Now is the time to boost your immune system.  There are plenty of respiratory infections in circulation and your best defence is a robust immune system.

Here are 12 simple things you can do to boost your immunity:

• Get sufficient sleep; which is 7-9 hours for most adults folks. Learn more about sleep & how to get it..

• Get sufficient exercise; which is minimum 150 minutes weekly for most adults. Find something you enjoy and do it regularly, starting with 15 minutes can help.

• Reduce your stress levels; even taking 5 minutes each day to do something that relaxes you will help. It could be listening to music, reading a book, having a bath, playing a guided meditation, stretching, watching the world go by.. whatever works for you. It’s best during this time to disengage from the phone, screen and any demands. It’s only 5 minutes remember.. 

• Do breathing exercises; simple breathing awareness for 5 minutes daily will do. Qi Gong or Yoga exercises are even better.

• Avoid eating refined sugar; use natural sweeteners like stevia if it helps. 

• Don’t smoke. Sing out if you need help with this. Dr. Daniel Gibbs at Freedom Chinese Medicine is particularly experienced with smoking cessation treatments. 

• Maintain a healthy weight.

• Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

• Take liquid Panax Ginseng. 

• Take a high potency Vitamin C supplement

• Take our Defence Plus or Resistance Formula. They contain astragalus, codonopsis and lots of other herbal goodies which have a strong immune strengthening function. Available in capsule, pill or granulated form. 

(The above products are available at Freedom Chinese Medicine)

 

Written by:

Dr. Elaine Hickman

B.H.Sc. TCM (Acupuncture), Cert.Cl.Ac (Beijing)
Registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Freedom Chinese Medicine
27 Ivanhoe Pde
Ivanhoe VIC 3079
Ph. 03) 9486 5966

Email: reception@freedomchinesemedicine.com
https://www.facebook.com/freedomchinesemedicine

 

 

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It can  be challenging to be in lock down. To be isolated. We understand why it’s important, but how can we do it without losing our minds or our physical health? Whether you’re working from home or not. It’s all too easy and tempting to hit the sugar-rich comfort food. Or the alcohol. Whatever your pleasure.

.. But staying well can be done. And that’s exactly what you need to do during this time. Stay as well as you possibly can. We all know now how to avoid our exposure to COVID-19. But what about the bigger picture? How do we not gain weight? How do we avoid being consumed by COVID news & memes..? How can we boost our immune system? Here’s some ideas:

1. Swap your commute time (if you don’t do it anymore) for a health promoting activity that you enjoy. ie. meditation/ yoga/ exercise / stretch.
2. Wake up early at sunrise or soon after & get exposure to sunlight. Your melatonin and cortisol levels will thank you for it.
3. Have a siesta if possible in your household. 20 minutes has been shown to be the optimal time for ultimate refreshment:)
4. Limit screen time. This is a big one. Most of us know that screen time has a negative impact on our mental health. But there’s so much to read right now hey? I suggest you set limits. Schedule yourself non-screen time doing something else pleasurable. The phone screen time reminders are all too easy to discard. Try an alarm on your phone that is more annoying perhaps. Or simply decide your going to put the screen down 1-2 hours before bedtime. And stick to it.
5. Then choose your screen time wisely. Excluding any work, I suggest that other screen time is best focused on giving you a sense of community. Connecting with groups of like-minded people. Chatting to friends and family. Rising above the physical barriers of isolation.

1. 6. Avoid increasing your food intake or bad food intake. It’s all too easy and can be a slippery slope. Before you know it you’ve gained 2 kg, then might feel depressed about it, emotional eat and gain more. It’s a common scenario. Understandable in these times. But, in these times we need to be as well as possible. Gaining weight or eating poorly is going to hinder your health. Most of us have a unique opportunity at the moment to give more time to our health. More time to food planning, trying new recipes, exercising. Embrace that as much as you can.

7. Plan at least a few meals per week. It reduces fresh food waste and gives you some structure. Try at least 1 new recipe a week.

8. Find a new daily rhythm as soon as you can. Including waking time, meal times, work & play. The new rhythm will shorten the period of transitional stress that most of us are facing right now. The stress of adapting to a big change.

9. Open your windows to let fresh air circulate through the house every day.

10. Consider buying an air purifier. One with a HEPA filter which eliminates bacteria and viruses from the air.

11. Gargle with salt water. Coronavirus cells have been found to accumulate in the throat before causing an infection. Wash those nasties out! Gargling every night before bed is simple and inexpensive.

 

12. Maybe set a health goal for the next 4 weeks. Only if it doesn’t cause major stress. Make it a SMART goal. An achievable one. It might be as simple as flossing your teeth every day. Eating dark leafy greens every day. Or doing some muscle building exercises. Or meditating for 5 mins daily.

13. Do something you’ve always wanted to do but never found the time. Painting on canvas? Growing some herbs or vegetables? Learning a language maybe. Knitting? Whatever your heart desires..

14. Laugh it up. Can laughter really boost your immune system? Results of some studies suggest it can. In a study of healthy males, watching a funny movie boosted natural killer cell activity while watching an emotionally neutral movie did not. Belly laughs feel great. They can’t hurt and they might help boost your immune system and reduce the likelihood of illness.

15. Focus on what you can do rather than what you cannot. Remember that it’s only temporary. Try to see the opportunity to live differently.

 

 

Written by Dr. Elaine Hickman

 

 

Elaine has trained and worked in various settings, both in Australia and China.  She has over 20 years experience in treating many health problems.  Elaine loves to provide a health care experience for people that is respectful, effective, empowering and enjoyable.  Elaine has particular expertise in Women’s Health, Children’s Health, Family Medicine and Wellness promotion.

Overindulging in the Festive season left you feeling a bit sluggish? Had enough of the sugary treats? Have you gained a few kilo’s? Are you ready to get moving?

Well here are 5 tips for detoxing and maybe losing a bit of weight:

1. Drink at least 2 litres of water per day; water is essential for the driving of detoxification processes and can act as an appetite suppressant if taken intermittently throughout the day.

2. Sleep!..for around 8 hours if possible, and don’t be afraid to do more if you are tired; your body is likely to need it whilst processing toxins.

3. Ease back off the meat and eat an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables; make sure to include fibrous greens and whole grains if possible. Juices are useful; celery and beetroot make a doozy if not the usual smoothie.

4. Do some light but regular exercise to keep things moving and encourage some sweating; but it’s best not to make yourself too tired as there is an increased risk of falling ill when detoxing.

5. Have some fun! Reward systems can gravitate towards ham and chocolate a bit during this time so some sort of compensation is necessary midst the cajoling of your brain’s dopamine response… Do what you will for a bit!

*Oh yeah; and come for a treatment if you need a bit of help!

by Dr. Daniel Gibbs

Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Massage

Dr. Daniel Gibbs has been practicing Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Massage since 2005. He has experience in treating a wide range of conditions, especially for pain relief. Working both as an independent therapist and adjunctively alongside physiotherapists.

Daniel has a thorough understanding of psychology and neuro-chemistry. And extra skills in Cosmetic Acupuncture.

Daniel is a very relaxed person with excellent skills, so is able to help you on many levels.  He is also a veteran skateboarder & an enthusiastic snowboarder.