Mom Down! 7 Steps to Keep Momma Healthy
Posted by Dr. Della Parker on October 11, 2016
It’s that time of year… The sniffles are upon us! Kiddos are bringing lots of fun germs home from school. Sick kids, no fun. Sick husband, super annoying! But sick mom, shit is going down! Like the whole household is going down! Being a mom myself, I know how hard it is being sick when the whole house depends on you being well. The problem is, that we push those tiny little colds deeper with Dayquil or whatever helps us get through the day, instead of letting our bodies mount the proper response to kill off the invader. This causes a constant low-level immune stress that sets us up to be taken down by the next big bug. A small amount of germs help to fine-tune our immune systems so they are ready to fight those big battles when they come along. But if we only suppress symptoms instead of supporting our immune systems to function better on their own, we are setting ourselves up to get knocked out by the next big buggy! Moms have too much to do to be down and out for a couple weeks! So listen up and I will keep you on top of your game all winter long!
Immune / Gut Connection
Did you know that 70% of your immune system stems from your gut? Crazy huh! So if your gut is an unhealthy place, chances are your immune system is already struggling. Are you pooping every day? Most moms don’t even know cause they are too busy keeping track of their littles toilet habits. Do you have excessive gas that you blame on your husband? Are you eating foods that you know you probably shouldn’t? Let’s clean up your digestion so your immune system has a fighting chance! First off cut out the sugar and increase those veggies!! Let’s get you eating right. I know, sounds obvious, and boring, but just do it! They recommend 8 servings of fruits and veggies a day. I challenge you to make at least 5 of those veggies!
Sugar causes inflammation and basically paralyzes your immune system. One of the worst things you could do at the onset of an illness is to indulge in sweets. So put down that ice cream! If that alone doesn’t help your gut out let’s talk food intolerance. There is a super de duper easy evaluation that can be done to determine if there are particular foods creating inflammation in your body. Let’s find out what these foods are so you can limit them in your diet.
Next up, probiotics! You need these good buggies in your gut to help out that immune system that lives there. Despite how convincing Jamie Lee Curtis is on those Activia commercials, yogurt just won’t cut it! Above is a link to one of my favs. But as you know I always recommend muscle testing to be sure you are getting exactly what your body desires.
Immune / Adrenal Connection
Mommy got stress? Heck yes you do! Those adrenal glands send out good ol’ cortisol to handle all of your stressors but as a side effect it messes with your immune function. That’s right, making you more susceptible to illness. If those little stress handling glands of yours are down for the count, it also makes it much harder for your body to heal from a regular old cold. Ever had a cough that lasted a month? Not fun! Support your adrenal glands so that you have the stamina to fight off these infections as they come! But how? Destress!! You can’t forget to take care of yourself. Give yourself permission to be selfish once in a while. It is super important, and actually makes you a better, more present mom for your kids. Take a day off, get a massage, take a nap, exercise, do what you need to do to blow off some steam. That is step one.
Now on to step two, getting the proper adrenal support. Remember every body is different. How on earth do you determine which nutrient or herb to take to give back that hop in your step? Nutrition Response Testing (NRT) is the answer. Let your body tell you exactly what it needs to heal and take out the guess work. That’s where I come in ; )
Immune Support
Should you take vitamin A, B, C, D…LMNOP, zinc, elderberry, echinacea… bla bla the options are endless. Well, I am here to tell you that there is not one definitive answer. It depends on what your body is attempting to fight. Dried Blood Cell Analysis is a super handy tool that allows us to check out your system from the inside out. Your blood will tell a story. Is your gut, liver, adrenals, spleen, or another organ the primary source of dysfunction? Let us take a peek under the hood and find out. Then NRT will tell us exactly what your body needs to fight it off.
As a preventative measure, I think it is best to take them all! Huh? Well, not really! I think it’s best to just swap em out! Keep that immune system on its toes. Starting now take some elderberry daily. In a couple weeks go for some zinc, after that maybe mix in some Echinacea or Vitamin C. See what I mean. This supports your system in all areas and prevents saturation of a single pathway. It is one of the best ways to keep you well. You also have to think about what is missing in the winter that helped you to feel so amazing all summer long… Sunshine! Get your daily dose of D but make it count. I’m talking 5,000-10,000 IU daily! But next comes the best trick of all…
Hydrotherapy
Translated, water treatment. Sounds boring. Well, it is, but it works! Alternating hot and cold water to stimulate blood flow in the body is a super effective old school way to ramp up immune function. That warm shower you take every morning. I know warm water feels so good. But I promise it actually feels better to switch the water to cold for the last 60 seconds of the shower! Crazy sounding, I know. This causes your body to shunt blood from your internal organs to the periphery. This movement of blood prevents stagnation of the immune system, leaving you feeling tip top with a hop in your step.
Using these same principles, wet sock treatments will be your best friend! This is a staple in our house. If the kids get the sniffles or I feel like I may be coming down with something I slap on a pair of wet socks at bedtime and I am renewed by morning. It’s easy. Take a pair of dry warm feet, cover em up with some semi wrung out drippy cold wet cotton socks. (Just do it…) Then cover the wet socks with a pair of thicker dry socks. Now put those feet to bed! It may feel a little funky at first but it should actually help to put you right to sleep. You will wake up in the morning feeling oh so much better and your little tootsies will be dry as a bone. The wet socks initiate movement of blood and lymph so that your immune fighter cells are able to increase surveillance and killing of those yucky buggies all over your body.
I know this is a lot of info but it breaks down to these simple steps.
- Eat right
- Take a probiotic
- Take time for you
- Get the right adrenal support
- Alternate immune support
- Don’t forget the D
- Wet socks to the rescue
Tada!! Congrats, healthy momma. Now go continue running the world and being everything to everyone.
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Call Dr. Della Parker for a free consultation: 503-344-6631