How I support my immune system

As most of you know I travel to Southern California to see clients twice a month. To make the most of my time I try to book as many clients as I can. That along with the travel can be hard on my immune system and cause inflammation in my body.  I have created a daily ritual to protect my immune system that I thought I’d share with you.

~ Sun bath  

As soon as I wake up I take my dog out into the backyard and I stand out in the sun bathing in the fresh air and beautiful sunlight. This helps to build your immune system with a boost of Vit D.

~ Lemon water

While I try to eat clean while away from home I don’t always have access to the foods I know my body needs. Lemon water as the first thing that enters my body in the morning helps to flush my organs of any excess toxins.

~ Dry brushing

I take a morning shower to remove toxins from what traveling leaves on my skin. Remember your skin is your largest organ and anything that goes on it also goes in it. I start with hot water and end with as cold water as I can stand. Then as soon as I exit the shower I dry brush my body. The hot water helps to stimulate your circulation so this is the best time to follow up with dry brushing to stimulate the lymphatic system and flush toxins from the body.

~ Tongue scraping

A new morning ritual I have recently added back in is tongue scraping and oil pulling. A great hack to make this an easy addition to your morning ritual is to stack this along with when you normally brush your teeth. I floss, brush, tongue scrape and oil pull each morning. This whitens your teeth, improves taste, kills bacteria, supports heart and gut health.

~ Smoothie

Our average temp in Chico is around 90 degrees which means I’m ready for a summer smoothie. I try to make the most of my smoothies. This means adding in greens, MCT oil, high protein, apple cider vinegar and ground flax seeds. (You can find the full recipe at the bottom of this post) This smoothie is great for the gut, brain fog, blood sugar PLUS it tastes so good!

~ Walk in nature

The heat doesn't usually hit till mid day around here so I try to get my Happy Girl walk in before 10am. For me nature is the best medicine and if you could see the beautiful park that runs the length of our town you’d understand why I love it here so much. Of course if you are lucky enough to live near the ocean nothing beats fresh ocean air for regulating your cortisol and building serotonin.

~ Caster oil pack

Caster oil on the abdomen helps with digestion, toxin load reduction, hormone balancing and lymphatic flow. This process can be done as needed and feels so good. 

~ Infrared pad

I love to end the day laying on my infrared pad. I’ll apply my caster oil and lay there in the evening. This helps to calm the central nervous system, reduces the impact of EMFs on the body, helps with detoxification and reduces inflammation throughout the whole body.

Smoothie recipe- 

Two scoops protein powder ( I like Naked Pea) 

half cup kifer (make sure it has no sugar added)

half cup frozen wild organic blueberries and organic strawberries 

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1 cup water

1 teaspoon organic cinnamon

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon MCT oil or coconut oil fractionated

First thing in the morning start your day with room temp lemon water, then get your smoothie in no later than 9am. You should get your smoothie in no more than 2-3 hours from waking. This smoothie will help reduce histamine, clear out your gut, support blood sugar, increase metabolism, reduce inflammation, support a strong immune system and increase brain function.

Dry Brushing 411

Dry Brushing: What Is It, and Why Should We All Be Doing It?

Dry brushing is the act of gently exfoliating the skin to remove dead skin cells, stimulate lymph flow and help reduce the appearance of cellulite.

Why is this act important? Our bodies are made up of many systems, one of which is the lymphatic system-- the system is in charge of waste removal. The lymphatic system, unlike the heart, does not have its own pump. We must do things to move lymphatic fluid towards the heart, where it will be sent into the blood stream. This allows toxins held in the body to be removed. There are many self-care methods to help the lymphatic system, such as Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) massage, rebounding, epsom salt baths, infrared sauna and dry brushing.

Dry brushing is one of my favorite methods, because it’s something you can do at home in just a few minutes. This is an easy technique that will leave you feeling and looking amazing.

Here is a quick guide to how it’s done…

Tools-

I recommend purchasing a natural bristled brush. This is super important. You do not want to use synthetic bristles on your skin. I also recommend finding a brush that comes with a handle. This allows you to get to those hard-to-reach areas.

It’s best to dry brush first thing in the morning on dry skin, right before you shower. Dry skin is important because you want to remove dead skin cells, and a post-brushing shower will wash away any remaining debris.

After you shower, I recommend a good, quality organic lotion or oil. Remember: our skin is an organ, and whatever you apply to it will move through your entire system.

Technique-

-Start on the left side of the body at the arm. Make five circles on both sides of the hand, then five long, gentle strokes up to the elbow. Next, five circles at the crease of the elbow, then five long strokes up both sides of the left arm to the armpit. Circle the armpit five times. This is one of the largest lymphatic ports, so if you only work on two areas, this should be one of them. (I’ll share the other in a minute!)

-Repeat this on the right arm, and remember this is supposed to be gentle. You do not need to press too hard.

-Next, take the brush to the back side of the shoulder and do five long strokes from the back of the shoulder to the front, then down the chest towards the heart. Do this on both shoulders. Then make an X at the chest between the breasts and swoop under each breast.

-Next, make five long strokes starting at the back around the sides towards the abdomen.

The abdomen is the second super important area. We carry most of our lymphatic fluid in the gut, so we want to make sure to give this area much love and attention.

-Start on the bottom of the right side near the hip, stroke up the right side to just below the breast. Go across the upper abdomen towards the left side of the body, down the left side and eventually make a square across the abdomen. Once you have completed the square, start working your way towards the center in that same direction, making small circles.

-Next move on to the feet, making five circles on both sides of the feet. Then five long, gentle strokes up each leg, stopping at the knee. Then five circles at the back of the knee, five long strokes up the front of the leg to the groin and finally five small (and very gentle) circles across the groin.

-Finish the body with broad strokes up the back of each leg, making sure to go across the hips and buttocks.

Although I believe there is no getting rid of cellulite, the act of dry brushing on a regular basis will greatly improve the look and smoothness of the skin.

This process, once mastered, should take no more than five minutes and only needs to be done three-four times per week.

If you continue to do dry brush on a regular basis you will improve your immune system, help hydrate your skin, decrease seasonal allergies, boost your mood and even improve your sleep.

Self-care is vital for overall health and well-being, and dry brushing is a quick and enjoyable activity to assist in this.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Happy brushing!!