WINTER IS COMING

Winter is here... and so is cold and flu season!

Do you and/or your family get sick every. single. winter? Did you know that getting a cold (or a few) every year, while incredibly common, is actually NOT normal? In this blog, we are going to talk about why the ‘‘cold and flu” season exists and what you can do to keep yourself and your family healthy year-round!

 How the body stays healthy

In order to understand how your body can become sick, we first need to understand how your body expresses health! Our bodies are brilliantly designed to be and stay healthy throughout our lives! Your body’s natural ability to adapt is evident when the cold weather starts to show up – your body will start to adapt to the temperature changes in order to keep you warm.

A great example of this is when your body shivers.

When your body perceives that it is getting too cold, it will involuntarily start to shiver, thus firing your muscles to start generating more body heat in order to adapt to the colder temperature. Your body becomes more efficient at regulating blood flow, dilating your blood vessels to bring warm blood to your extremities, and then constricting your blood vessels to keep blood near your vital organs. This is why the temperature in November feels colder than in March, even though they are the same! These types of adaptations are going on all the time to keep your body in harmony and balance.

We talk about it every day here in the office: the system that allows your body to adapt is your NERVOUS system! In order to adapt appropriately, your body needs to be able to perceive its environment correctly so that it can facilitate the correct response. The two main functions of your nervous system are: 1) monitoring your body’s systems and how the environment is impacting it and, 2) sending the proper information to your brain in order to adapt. When your nervous system is functioning optimally, it is able to do its job – expressing health, adapting to life, and handling stress.

So why the colds then?

Now that you know how your body expresses health, we can begin to see why your body might become susceptible to illnesses and colds. Your body is designed to be healthy, but stress from your life and environment can impact the way that your nervous system is working. Stress can throw your nervous system out of balance and disrupt your brain-body communication, making it more difficult to adapt and stay healthy.

Stressors can pile up quickly during this time of year! Whether an overabundance of rich food, mental stress from gatherings or picking out the perfect gifts, or just too much shoveling the day that blizzard hit – chemical, emotional, and physical stressors all contribute.

 When these stresses build up and your nervous system isn’t adapting efficiently, it causes your bowl (where you keep everything that goes into your body) to overflow! When your bowl overflows, you might start to notice areas of your health being impacted. Your body is stressed to the point where it becomes susceptible to invaders, so when you come across a bug, it is easier for that bug to grab ahold and turn into illness! As winter is a season of stress for many people, this is why we more frequently see sickness during this time.

 Here are some ways you can help prevent your body from being susceptible:

1. When you can, limit the things that are generally stressors during the holiday season

• Shop and wrap early (if gifting!) so things don’t pile up

• Know that you don’t HAVE to go to every party or gathering

• All things are better in moderation (i.e. that delicious pie your grandma made)

• Stick with your bedtime routine – sleep is crucial to health

2. Get the best nutrition you can – we love getting our nutrition through whole foods and eating what makes our bodies feel good!

3. Move your body often!

• Some gentle exercises that limit cortisol (aka reduce stress hormones in your body) are yoga, pilates, walking, swimming, etc

4. Take a probiotic, a multivitamin, and/or Vitamin D. Always check with your doctor to see if they are right for you!

5. Get some sunshine and fresh air – that natural Vitamin D is a mood booster and fresh air strengthens your immune system!

6. Get adjusted! Chiropractic care helps your body adapt to stress, allowing you to better handle it without it taking a toll on your body (bigger bowl!!).

In our office, we focus on the nervous system and ensuring that it can function optimally! The nervous system controls every other system in the body including the immune system! A well-supported nervous system means a well-supported body and immune system!

 We hope these guidelines are a step in the right direction for you as you seek to keep yourself and your family healthy during the winter season! Your body KNOWS how to be healthy, it simply needs you to create the best possible environment to support its optimal health!