Winter is when many fear they are not going to feel their best. Fortunately, with proper education and self-care, the cold months don’t have to mean sickness. At Greenwich Wellness, we teach our patients natural methods to stay well all year. As the sun goes away, we are left with a deficiency of vitamin D, which is largely responsible for immune function and mood. Vitamin D is a large part of our body’s ability to fight off the flu virus. Ever wonder why we see flu in the winter months? Vitamin D in its most useful form is the one our skin makes in direct sunlight. It’s wise to get outside during the winter on a sunny day and expose yourself to the sun’s rays for at least 15 minutes whenever possible. Do this with as much of your skin exposed as tolerable.
In the winter, our bodies are confronted with external challenges beyond our control, such as decreased daylight, freezing temperatures and rough driving conditions that exacerbate stress levels for some. This leads to poor food choices, some during the holidays and others out of sheer boredom. Whether voluntary or not, these changes ultimately need to be met and endured by our central nervous systems. This is the master system in our lives, controlling every cell in our body. The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and spinal cord.
The best way to be sure the CNS is free from interference and regulating the body is to get regular chiropractic adjustments. Chiropractic treatments are the most noninvasive and safest way to optimize CNS function. Drugs fill it with toxins and mask the interference while surgery takes it apart. Both may have their time and place in the care of a patient but not without cost, and they do not optimize function in the way chiropractic care does.
Along with chiropractic care, we recommend acupuncture as this is an incredibly effective way to target individual organs and their functions. As the colder months approach and the holidays come about, people end up indulging in comfort foods high in sugar. These can place a large demand on our liver, adrenal glands and digestive functions. Acupuncture keeps those systems awake via increased blood flow to and from these organs through unique energetic pathways called meridians. A proper acupuncture assessment can identify where a patient may be overactive or underactive along a specific pathway and then treatment can immediately address the imbalance, restoring the body back to balance.
Another crucial part of keeping healthy during the winter is the use of proper nutritional and herbal supplementation. Greenwich Wellness uses organically grown whole food supplements, only available through health care professionals that support and nourish the body during the winter months. As such, we can boost immune function and keep a sound nutrient base that prevents the body from becoming weak to begin with.
Examples of these are winter essentials are:
General Health Daily Fundamentals provide convenient foundational maintenance support to help patients maintain optimal health. A box includes a 30-day supply of individual packs. Each pack contains:
- Catalyn (three tablets)—contains vital nutrients from whole food and other sources
- Trace Minerals-B12 (one tablet)—trace mineral supplement
- Tuna Omega-3 Oil (two perles)—provides 300 mg DHA and 60 mg EPA omega-3 fatty acids to support heart, brain, eye and joint health*
Cataplex D supports bone health, mineral absorption, the immune system and cellular processes.*
- Encourages healthy calcium absorption from the intestinal tract into the blood
- Supports healthy immune system response function
- Supports and maintains healthy bone density
- Provides vitamin D, which is needed by almost every cell in the body for development and transcription*
Andrographis Complex contains a blend of herbs to support normal immune system function. Andrographis, Echinacea Angustifolia root and Holy Basil provide a unique range of phytochemicals including diterpenoid lactones (collectively referred to as andrographolides), flavonoids, caffeic acid derivatives (especially echinacoside and cynarin), alkylamides, essential oil (rich in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, typically eugenol) and polyphenols. The Andrographis component of this tablet is standardized to contain 10 mg of andrographolide per tablet to ensure optimal strength and quality. This herbal formulation is used traditionally to:
- help maintain healthy immune system function
- support healthy respiratory system function
- support and maintain normal body temperature already in a normal range
- support healthy immune system response
- encourage adaptive response to occasional everyday stress
- promote healthy liver function*
Epimune Complex is a vegetarian immune system support designed to balance immune system response function.
- Supports specific aspects of immune system activity and contains research-supported ingredients such as EpiCor and maitake and turkey tail mushrooms
- Supports healthy white blood cells
- Helps support respiratory health year-round, especially during seasonal challenges
- Helps activate and balance a healthy immune system response function
You can also take an active role in maintaining your health during the winter by living a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least four days a week. Drink the proper amount of water for your body weight daily. Avoid sugar and processed foods that suppress the immune system and deplete the body of essential nutrients. Adopt a positive mental attitude to help on the days when it is dark at 4 p.m. and you haven’t seen the sun in a week. Sing, dance, love, show affection and laugh! All these are wonderful ways to live year-round, however, sometimes even with making the proper choices, life kicks our tails and we end up not feeling our best. We have described several natural ways to deal with this scenario above, so use them if it comes to that. Or better yet, use them as prevention and do not wait till you are feeling the winter blues.