Ok. I love fall. LOVE it. I love the vibrant changing colors of all the leaves. I love the crisp coolness. I love the fire and hot cocoa nights. The plethora of delicious squash recipes. Pumpkin Carving… I could go on.

Autumn is amazing, however it is often also synonymous with a host of mysterious illnesses: colds, cruds, flu bugs, runny noses, stuffy noses, fatigue and all manner of things. It stinks, but we are not powerless. We can fight back! And it doesn’t have to be with various syrupy cold concoctions. Sadly, these end up masking *some* of the symptoms, but often end up introducing other bacteria and junk that could end up making you feel worse. And we don’t even want to get into the devastation antibiotics wreak on our bodies. Antibiotics destroy your gut biome, which will decrease your immunes natural defenses, destroy antibodies and make you more prone to illness and future “bugs.”

There are other, more holistic natural approaches that we can turn to before reaching for the cough syrup. They certainly don’t hurt to try and usually end up boosting our bodies natural ability to heal itself. Remember that, it’s important. Your body heals itself, not the medicine. Medicines *can* help, but it is YOUR BODY that will ultimately heal you in the end! Ok, so here are my top 5 easily incorporable ways to ward of illness and prevent future ailments

1. BONE.BROTH: A natural probiotic, this drinks warm, cozy, savory flavor will not disappoint the senses. It is loaded with collagen and other immune boosting, gut healing properties that will often have you feeling better by the next day. I usually *try* to make mine because I enjoy it, but here are some other brands I buy here and here if you don’t have the time (which is totally fine!!!). My kiddos and I drink this on the daily, and I am definitely guilty of disguising this in oatmeals, veggies etc. to sneak even more in! You can also click on the picture below for my recipe😀https://healthyhabitually.com/2018/09/24/bone-broth/
2. Turmeric. Turmeric has amazing anti-inflammatory properties that fights inflammation from inside out, allowing your body to focus more energy on keeping you healthy. Think of it as a way to clear out the crud, so that your bodies transportation methods run more smoothly and efficiently. Makes sense, right? Less blockage=better pathways! As an aside, always combine turmeric with black pepper for that circumin.
3. Epsom Salt Baths with Eucalyptus oil. Who doesn’t love a warm bath? The warm water and epsom salts work together as a great way to relax the muscles and get rid of any tension hidden inside. Again, less blockage=better pathways. And eucalyptus is a wonderful way to clear the sinuses and decrease brain fog! I’m sure there are better ways, but I get my epsom salt and eucalyptus oils on Amazon here and here.
4. Dry Brushing. While we’re talking about cleanliness, might as well move onto #4- dry brushing! Dry brushing is amazing and works wonders for increasing blood circulation, which will help the bodies pathways as well! It also work helps your skin by exfoliating and sloughing off all those dead skin cells that build up and make you feel icky and gross . These dead skin cells can also act as transportation agents for all kinds of bad bacteria born illness. Ewwww. Brush that crud away. I actually bought my dry brush from Whole Foods, but you can also buy it here!
5. Probiotics. Get on that probiotic train before it leaves the station! Choo choooooo. Help your digestive system out by introducing and cultivating good bacteria that will improve the health of your gut biome. This could be a book in and of itself. EIGHTY PERCENT of your bodys’ immune system is in your gastrointestinal tract. 80. EIGHTY! To underestimate the importance of your digestive system is no bueno. Here are a couple of the probiotics I use here and here. I try to switch it up a bit to introduce and diversify with new bacteria strains.

Ok, I have more, but that could get overwhelming. I’ll probably end up making another post in the future, but this will have you off to a great start. I promise. I use all these methods (plus a few more) DAILY in my home.

Or if you need everything all in one place to look through, I made it easy for you and created an Idea List for this entire post❤️😘. Hope you enjoy:

Getting Sick Idea Shop