This post is sponsored by MegaFood. Thank you for supporting the brands and organizations that help make Sinful Nutrition possible!
Happy Friday! It's been a long week, but it also went by fast. Anyone else ever have those kinda weeks? Fri to the yay. With the winter sickness going around faster than Fireball at a frat party, I thought it'd be a good time to share some tips on how to prevent getting sick, and come out of the season of sickness on top.
I've had my fair share of sickness early on in the season, which I'd like to thank working with thousands of kids on a monthly basis for. I always try to focus on ways to combat a cold with food and natural remedies before I reach for any over the counter medicine, and find that most times they do the trick.
That's why I was more than happy to partner up with MegaFood to try out their line of Winter Wellness goodies to avoid the ick that is slowly making it's way around my office.
While they may look like a typical over the counter pill or supplement, each one is made from REAL FOOD, so it's basically like eating a meal, Jetson's style.
Plus they are grown (not made. We're talking food here 😉 ) right in my home state of New Hampshire! I feel like I should be on the Nick News segment, "What's in My Backyard?"...anyone remember that?
And if you're not a fellow New Englander, you can take a gander at the MegaFood's hub with their LiveCam feature. I thought that was so cool, and really made it apparent to me that they stand behind what they produce without anything to hide.
So if you feel a bit of a tickle coming on, here's some helpful ways to keep the winter blues and flu's away with five simple tips to prevent getting sick this winter!
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is important enough when it comes to general health, but even more so during cold and flu season. Adequate rest helps your body build immunity, and running on fumes puts you at a higher risk for catching a cold.
I am pretty strict about getting enough sleep each night, so I make it a priority to be in bed around the same time each night, and get about 8-9 hours of sleep each night.
If you have trouble falling asleep, try drinking an herbal tea a couple hours before bed, reading, or shutting down electronics a few hours before bed.
Lucky for me, I haven't been having trouble in the sleep department, but having the Dream Release in my arsenal is good to have. It combines valerian root, magnesium, and poppy for a natural way to promote a good nights rest. Is it just me, or can all you think about with Poppies is the Wizard of Oz? I mean, it worked for Dorothy, right?
Get Outdoors
As much as the cold and snow makes us want to stay cooped up under the covers until Spring, it isn't doing much for fighting off the flu. All the stuffy air keeps the germs happily alive, and left with no where else to go but to YOU.
Grab some tunes or a podcast, bundle up, and take a walk outside, especially on a sunny day. The added vitamin D and fresh air will help boost your mood, and help you stay active even if it's only 10 minutes at a time. Vitamin D is one supplement I take during the winter, since the sun isn't strong enough in New England.
Stay Social
Or better yet, recruit a friend for an afternoon jaunt around the neighborhood, or a snowshoeing expedition! The cold weather is an all-mighty influencer for not venturing outside, so having the power in numbers is one of the ways I get my rear in gear.
Plus, it's always more fun to complain about how cold you are with someone else.
Up Your Protein Intake
The winter makes me want to bundle up in all the blankets, and also a blanket of warm pillowy carbs. While there's nothing wrong with eating good for you carbs, loading up on too many of them and not enough protein can actually compromise your immunity.
I've recently been loading up my morning smoothies with fresh spinach, almond milk, peanut butter, pea protein powder, and a scoop of Daily C for a megadose of Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is one of the vitamins I don't have a problem with getting a little extra of, especially when it comes from fruit! Since it's water soluble, your body gets rid of what it doesn't need, so there's no risk of building up toxic levels. (see: Does Vitamin C help exercise-induced asthma?)
Some of my other favorite ways to get more protein with eggs (hello omelettes!), salmon burgers (hello omega-3's!), and baked chicken (hello...chicken!)
Focus on Fruits & Veggies
You saw this one coming right?!
Getting those fruits and veggies in is even more important to help prevent getting sick since they're loaded with vitamins and minerals your body needs to kick up immunity.
Throw them in a smoothie, toss them in a soup, or eat a mountain of clementines until you question all of your life decisions. Just eat em!
You can also pin these tips to remind you all winter long with the infographic from MegaFood below!
And if you're like me, then your skin feels like 52 year old newspaper this time of year too. Lucky for you (and me!) MegaFood shared this simple Calendula Sunflower Seed Oil recipe to help!
Both calenedula flowers (a.k.a marigolds) and sunflower oil are known to help protect and alleviate dry skin, and both I hadn't thought of lathering my body in. Until now that is 🙂
Calendula Sunflower Oil Recipe
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 1.5 cups 1x
Description
A recipe for Calendula Sunflower Oil to help alleviate dry, winter skin which can help you on your pursuit to prevent getting sick this season.
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic calendula dried flowers
- 1.5 cups organic sunflower seed oil
- Mason jar with lid
- cheesecloth
Instructions
- Grind flowers on coffee grinder or small blender, and pour into mason jar.
- Add sunflower seed oil, covering flowers with at least an inch of oil.
- Fasten cap, and shake to mix.
- Shake daily for 2-3 weeks.
- Using cheesecloth, strain off flowers into a medium-sized bowl.
- Discard flowers, and pour oil back in mason jar.
- Apply oil after bathing and as needed.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: skincare
Keywords: sunflower, calendula, skincare, oil
Mine is still working it's magic, but I can't wait to give it a try in a couple of weeks! Updates to come, whether or I am still a 52 year old newspaper, or the latest issue of Tiger Beat.
Pin this to your wellness board!
Make it a great day!
What are your favorite cold remedies?
What do you use for dry skin?
Cindy Hoffman
Hey there Emily, nice review!
I love products from Mega food. They are one of the few supplements that I have used over a very long time. I hate synthetics as they fill our bodies with toxic chemicals which I believe may cause issues in future.
I also loved the Calendula Sunflower Oil Recipe that you have shared. I should try it one of this fine days. Thank a lot for the share.
Cindy
★★★★★