Tips for Staying Healthy Through the Changing Seasons

Tips for Staying Healthy Through the Changing Seasons

As autumn changes to fall, and fall into winter, the days become shorter, the air becomes colder, and the leaves fall to the ground to decompose. Just as nature moves through seasonal changes, so too do our bodies. This is a time when we can turn inward to regain our strength through practices that ground and nourish us. Doing so will help us to reemerge in the spring with vitality and vigor.

Simple meal swaps that focus on seasonal offerings, grounding lifestyle practices, adaptogenic herbs, and the cultivation of balance, are all key ingredients to a staying healthy through flu season.

The seasonal transitions into the darker, colder months can leave your body feeling dry and depleted. Tending to your body’s needs for increased nourishment and more digestible foods is fundamental for a smooth transition between seasons, all year long. When you support a healthy digestive and immune system during times of seasonal change, you give your body the resources and “back-up” it needs to face any colds and flus headed your way. Focus on preparing meals with seasonal ingredients, like carrots, beets, pears, citrus, celery root, and more, and prepare them in ways that are grounding, like low and slow cooking methods, and in warming dishes like soups, stews, warm beverages, and more!

Luckily, many of the most beneficial herbs for cold and flu season are probably sitting in your spice cabinet or on your counter right now – making them the perfect immune-supporting addition to any breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Garlic, thyme, ginger, oregano, to name a few, are some of the most powerful and safest antivirals and antibacterial herbal medicines we have available. Cook dishes packed with antioxidant, vitamin, and mineral rich food choices, and your meals will not only be delicious, but nutritious and immune-boosting as well!

Delicious Ingredients with Medicinal Benefits

Honey: Not only is honey a superfood, it may also help prevent both viral and bacterial infections, including colds, flus, and more! Honey, especially raw/unprocessed honey, offers a wide array of nutritional benefits, makes a great sugar replacement in coffee or tea, and can be eaten right off the spoon as a delicious, throat-soothing remedy with immune-boosting benefits.  Sunny Honey Miami only uses raw honey, infused with whole ingredients. 

Sage (Salvia officinalis): Traditionally, sage was used to support upper respiratory distress and sore throats, move phlegm out of the body during sinus infections, and soothe the stomach when upset. The earthy-pine flavors make sage easy to incorporate into soups, stews, and a wide variety of sauces/gravies.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa): Turmeric is a well-known herb for its bright color, and without a doubt, this herb is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory botanicals recognized by modern research. Turmeric can be easily added to any cold or warm dish, giving any meal a pop of color and potent dose of antioxidants!

We hope you’ll put to use some of the strategies and tips from this article to help you minimize the chance of becoming sick this cold and flu season. Fall and winter are a great time to check-in on your health and tend to self-care habits that will provide a strong foundation for your mind, body, and soul to thrive throughout each season ahead.