When we enter a new season it is important to honor the changes that occur both in our outside and inside environments. As we enter into the coldest and darkest days of the year I find that it is important to make some changes to my lifestyle to keep me healthy.
About 7 years ago I started getting sick every October. It would come on the same time each year, last a few days and be gone. It was the only time of year I got sick.
After the 3rd year I started paying attention to what my body wanted.
What kept me healthy from Spring - early Fall wasn’t going to cut it for the last few months of the year. So since then I started to change things up. Take what you need from the list below, check with your doctor on supplements, and feel free to reach out with any questions!
start with a Multivitamin
I take Ritual Mulit Vitamin year round, but in the summer I tend to be a little more relaxed about it. In the late fall I start to be more mindful of taking it. Ritual is packed with Vitamin D, Omegas, Iron, Magnesium, and more - but not much more. Unlike other conventional vitamins they only contain 9 essential nutrients that are not readily available through conventional diet. Plus they are certified vegan, and offer full transparency on ingredients.
The ingredients that are most helpful for me this season are the Omega 3, and Vitamin D which support my immune system (more on these two later!), and Iron and B12 for energy support.
fill in your dietary gaps
There are a few vitamins that vegans cannot get from their diet, Vitamin D, B12, and Omegas. Although these are found in my multi vitamin I tend to double up on both Vitamin B12 and the Omegas year round, and Vitamin D from end of summer to end of spring. As I noted before Vitamin D and Omega’s are important for immune health so it is extra important for me to be taking these daily. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin so there is such a thing as too much, it is important to check your levels through blood work and have your doctor advise on a supplement. Adding these supplements to my diet has been one of the most beneficial things to keep me healthy during the winter.
I’m loving Mary Ruth Organics Vitamin D and B12 Sprays, and Activation Products Ocean’s Alive
utilize medicinal mushrooms
Medicinal mushrooms have been having their moment for a few years now. I started becoming interested in using them in my diet when I discovered Mushroom Coffee. I felt like if I could make my coffee work double time for me why not?! As I used them more and felt their effects, I started learning more. I drink my Lions Mane coffee (great for brain health) everyday, and in the winter I add a Chaga elixir to my daily beverage lineup. Chaga mushrooms are adaptogenic and is known to improve the immune response, stimulates the immune response, and reduce inflammation.
Here’s what Medical News Today says:
“Cytokines are the immune system's chemical messengers. They are proteins that play a vital role in stimulating white blood cells, which are the immune system's first line of defense against a range of illnesses.
Some research on mice suggests that chaga may help regulate the production of cytokines, supporting the immune system by helping cells communicate with one another. This could help fight infections, from minor colds to life-threatening illnesses.”
It’s important to get your Chaga from a reputable source. My go to for all things mushrooms is Four Sigmatic - they use a dual extraction process to make sure you are getting all of the health benefits the mushrooms have to offer. I also have a special code to save 10% on all order - use kaleismykarma at checkout
drink lots of tea
As soon as the weather starts to get a bit chilly I start reaching for the tea. Staying hydrated is not only super important this time of year, but drinking tea to do it is a great way to get some extra healing benefits. Some of the teas that I rely on to stay healthy and keep my immune system fully functioning are:
Chai Tea- full of cardamom, a spice that contains high doses of Vitamin C. There are two types : Black Cardamom (antiseptic qualities) and Green Cardamom (Clears Sinuses and Detoxifies), it also contains ginger (antibacterial), and cinnamon (full of antioxidants)
Tulsi - helps enhance the immune system, expels phlegm, and has other expectorant properties that protects against colds, coughs, and other respiratory conditions.
Green Tea- full of polyphenols which are plant antioxidants, help the immune system
When buying tea I always look for silk, or plant starch tea bags ( most tea bags are actually plastic!), organic ( since you are getting a high dose of plants you want to make sure you are not compromising your immune system with toxins).
eat seasonally
I always say that nature rarely gets it wrong. The nutrients that we need to get us through the cold winter, and spike in sickness can be found in the abundance of produce that is in season. Eating what grows naturally at this time of year will help reduce your exposure to toxins and pesticides, the produce won’t have to travel 100’s of miles to get to you so it’s full of nutrients, and the nutritional profile will be what you need!
This is something that we do at Hungry Hippie each week for meal plans! We shop local farms, and buy in season produce for the highest quality and nutrient rich meals around!
In addition to all of the diet and supplement changes, it’s also really important to listen to your body.
At the Fall midway point I start to crave more time in bed, hot baths, and comfy sweats. Honoring these shifts has never come easy to me. I have a monkey mind that will tell me I’m slacking on key responsibilities, or a to-do list a mile long as reasons why the bath just can’t happen. Taking the time for me, is something that I’m working on so I don’t run myself into the ground, and I’m trying to do better each day.
