As I drove north from Florida for 2 days with only one short night of sleep, I had plenty of time to think about my immune system. In order to support my body through this somewhat stressful event, I focused on drinking plenty of water, light eating, and taking supportive herbs. It seems the plan has worked, I am now in the damp, chilly, northern climate feeling rested and healthy! I know my body is still adjusting to the climate change, so I’m making sure to get plenty of sleep, keeping up with my herbs and drinking extra water.
Using herbs can sometimes become complicated. I appreciate simplicity. Although there are many choices for supporting the immune system with herbs, I have used a product that is available in health food stores for years now with great success. I use Planetary Formula’s Echinacea Defense Force tablets to boost my immunity in stressful times. The herbs are in tablet form, so they are easy to travel with, and simple to ingest. As the name implies, they assist in our defense against illness, so I use them as prevention. Prevention is much easier than treating a full blown cold, flu or worse!
We have all been warned about how stress can lower our immunity, and how a lowered immune system allows for illness to take hold. Traveling is often stressful to our immune system as our sleep cycles and food intake routines are radically changed, not mention interacting with hundreds of anonymous fellow travelers. By having our “immune supportive equipment” in place, we can go on our adventures and maintain our health at the same time.
A couple of things our immune systems appreciate: regular sleep, regular food intake, water, restful times while we are awake, happiness, hand washing, and a little help from herbal friends.