By Dr. Ryan Lee
As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, cold and flu season is quickly approaching.
This often means more days missed from work and school, sleepless nights, and even missing some of those anticipated holiday events.
So, what can you do to keep yourself happy and healthy over the holiday season?
Here are 3 of my top tips for holistically fighting off cold and flu season this year!
At its core, it’s all about having a healthy immune system.
Having a responsive immune system will allow your body to remain healthy even after coming into contact with the common cold or flu.
So, how do we boost our immune system?
Tip #1 – Vitamin C & D
I can hear everyone in unison shouting “Vitamin-C” and extending a glass of orange juice, and they aren’t wrong!
Vitamin-C plays a big role in helping our immune system by supporting cellular functions of both our innate and adaptive immune response.
But it is not the only way to keep yourself flu and cold-free this winter. Since we are on the topic of vitamins, vitamin-D is the next on the list.
Our bodies need vitamin-D to modulate our immune response as well as helps our killer-T cells fight off serious infections in or bodies.
The easiest way to get Vitamin D is from the sun, so get outside for at least 10 minutes a day! If you can’t get outside due to work or the days getting shorter, you can eat or supplement vitamin-D containing foods like egg yolks, beef, fatty fish, and cheese.
Tip #2 – Sleep
Over the holidays, we tend to stay up a little too late at holiday parties, family get togethers or running last-minute shopping trips.
But, sleep is key component of keeping our immune system strong!
When you are asleep, your body produces proteins called cytokines. These cytokines promote sleep and also help your body fight off infection when you are sick or inflamed from an injury. And a lack of sleep has more than shown that it decreases our bodies ability to fight infection, so get a good night’s sleep every night!
Tip #3 – Chiropractic Adjustments
Lastly, schedule a visit with your chiropractor!
Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to improve your immune response as they increase your bodies production of neutrophils, phagocytes, and the immune response molecules Interleukin-2, all of which aid in your bodies ability to kill off any foreign invaders that are trying to ruin your holiday season!
I hope you found these tips helpful and are able to stay happy and healthy this holiday season.
If you are interested in what chiropractic care can do for you, don’t hesitate to give us a call or click the link below to schedule your first appointment with us!
Give us a call at (423)-498-3400 today to see how chiropractic care can help you too!
Or click below to schedule your first appointment!
SCHEDULE NOW
Reach Health and Wellness Chiropractic is located in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area specifically in Collegedale, TN, a short distance from Ooltewah, Cleveland, East Brainerd, East Ridge, Ringgold, Apison, and Harrison.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Ryan Lee is the practicing chiropractic physician at Reach Health and Wellness Chiropractic. For his full bio, click here. *This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Ryan Lee and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Dr. Lee does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
