Boosting My Immunity + ACV Slushy

It’s not shock to most of you that since having kids I’ve been sick a LOT. Recurrent sinus issues, cold after cold, I even had the stomach flu three times one winter when Ainsley was little – probably because my gut health was compromised thanks to all the antibiotics I had to take to help my sinus infections. I had sinus surgery back in the fall of last year, and while it did help to some degree, just a few weeks ago I got my first sinus infection after having the surgery, followed quickly by another cold and yet another sinus infection.

The whole experience left me feeling really discouraged. I was hoping that I would be healthy following my sinus surgery and getting sick + a couple rounds of antibiotics left me feeling a little down about my overall health and immunity.

Now don’t get me wrong, I expected to get colds after my surgery. Colds happen, I know, but my body’s constant inability to fight off those colds and the resulting complications was starting to make me question what I was doing wrong that was leaving my immune system in such a weak place.

I decided that things had to change, so after doing some research and a little talking with my husband about my lifestyle these days, I landed on a few major changes that might be of help to you, too!

Get More Sleep // I put this first because I think it’s the biggest contributing factor to my recurrent illnesses. I have not been sleeping enough. By the time the girls go down to bed, I’m craving some down time with Joe. We have been pushing bed time back later and later while working on this patio project and other projects around our home. The mornings are MY time, and time that I’m not willing to sacrifice. I love being up early, before everyone else wakes up. Between the later evenings and early mornings I was getting around 6 hours of sleep per night. I didn’t feel tired, per se, but I was definitely weakening my immunity. So setting a goal to get at least 7 if not 8 hours per night is the new norm.

Improve My Supplement Game // I have really fallen off my consistent supplement game, so I’m re-committing to the supplements I already take and adding in a few additional supplements to help specifically boost immunity. Those being:

*Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal / Packed with methylated B vitamins and a host of other important nutrients for optimal health

*Garden of Life D Supplement / There is a strong link between sufficient vitamin D and a high functioning immune system. Even in the summer months, chances are I’m not getting enough vitamin D from the sun alone.

*Plexus ProBio 5 and Bio Cleanse / For gut health! Especially after taking antibiotics, I know it’s important to rebuild gut health. I’m sure there are other probiotics that may get recommended or be superior, but this has worked well for me, it’s easy to access and easy to take when I actually remember to do so. (I’ve linked to our babysitter Karli’s site in the link above.)

*Iron / Since I’m vegetarian, I know that in addition to a healthy diet taking an iron supplement is also important. I’ve read a few articles that link lower iron levels to weakened immunity, so I’m hoping to ward that off.

Exercise Smarter // I’ll admit that I’ve probably been pushing my body a little too hard lately in terms of exercise. Half marathon training + 80 Day Obsession + being active with the girls + getting too little sleep + working a little too hard + trying to do ALL THE THINGS hasn’t really benefitted my immune system. I’m taking part in the free Mind, Body, Pilates Challenge starting this week with my friend, Robin, and I’m excited to embrace a slower and smarter way of working out.

After the challenge, I’m excited to try the new program from Beachbody – Lift 4 – which is a new program I’m so excited about. It’s only four days of the week and the workouts are around 30 minutes in length. Perfect for my schedule and much easier to do than the longer workouts I had done previously as part of 80 Day Obsession.

Use a Humidifier at Night // People swear by using a humidifier in their bedroom to aid with sinus issues and combat colds. I’ve never embraced the idea previously because I didn’t think it could possibly really make a difference, but hearing so many people tell me that it helped gave me the nudge to finally bite the bullet and give it a try. I just bought this one and will report back!

Continue On With… // Things that I’m already doing, like drinking water, drinking apple cider vinegar, eating lots of vegetables and healthy food, etc.

PS: If you want a stellar summer slushy using Apple Cider Vinegar, the girls and I have been loving this during the hot summer days! See the “recipe” below.