the 2012 get well stay well guide
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Take a shot at our easy and effective strategies to not just fight the flu,but to boost your immune system so it's up for the daily battles of life.Knock the following pages off your to-do list, before something has thechance to knock you off your feet. It’s not medical advice, just our common sense and experience!TRANSCRIPT
Take a shot at our easy and effective strategies to not just fight the flu,
but to boost your immune system so it's up for the daily battles of life.
Knock the following pages off your to-do list, before something has the
chance to knock you off your feet.
It’s not medical advice, just our common sense and experience!
The Get Well,Stay Well Guide
Content, product testing and layout by
Borden Communications + Design
Dear Want-To-Stay-Healthy Readers,
I don't want to (nor am I qualified to) give medical advice,
although I'm asked constantly what I do for myself and my
kids.
So, what's a flu-fearing, germ-wary, busy person supposed to
do during cold and flu season? As always, eat well and eat
real, exercise and take good care, plus of course, consider all
we have compiled and created over the following pages in
this guide . They are all things that I incorporate into my life,
so know they are tried, tested and true. And remember, if you
are hit with the flu, this too shall pass.
In good health,
Wash Your Hands.Properly.
Washing your hands before eating, before AND after going to the bathroom,
coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose will decrease your likelihood of
spreading a virus. The 3 crucial components to a good hand washing: warm
water, soap, and friction (nothing beats this!). Wet your hands with warm
water, lather well by rubbing hands together (be sure you don't miss in between
your fingers) while you sing the ABCs (in your head if you are tone deaf). Rinse
thoroughly, dry well, and repeat often!
Wash this! We waste up to 10% of our personal care
products because we don't use every ounce. If you use a
bar instead of liquid soap, you can use every last bit
which means less waste and less packaging. Using 100%
natural and organic soap means you aren’t drying out
your skin, and you're not washing your hands with the
same toxins that you are trying to remove.
Try Consonant Organic Body Soap - No animal by-products,
synthetic colour or fragrance so it’s safe for the entire family to
use but still extremely effective. Bonus? Each bar comes with a
loofah to hold the soap so no more sticky sinks or dirty soap
dishes in the bathroom. www.consonantbody.com
Dry off!
think
about those not-so-snuggly conventional cotton hand
towels we rub our clean hands and face on. Choosing
organic cotton or other eco happy fibre towels are best
(and safest) for our skin and our world.
Try drying your hands with a Coyuchi organic hand towel. And
when you update your towels (for obvious reasons) it’s the perfect
time to update your linens too! It’s amazing how widely available
organic cotton options are now, and you no longer have to break
the bank to get the quality you deserve. www.coyuchi.com
Cotton is considered the world's 'dirtiest' crop
due to it’s insane use and overuse of insecticides,
hazardous to both human and animal health. Just
Spray on! For when soap and water aren’t readily
available, use something that is safe AND effective. Many
anti-bacterial soaps not only remove the bad bacteria,
but also the good bacteria that helps defend our body
from the truly harmful ones. Rather than spray
something that leaves you feeling like you just doused
yourself in harsh chemicals, opt for something with safe,
effective ingredients that will rid germs safely.
Try spritzing Graydon’s lightly-scented, multi-purpose, anti-
microbial mist on your hands and the air around you. The
formulation is completely free of alcohol and other nasty chems
and it purifies, refreshes and keeps hands feeling moisturized.
www.clinicalluxurybynature.com
Many sicknesses are viral, not bacterial, so plain old soap and water will get
you just as clean as any anti-bacterial product claims to do. Really. Our culture
is germ-obsessed and our obsession has encouraged the flood of products on
store shelves to make claims that may not be true. Watch out for chemicals in
our sanitizers, soaps, medicine, toothpaste, cosmetics, deodorant, and other
personal care items. Don’t forget, they could also be hiding in products like
clothes, socks, shoes, and underwear, too! Ick!
Read well. No one sets out to clean their hands with toxic
chemicals, or spray toxic mists on or around them. The
best way you can arm yourself is to educate yourself - you
can and will become your own best expert. Information
is everywhere these days so Google, watch videos or pick
up an informative book and find out what you’re putting
in, on, and around your body (you didn’t sign up to be a
test tube, did you?).
Pick up Slow Death by Rubber Duck - the brilliance of this book is
not simply that Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie experiment on
themselves to show us how everyday toxins impact our well being,
it’s that they are able to deliver easy solutions, knowledgeable
information and a hopeful message. http://bit.ly/cp2gpdl
Be Anti-Anti-Bacterial
Stay home when you are sick. It's the right thing to do for you and also for your
friends, family and colleagues, because when your immunity is low, you can
pick up other germs more easily...it’s simply not the time to share! Steep some
tea, pour a bowl of soup, curl up on your couch and allow your body to rest and
heal. Don't let stress undermine a quick recovery and try to enjoy your forced
time out (we know it's not that easy!)
Lay on this! Besides having to cope with a runny nose,
fever, or sore throat, we are also left with achy muscles
and stiff joints. The benefits of acupuncture are truly
amazing - it helps with headaches, soreness, muscle pain
and even serious injuries - it’s relief without swallowing
a single pill. Not all of us have our own acupuncturist on
call (or are willing to leave our bed to find one), so have
something on hand that can help relieve pain at home ,
it’s efficient and useful.
Try the Spoonk Acupressure Massage Mat (the luxury of
acupuncture in the comfort of your home). Lay down, close your
eyes and let the mat do the rest. The mat’s spikes increase blood
circulation, boosts energy levels, releases muscle tension, heals
joint pain, and induces deeper sleep for a happier, feel better, you!
www.spoonkspace.com
Sleep Easy! It makes sense that everything around you
should be as healthy as possible, so you can be your
healthiest! Think about the pillow you place under your
head. If it's made with synthetic materials, you could be
sleeping with toluene, formaldehyde, and other nasty
chems. As Annie Leonard from The Story of Stuff exclaims -
there's got to be a better way to stop your head from
catching on fire while you sleep than dousing your
pillow in flame retardants!
Try Googling organic wool or organic rubber pillows and find out
where you can get your hands on one (and your head, too!). It’s
always challenging when replacing your fave pillow, but choosing
a healthy one will be a change for the better (did we mention that
they’ll be hypo-allergenic too?)
www.bordencom.com
Duck and Take Cover
If you believe in keeping a well stocked medicine cabinet, then a well stocked
selection of organic tea should be included! Tea is filled with powerful
antioxidant properties that actually help in healing many ailments and keeps
you healthy and feeling good day-to-day. Drinking hot tea specifically, raises
your body temperature and helps you sweat out the toxins that probably got
you sick in the first place. Do some natural healing from the inside out and
drink yourself to health.
www.bordencom.com
Heat it up. You know by now that skipping the lineup
(and the trip to the bank) for your tea and making your
own looseleaf at home is healthier for you, and much
quicker than waiting in a long line up (say goodbye to
bleached bags and staples). Want to go the distance?
Compost those used tea leaves too! It’s eco-intelligent
and healthy for all!
Try For Life Design’s Bell Glass Tea pot. Equipped with a stainless
steel basket infuser , it leaves plenty of room for your tea to expand
while the extra fine holes will keep small leaves in place. The push-
on colourful stainless and silicone lid allows you to remove the
infuser at optimal time so you can enjoy your tea at its finest.
www.forlifedesign.com
.
Warm Up
Fight back. The average adult experiences 2 - 3 colds per
year while the average child averages 8 - 12 colds per
year. Throw in the occasional flu and an array of viruses
and our immune systems are vastly overworked! Fight
back with loose leaf teas that not only help sooth our
colds, but that actually help improve our immune
systems to make us healthy and keep us feeling good.
Try organic loose leaf teas like Rootalive’s Wellness tea and St.
Francis Herb’s Cold and Flu tea. Both teas contain pure organic
ingredients that will not only help you fight cold and flu-like
symptoms, but will help strengthen your immune system - who
needs a pill when you can drink natural wellness?
www.rootalive.com & www.stfrancisherb.com
www.bordencom.com
Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Remember,
your best defence against the flu is doing everything you can to beat it in the
first place, so make sure you pack in your daily dose of nutrients any way you
can. Drink lots and lots of water and bring it with you everywhere (but
remember, no sharing!). If you are constantly revitalizing and replenishing,
you'll kick what you have quicker, and kick start your health.
Go nuts over coconuts. C
Try COCO, the natural drink to quench your thirst. Run and
operated by a Canadian company (a group of fathers who care
about what their families consume) take great care in choosing the
best coconuts possible. Har vested without the use of chemicals,
their Young Green Coconuts are not from concentrate!
www.purebodybeverages.com
oconut water is bursting with
vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, which your body
needs to fill up on when you’re feeling under the
weather. This is in fact nature’s sports drink (and not
electric blue in colour!) As it replenishes, revitalizes and
energizes - a great way to stay hydrated and give you
that extra little “pick-me-up” that you need to get
through your sickness and sick day.
CoolDown
Mix it in.
have a host of
health promoting benefits and you have a full nutritious
meal in a glass.
Throw in a scoop of Bioflavia’s organic red wine grape seed powder
(no, not alcoholic!) or AppleBoost’s Organic Dried Apple Peel
Powder. Bursting with antioxidants, these superfood boosters kick
you with a high dose of vitamin C (to help kick that cold), and tastes
delicious. Bonus that they are a homegrown Canadian, organic
product!) www.bioflavia.ca & www.appleboost.com
Health Canada recommends that we consume
between 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily to
obtain our daily intake of antioxidants (not that we
always listen to what they say). A great way to pack in
the produce is with smoothies - throw in your fresh or
frozen faves or superfoods known to
Your kitchen is your kickoff to good health. Food can be a healing agent and
strengthen your immunity, so why not eat up? Food in this case, does not refer
to food products in boxes, but real, fresh, food. Food that grew somewhere
(hopefully close by) and not manufactured in a large factory. These foods are
loaded with goodness - not just nutrients, but flavour too (if your taste buds are
working for you) and it’s what nature intended for you to eat, which will in
turn help you prevent and treat sickness. Put that on the conveyer belt, or in
your reusable market basket!
Peel and Mince. Garlic helps to fight bacteria and
infection (since it's anti-fungal and anti-viral) and is a
great contender in helping you fight whatever you've got
going on. Eating lots of garlic is great to do all year long
as it helps boost your immune system - just remember to
brush your teeth before getting up close and personal
with others or convince them to eat a lot of garlic too.
Try adding yourself to the Garlic Lovers Contact List from the
Cutting Veg and be privy to garlic that is grown organically in
Ontario. Most garlic that you buy in a grocery store is imported
from China - “ewwww” on so many levels. Farmer Daniel grows
approximately 20 varieties of garlic originating from various
places around the globe. We promise, you will taste the difference.
www.thecuttingveg.com
Buy Some Berries! Keep fresh berries in the freezer for
when they are out of season so you can always take
advantage of their sweetness and goodness. They are a
great source of antioxidants and important for cell
regeneration (and taste great in everything!) Of course,
they are best mixed in with as many colours of fresh,
local and organic foods as possible.
Try the stand up pouches full of organic, frozen fruit from Mother
Hen. Their berries are harvested the moment they’re ripe, then flash
frozen to lock in the delicious flavour and all of their abundant
nutrients. This is a great solution, just in case you didn’t grow,
harvest and preserve enough from your home garden for the full
year (one can dream, right?) Defrost and serve, or throw them into
your smoothies right out of the freezer! www.lamerepoule.ca
You AreWhat You Eat
While you're very busy trying to get your health back in gear, it’s still
important to be mindful of the amount of waste we all create (even when we
haven't moved from bed!) Consider straws and tissues to be the worst
offenders...and don't forget about the tea bags or lozenge wrappers that get left
behind on what seems like every table in your house.
Blow Away. We go through a lot of tissue when battling
the flu, and throwing out all of your snotty rags is bound
to make those germs travel (do you clean your trash can
regularly?). Reusing hankies are the way to go - consider
100% organic cotton ones that will not only feel great on
your sore nose, but they won't create a pile up in your
garbage can either.
Try the Reusable Tissue Box with Organic Cotton Tissue. Strike a
blow (with your nose!). It holds 24 fair trade, organic, reusable
sateen tissues - they are lusciously soft on one side and strong on
the other side. The box (made from water resistant cardboard so it’s
reusable and durable, even in the bathroom) includes a handy
storage compartment for your used waiting-to-be-cleaned tissues!
www.bynature.ca
Sip your way to good health. You don’t want to be
putting plastic in your mouth, right? You have enough
to worry about while fighting whatever is brewing in
your body - no need to add toxic chems from straws to
the list. Not to mention, think about the amount of waste
that builds up using disposable straws when you’re sick
(or even when you’re perfectly healthy!). Yuck!
Try using a Strawesome Barely Bent glass straw - it might not be
flexible like the bendy plastic ones, but it doesn’t have the toxic
plasticizers either, and it’s already on a great angle for lying down
or sitting up! Strawesome glass straws come with a lifetime
guarantee - yes, they are that durable (even for kids). Everything
just tastes better coming from glass. If only the hospitals used
these… www.strawesome.com
Responsible Bedside Manners
www.bordencom.com
Clear itOut!
We’ve all been there when sick...we’re congested, we have trouble breathing,
we’re sniffling, often very aggravated, and, most certainly misunderstood by
those we are speaking to and with. Clearing out our airways (the right way) is
important - not only so we can gain some relief and breathe again, but also so
we can prevent further infection. Flushing out the gunk will help you breathe
easy - and make you feel that much better.
Blow out. Instead of putting toxic sprays up our noses to
dissipate blockage, maybe we should instead be thinking
of how to get the stuff out of our body. Like most drugs,
the more we use them, the more we become dependent
on them (and we often fail to read the small print with
the long list of side affects). There are many natural ways
to clear your airways, so say no to the spritz.
Try using a ceramic, lead-free Neti Pot to flush you out. Maybe on
first glance it seems like a gross process, but we promise you, it’s a
life changing habit - once you use it for the first time, you’ll be
hooked! This all-natural system (all you need is non-iodized salt
from your kitchen cabinet) will keep your nasal passages clear. The
bonus? It’s also available in junior versions so the whole family can
use it. www.upayanaturals.com
Rub on. Many over the counter ointments like vapor rubs
contain petroleum along with other nasty chems (and
some ingredients you can't even pronounce). Soothe
away the aches and pains of congestion with all natural,
plant based formulas that are paraben and petroleum
free (and safe for the whole family). Then you can really
sigh with relief (and breathe through our noses to do it!)
Try rubbing in Thera Wise Vapo Rub made from botanical extracts
to help your healing process from within. This soothing formula
doesn’t make your nose burn when smelling it, and it doesn’t leave
you with sticky skin (so you can leave the house after applying!). All
Thera Wise products are paraben and petro-chemical free, so
what’s good for you is also good for the environment
www.therawise.com
You may have been stuck in bed for a while, but eventually it comes time to
clean up your act. Cleaning with conventional cleaners made from toxic chems
(which can make you sick in the first place) makes sense, right? No, we didn’t
think so either. By replacing your conventional cleaners with nothing (well
maybe not nothing, but products you can find in your own kitchen like water,
baking soda, and vinegar) will save you time, money, your health and our
planet. Now that’s a clean sweep!
Cleaning can be Dirty(for your health!)
MIY. That’s right - M.I.Y. means Make It Yourself! Most of
the cleaners that you might think are making your home
truly clean are actually dangerously polluting them (and
our water, air, and soil...where do you think it goes once
it goes down the drain?). Microfibre cloths and water do
a remarkable job, and you can easily make safe and smart
cleaning products using your own ingredients. Bonus:
you won’t be sacrificing cleanliness (or your health).
Try cleaning with the Full Circle kit. It comes with a great little home
cleaners recipe book, plus all of the bottles and containers with
exact details and proportions so you can mix it all up, and it’ll last
under your sink like the store bought stuff - just cheaper, easier,
safer and more effective! www.fullcirclehome.com
Throw in the towel. And your clothes, sheets, (and your
reusable handkerchief too), but make sure what you’re
washing gets truly clean. It doesn't make sense to toss
your personals in the wash with conventional detergent
where they will bathe in chemicals. Stop overdosing on
the bad stuff and start washing with natural soap in cold
water (except use some warm or hot when you are sick to
get rid of the ickies right way).
Get real clean with super--concentrated, eco-effective Berry Plus
laundry soap that cleans and softens too. Just two mls of Berryplus
does a full 30lb load. This berry based, 100% plant based soap
comes in really small bottles, making it easier to do safe, smart and
efficient laundry all the time. www.berryplus.com
Exit Strategy: The Detox
Common cold and flu symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing and sneezing
are your body's natural way of trying to eject viruses, toxins and other harmful
bacteria. When you help the detoxification process, you're encouraging your
body to cleanse itself of these toxins quickly. Detoxifying is not only beneficial
when you are sick, but all year round as there are many physical benefits
including allowing your organs to work more effectively, and giving you
mental benefits such as getting a better night’s sleep and concentrating more.
Sweat it Out.
unning a hot bath opens pores and
prepares your body for cleansing, allowing your body to
eliminate the cold/flu virus. But remember to drink lots
of water afterwards, since you will need to replenish
what’s being pulled out of your system.
Soak in a hot bath while adding The Wildly Natural Seaweed
Powder Bath to soothe your skin and stimulate your senses. With
only the best hand-harvested brown seaweed and naturally
nourishing ingredients selected from around the world, you get the
benefits of detoxifying all while renewing and improving the
condition of your skin, even severe chronic issues like redness and
flaking. www.seaweedbathco.com
Sweat is your friend when you feel a cold or
flu coming on. R
Brush Off.
Try dry brushing with the Sisal body brush by Merben. Handmade
using only natural materials, this brush can be used both we t and
dry. With your choice of light, medium or coarse bristles, you can
choose which pressure is best suited for you. Brushing away those
dead skin cells will improve circulation and help your body win the
fight against the flu. Try dry brushing before you shower daily - it’s
easy and effective! www.merben.com
Your skin is the largest organ on your body
and plays a major role in detoxifying your body each day.
Dry brushing is one of the easiest ways to detoxify, and it
aids in removing dead skin cells, stimulates circulation,
helps eliminate harmful toxins and reduces the
appearance of cellulite. Need we say more?
The Road To Recovery
After laying in your sheets and sweating in your clothes, comes the time when
you finally can get up and get back to your routine - feeling better feels great,
but it doesn’t always mean you are fully recovered back to your blissful-self .
Make sure that as you re-enter the real world you are fully prepared. Arming
yourself with the right reusables and tools will help you keep feeling as great as
possible and fight through the day...the eco-way!
Tissue? No Thank you. Think about how many reusable
tissues you go through a week, a day, an hour or even a
minute when you’re sick, getting sick or recovering.
When you’re out and about and still have the sniffles,
where are you going to stash or trash them anyway?
Reusable (and organic) tissues not only save you money,
but they also save you from red, itchy nose syndrome.
Try Hanky Books reusable handkerchiefs made from 100% organic
cotton. They are easy to stash in your bag and have multiple
“pages” for your multiple uses. It may seem gross at first, but these
brilliant little things will save you! Even when your cold is gone, it’s
perfect to keep around for those unexpected spills or for a quick face
wipe - especially if you have kids. www.hankybooks.com
Suck on this. It may not be practical to carry around raw
Manuka honey (wonderfully healing, anti-viral and anti-
bacterial), so having something small and convenient on
hand to soothe your itchy dry throat will carry you
through the day. Organic Manuka honey has been proven
to be more effective than some over the counter
medicine, and helps to fight viral infection.
Try GreenBay Manuka Throat Lozenges. They are packed with raw
manuka honey (75% - 100% honey depending on the flavour) with
no added processed sugar - they soothe and help fight throat-
infecting bacteria. They taste great, they are fast acting, and they
are an overall immune booster, so who can eat too many?
www.greenbayharvest.com/ca
Very Slick
Oil is a great source of medicinal properties - they should be a part of your
everyday diet and beauty routines, but as soon as you are feeling a little under
the weather add even more! Of course, other things may help like gargling and
taking homeopathics and vitamins (consult your naturopath or go into any
health food store). We’ve even heard that dark chocolate works miracles (or
maybe that’s just wishful thinking!). What’s in your kitchen cupboard (and
stuff that is plant-based and natural) is often more effective than over-
packaged products that promise you solutions or long lasting relief. The goal is
to get better, not mask symptoms to get by.
Drop this into your drink. Oil of Oregano is great for the
onset of colds and sore throats and taking just a few
drops boosts your immune system and kills off
unfriendly bacteria. Even in the event of an injury or
infection, oregano oil can be used externally to heal
wounds. It’s a medicine chest in a bottle.
Try 100% organic oil of oregano whether you’re in perfect health or
feeling under the weather. It’s very potent, so we are warning you,
it’s not the most delicious thing in the world, but we can
recommend from our own personal experience, it really does work!
You won’t want to be at home or leave home without it.
www.wildoiloforegano.com
Add this in! Coconut oil is a little miracle worker in a jar.
It helps with thyroid stimulation, anti-aging effects,
weight loss, and helps to prevent cancer, so why aren’t
we all using it?! Not only does it heal internally, but
externally as well. It can heal scars, and even shine your
shoes! Talk about multi-tasking!
Try adding Maison Orphee Virgin Coconut Oil to any meal,
smoothie, shake or even body part. It’s the first cold pressed oil of
it’s kind and it’s certified organic and kosher too - plus it’s in a glass
jar - packaging can be everything! Filled with anti-viral and anti-
bacterial properties make sure you have a jar in your kitchen and in
your bathroom too. www.maisonorphee.com