5 ways to naturally boost your immune system during cold and flu season

Dry Brushing, Massage, Hydrotherapy, Aromatherapy and plenty of good sleep will all naturally boost your immune system. Read how to implement these easy suggestions into your daily wellness routine.



Dry Brushing

Lymphatic Support: The lymphatic system is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts and vessels that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph vessels run just below the skin and proponents of dry brushing claim that brushing the skin regularly helps stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and help the body detoxify itself naturally.  Always brush up and toward your heart or towards the nearest lymph node in sweeps of three. Lymph nodes are located in many parts of the body, including the neck, armpit, chest, abdomen, and groin. 

Elixir Mind Body Massage offers a Dry Brush Enhancement you may add to any massage. With this service the brush and instructions for use at home are yours to take with you to continue the enjoy the benefits regularly.

Massage

Relaxation, hormone changes and white blood cell increase:  A recent study suggests that massage not only relaxes the body, but also boosts the immune system and prompts beneficial hormonal changes. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles subjected volunteers to what was perhaps the most pleasant experiment ever devised: Half received 45 minutes of deep-tissue Swedish massage, while the rest received light-touch massage for the same period.

Just a single massage session induced marked physiological changes. The Swedish massage group registered lower levels of cortisol, a hormone elevated by stress, they also showed a rise in lymphocytes, white blood cells that aid the immune response. The light-massage recipients showed a greater increase in the “Love hormone” oxytocin and a greater drop in hormones that prompts the release of cortisol. 

Ready to put this study's findings to the test for yourself?  Request your next appointment for a massage at Elixir Mind Body Massage.

Hydro-therapy

Herbal Baths: The use of water for therapy dates back many centuries, to the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and is an important part of many traditional medical practices. Its health benefits are derived from the mechanical and thermal effects of water interacting with the body.

The warm temperature combined with the delivery of minerals or herbal treatments can increase blood flow, improve the endocrine system and associated neural systems. By increasing the blood flow in the body, hot water hydrotherapy can strengthen the immune system, allowing it to work faster and more efficiently. It also increases the production of endorphins, the body’s “feel good” hormones that can even reduce or eliminate pain. Hot water hydrotherapy can also stimulate the immune system, helping tissues to heal faster.

Make your next bath a hydrotherapy spa bath with Elixir Mind Body Botanicals Herbal Bath Oils.

 

Aromatherapy

Essential oils: EOs are natural, aromatic, concentrated, plant-based liquids that have healing properties. They have been used for healing for centuries and are often prescribed by conventional medical practitioners throughout Europe. EO's may be added to a carrier oil or lotion and applied directly to your skin, added to baths or showers or sprayed into the air to be inhaled. Here is a short list of popular EOs that are helpful for fighting colds and flu and supporting wellness:

• Lavender: Strongly anti-inflammatory & antiseptic; immune stimulant; helps with colds and bronchitis; aids in healing by reducing stress, calming and relaxing; helps with insomnia.
• Eucalyptus: Combats cold and flu symptoms; helps relieve coughing and respiratory congestion; cooling and soothing to the respiratory tract.
• Peppermint: Used to help relieve symptoms of general respiratory disorders, as well as dry coughs, sinus congestion, and bronchitis; refreshing and soothing for the respiratory system.

Elixir Massage Essential Oils are pure, natural and effective.

Adequate Sleep

Sleeping helps healing: Lack of sleep make us more prone to colds and infection because it suppresses immune system function. T-cells go down if we are sleep deprived and inflammatory cytokines go up.  Sleep loss also influences how we fight illnesses once we come down with an illness. Our bodies fight infection with fevers. One of the things that happens when were sleeping is that we get a better fever response. But if we are not sleeping, our fever reaction is not primed, so we may not be waging war on infection as best we can. To improve the quality of sleep you are getting:

• Have a set time both for going to sleep and for waking.
• Limit or eliminate your screen time (TV, computer, phone and tablet) just before bed.
• Soak in a warm bath, especially with relaxing oils or mineral salts, prior to going to bed.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol or large meals later in the evening.
• Drink hot herbal tea or warm milk with honey as a bedtime relaxation ritual.
• Avoid difficult conversations or complex projects before bed.
• Make your bedroom a restful oasis with soft lighting, a good mattress, cooler temperature, light blocking curtains, and Comphy sheets proven to promote sleep.