Summer has come and passed… 5 tips to stay healthy this fall!

Who has noticed that the sun is starting to go down earlier and earlier? Sadly, this means summer has come to an end and fall is here. This also means that cold and flu “season” is around the corner as well. Who here doesn’t want to catch the first round? I have a handful of tips that will help you boost your immune system so that you can avoid the fall sniffles.

1. It’s time to drink more water. It’s very easy to get out of the swing of things. With cooler days setting in, we’re sweating less and we don’t seem to have as much of a thirst. The thing is we are still mostly made up of water so we need to continue to stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight in ounces every single day. Coffee, tea, pop, and other water substitutes don’t count. You need to drink some good old fashioned water. Water keeps us hydrated but it also helps us flush out toxins thus helping our immune system.
   
2. Start (or continue) supplementing vitamin D3 or eating vitamin D rich foods. At my office we call this the sunshine nutrient because we can primarily get this from being outside in direct sunlight for about twenty minutes. During the fall the sun goes down earlier and the weather cools off so you’re less likely to be enjoying outside activities in the sun. This also means that we are absorbing less and less vitamin D3 from the sun. Foods that contain vitamin D are fish, egg yolks, and mushrooms. If you’re going to take a supplement, make sure to pick a high quality one. Next time you go in for a blood test, ask your doctor to check your Vitamin D levels. Having levels on the higher range of normal will help your immune system function at an optimal level. Studies have also shown that vitamin D3 may help to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Remember, vitamin D3 is a fat soluble supplement so make sure to eat a snack with a few grams of fat when you take it.
   
3. Try to avoid eating excessive amounts of sugar. With the fall weather also comes the fall holidays. At gatherings try to snack on the veggie tray before starting to munch on the other less healthy options. The holidays are often a time that we tend to overindulge on sweets. Try to set limits for yourself— excess sugar tanks the immune system.
   
4. Get moving—exercise, exercise, exercise. You don’t have to do anything crazy—walking, doing some yoga, snowshoeing. Anything to keep moving is super important. Increased oxygen is great for burning fat and boosting the immune system. Exercise has also been shown to help with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Exercise releases all of our happy hormones (endorphins) which in turn boosts our mood.
   
5. Find ways to reduce your stress. Stress affects our bodies in all kinds of negative ways. Control the things in your life that you can but then let go of the things you can’t. Aka tune out your annoying in-laws during the holidays and that negative co-worker and grab yourself a book, sip on a cup of coffee, watch some Sunday Night Football—do something that makes you happy to reduce your stress and lower the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) in your body. Did you know a chiropractic adjustment has a direct influence on the stress response too ;)?
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If you have any other go to helpful tips and tricks to stay healthy this fall, feel free to email Dr. Doug at upnorthwc@gmail.com. He’ll send you an email back if he adds it into his daily routine. He loves to try new things!