Hi everyone,
We are approaching the cooler months and aside from all the lovely things we have to look forward to like delicious roast dinners, log fires, cosying up on the sofa with a blanket and steaming bowls of soup there is something else that creeps in that I'd like to talk about.
I find that fear sneaks its way into our thoughts during the cooler months. This is largely due to mass media promoting fear of influenza and other illnesses. This kind of fear can become deeply entrenched if it is perpetuated year after year and if we hear it from multiple sources e.g. the news, our GP, our friends and family etc. Of course, fear will always be stronger if we've had a bad experience ourselves. I totally understand this - when I feel any discomfort in my kidney one of my first reactions is fear because of what I've experienced previously.
We usually feel less fearful if we have a plan in place. With health it's useful to have a prevention plan and a treatment plan. There is so much we can do at home for ourselves to help our general health and there are so many types of practitioners that can help us with this. Here are some good questions to ask ourselves now so we can be as prepared as possible, feel calm and feel in charge of our health.
What are my health concerns as we head into winter?
e.g. catching the flu, my old cough coming back, my arthritis pain worsening
What preventative measures can I put in place for this scenario?
Continuing on with the example of the flu...
1. Speak to my naturopath, nutritionist, homeopath etc about supplements or homeopathic constitutional remedies to support my immune system (see my previous blog post for some ideas).
2. Are there any lifestyle changes I could make that would reduce stress on my immune system e.g. eating less sugar, addressing my major stressors, moving enough, staying hydrated, ensuring I stay connected with friends etc.
3. Continue my osteopath or chiropractic appointments to support my nervous system and musculoskeletal system
4. Are there any environmental stressors that I know I'm sensitive to and often precede a cold or flu? What can I do to minimise the effect of these? e.g. being in a cold wind always sets me off - ensure always have a hat, scarf etc on hand.
If I do start to experience symptoms what can I do?
1. Know the first sign of a cold or flu for you. Some people always start with a tickly cough or a runny nose, for others its tiredness or loss of appetite. Know your signs so you can initiate your treatment plan asap.
2. Have a home treatment plan in place with may include supplements/herbs from your naturopath/nutritionist, homeopathic remedies from your homeopath, acupressure points from your Kinesiologist or TCM practitioner and anything else that you know works for you such as essential oils or simply rest.
3. Know who to contact if your symptoms don't improve with your home treatment plan e.g. kinesiologist, naturopath, homeopath, TCM practitioner. This should be someone that you see regularly who knows your underlying health issues. This way they will be able to help you quickly.
4. Know when to contact the GP - what is the normal progression of the illness and if I start to move outside of this at what stage would I feel I need to speak to a GP?
And I know this sounds a bit nerdy but write out your treatment plan and put it somewhere obvious. Sometimes symptoms can come on suddenly - you go to bed feeling fine but wake up in the night and all of a sudden you are feeling achey and congested in your sinuses - you want to be able to refer to your treatment plan that you've taped on the inside of the bathroom cabinet and just do what it says - if you have to think about it too much it probably won't happen.
Family members can also be "trained" in this way of thinking. Hubby is now very good at telling me as soon as he feels a bit of a sniffle coming on and he even knows some of the things he can do immediately if I'm not available - yay!
Happy taking charge of your health!
Carla :)
P.S. Want to re-read a previous email but have deleted it? (accidentally of course!) Not to fear - all previous emails are available on the website blog or facebook.
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