Foaming Hand Wash Concentrate
- Abode Hand Lotion
Another great option for green cleaning that works, is the On Guard Cleaner Concentrate. The Abode Line came out in September of 2021, but before that this is the only cleaning product I used in my house. Read,
How to Make Household Cleaners with Essential Oils, to learn more about how I use doTERRA's On Guard Cleaner Concentrate in my home.
Immune Specific Oils
All the things I’ve mentioned so far were geared towards prevention and making your body and your home an undesirable host for pathogens as they float around. Now we are moving into oils that target your immune system directly.
On Guard Protective Blend
Immunity Wellness Program
doTERRA created Wellness Programs to meet the needs of certain areas of health that customers may be struggling with. These are three-month subscription boxes that are delivered each month for three months and contain products that are specifically designed to target your wellness goals.
There are six targeted goals you can choose from, these include:
- Sleep Wellness Program
- Respiratory Wellness Program
- Relief Wellness Program
- Immunity Wellness Program
- Mind and Mood Wellness Program
- Digestive Wellness Program
I do want to quickly go over the Immunity Wellness Program.
Description (from doTERRA website)
Get wellness delivered straight to your door with our special Immunity Wellness Program. Each month for three months, we’ll send you a new collection of products specifically selected to support the health of your immune system.
Month 1
- doTERRA On Guard Protective Blend 15 mL
- doTERRA On Guard Sanitizing Mist
- doTERRA On Guard Foaming Hand Wash & Hand Pump
- Purify 15 mL
- Wild Orange 15 mL
- Exclusive gift – doTERRA On Guard Toothpaste and Floss
Month 2
- doTERRA On Guard Softgels
- doTERRA On Guard Beadlets
- doTERRA On Guard Sanitizing Mist
- Grapefruit 15 mL
- Tea Tree 15 mL
- Exclusive gift – Mini doTERRA On Guard Mouthwash
- Exclusive gift – Tongue Scrapper
Month 3
- doTERRA Breath 5mL
- doTERRA On Guard Sanitizing Mist
- Frankincense Touch 4 mL
- Oregano 5 mL
- Mini Veggie Caps – 30 ct
- Stronger 10 mL
- Exclusive gift – doTERRA On Guard Wipes
- Exclusive gift – Sanitizing Mist Holder
Solutions for Aliments
Note: The following information is not medical advice, I am not a doctor and do play one on the internet. These are just some options for things you can do within the home, but you should also know when it’s appropriate to seek medical attention, so as always discuss options with your medical provider.
One of the things my family does whenever we feel a tickle in our throats or suspect we have the funk in our home is to take out our F.L.O.O.T Bomb Roller Blend. The recipe below is for adult use, for children you might cut the recipe in half and for really small children only use a drop of each.
F.L.O.O.T Bomb Roller Blend (Fight the Funk)
- Frankincense – 10 drops
- Lemon – 10 drops
- Oregano – 5-10 drops
- On Guard – 10 drops
- Tea Tree – 10 drops
Directions:
Add essential oils to your roller bottle, then fill to the top with a carrier oil, place roller top on bottle and snap in place.
Whenever you are feeling the funk, take out this roller blend and roll it on the bottoms of the feet and spine a couple times a day. There is no time release in the oils, so the best way you can use them is little doses more frequently. You can also make this into a capsule form and take the same oils internally, you would just add a drop of each into a vegetable capsule and take it with water up to 3 times a day.
On Guard Chewable Tablets
On Guard+ Capsule
Symphony of the Cells
Throat Spray
Breathe Drops, On Guard Drops, and Ginger Drops
Respiratory Syrup
Sinus Steamer
Ear Discomfort
Warm Body Temps
Scratchy Throat
Miracle Salve
Winter Wellness Cheat Sheet
I hope this helps you and your family stay healthy this winter!
No minimum or monthly purchase requirements to maintain wholesale pricing. Get more info and shop wholesale oils here. Check out the Blissed Mama
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