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8 Ways to Boost Your Immune System During the Holidays

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This is a partnered post with Renew Life Probiotics. All opinions are my own.

8 Ways to Boost Your Immune System During the Holidays

Do you seem to always get sick during the holidays? Because I do. I used to come down with a bad case of the sniffles every single year, without fail. Sometimes it was multiple colds, back to back, and it would knock me out for days. Or even worse – the flu. Oh man, I caught a bad stomach bug a couple years ago and I couldn’t move from my bed for a whole week. Being sick is never convenient, but especially when you’re self-employed. You can’t help but envision dollar signs flying out the window every hour you spend sick in bed.

I hate being sick, so in recent years I have tried pretty much everything to stop a winter bug from coming. I have learned that prevention really is key and if I take steps to boost my immune system during the winter, I spend less time battling illness. Aside from that, I just feel better in general when I have a healthy immune system, so I try to take care of it year round.

8 Ways to Boost Your Immune System During the Holidays

8 Ways to Boost Your Immune System During the Holidays

1. Get adequate sleep.
I’m putting this first because I honestly believe getting a good night’s sleep will solve most of our body’s problems and ailments, and it’s something people simply don’t do! When I get a good night’s sleep, I feel invincible the next day. So be sure you’re not fighting your body on this one. Shut down electronics before bed, do some stretches or meditation, and read or journal a little. All these things will help relax your brain and get yourself in sleep-mode.

2. Exercise regularly.
This can be as easy as going for a 20 minute walk every day, just to get the heart pumping a little bit. I don’t need to tell you that cardio is good for you, but people don’t realize it’s vital to the immune system. Cardio helps blood flow, which helps your white blood cells circulate throughout your body. Science!

3. WASH YOUR HANDS!
Geez, how easy is this one? Wash your hands before you eat, after you use the bathroom, and every night before bed. Using hand sanitizer is a decent hand-washing replacement, and I carry a small bottle around everywhere I go in the winter. Also be sure you’re replacing your bathroom hand towels on a regular basis.

4. Load Up on Vitamins B & C.
I take a multi-vitamin every morning that includes vitamin B-1, B-2, and C, which are all proven to help boost your immune system.

5. Take Probiotics.
Speaking of vitamins and pills, I recently added Renew Life Probiotics to my daily regimen. I specifically am taking Renew Life’s Ultimate Flora Probiotics every morning to help keep my digestive system happy. Did you know 70% of the immune system is located in the intestinal tract? Therefore, maintaining a healthy “gut” is an important part of your overall health. Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics contain billions of cultures and multiple probiotic strains which helps restore the good bacteria our body needs to fight the bad bacteria. I always knew it was important to take probiotics whenever I took antibiotics, but now I know my “gut” simply feels better when I take my Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics daily. (Keep reading to find out how you can try Renew Life Probiotics for free!)

8 Ways to Boost Your Immune System During the Holidays

6. Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables.
Everyone knows oranges have lots of Vitamin C, which is why we love orange juice when we have a cold. But aside from oranges, be sure you’re consuming plenty of leafy greens and nutrient-rich foods like sweet potatoes.

7. Garlic is Good for You.
Garlic contains allicin, which helps your body fight against infection. Whenever I make soup, I always add an extra scoop of garlic. (I keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge at all times!)

8. Try Essential Oils.
I know oils aren’t FDA approved, but I swear they work. When I feel even the slightest bit run down, I diffuse a blend of eucalyptus, cloves, rosemary, lemon, and cinnamon.

In general, if you get occasional bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, or headaches, the problem *may* be an unbalanced gut. In yoga we talk about our core a lot, which includes the gut, and how vital this area is to the body and how we need to take care of it. I know this is something us ladies don’t like to talk about … but tummy troubles happen to pretty much everybody (72% of women report experiencing an unbalanced gut in the last 12 months) and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Experts agree taking a probiotic supplement like Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotic is a good way to help support balance in the digestive tract and replenish the good bacteria found in a naturally healthy gut. Try taking a probiotic supplement for 7-14 days and see if you feel better! Visit www.RenewLife.com for more information, or find Renew Life Probiotics at health stores or major retailers like Target or Walmart.

Enter to win a 4-month supply of Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics 30 Billion (ARV $80)! We’re giving away FOUR prize packs to help jump start your 2017 New Year’s resolutions. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below!
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I hope these tips help keep your immune system thriving during the holidays and year round!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Renew Life Probiotics.

About Mindy

Mindy Marzec is a life-long Disney fan who grew up in Los Angeles. She started This Fairy Tale Life to share Disneyland travel tips for adults. When not at Disneyland, you can find Mindy at home snuggling with her cats and re-watching Thor: Ragnarok for the billionth time.