Healing Hands Holiday Health Tips

By Dr. Jessica Caruso

Throughout my years in the healthcare field, there is one problem that I continue to see year after year. Every year, in the midst of all the holiday cheer, I hear coughs, sneezes, and groans amongst my fellow community members. Between the cold weather and holiday stress, it is no wonder that the wintertime brings about sicknesses, aches, and ailments of all kinds. This year I’d like to offer some preventative tips that can help folks more effectively avoid the holiday health blues.

1. Get Adjusted
Chiropractic adjustments release stress from your body and improve your nervous system by regulating the “Fight or Flight” response, improving your sleep and boosting your immune system 200%.

2. Use a Neti Pot
Neti pots help clean out your sinuses and keep your breathing pathways clear and fresh by removing dirt, pollen, excess mucous and other irritants. Pick one up at the local health food store.

3. Handwashing
This is a simple and effective way to help prevent diseases, such as colds & flu. Wash your hands with running water and soap; rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds(kids can recite the alphabet or sing “Happy Birthday”); and pay special attention to your wrists, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.

4. Eat Well
Several vitamins and minerals are known to boost the immune system, like Vitamin A (please check with your PCP if you are pregnant or nursing regarding Vitamin A), Vitamin C and Zinc to name just a few. It’s best to get most of your vitamins and minerals from whole food sources and only use supplements as needed.

5. Add More Fiber
Adding fiber such as whole grains to your diet to improve colon health and increase immunity.

6. Drink More Water
Drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and it can potentially even reduce the risk of breast cancer.

7. Take Probiotics
Eating more yogurt or supplementing with a high quality, combination probiotic that is refrigerated can boost the healthy bacteria in your gut where about 70% of your immune system resides.

8. Move Well
Exercise has the ability to protect and strengthen the immune system. Studies have shown that a regular exercise program of simply walking briskly for 20-30 minutes, 5 days a week can enhance the immune system’s antibody and natural T -cell responses.

9.Think Well
If your stress response is constantly activated it can lead to life-threatening health conditions and leave you more susceptible to colds and flu due to the continuous release of stress hormones. Finding a healthy way to manage your stress, like meditation, yoga or tai chi is essential to the health and vitality of your immune system.

10. Sleep
Studies show that people who get about seven hours of sleep a night have the best survival, and if we get less than six hours of sleep a night, our mortality seems to increase.Sleep loss not only plays a role in whether we come down with a cold or flu, it also influences how we fight illnesses once we come down with them.

Keep these tips in mind, especially during the holiday season. I also encourage everyone to remember that good health is not seasonal, and these tips can be used all year long to support a healthy lifestyle. From all of us at Healing Hands Community Chiropractic, we hope you have a wonderful holiday.

To learn more about Healing Hands, please visit www.HealingHandsCC.org