- Hey guys.
With the holidays fast approaching and many of you
asking for tips on how to not get sick during the holidays,
I thought today I would share with you three simple tips
to help keep you healthy throughout the holiday season.
I also have a pretty awesome giveaway this week
that may just be my biggest ever
in terms of both size and monetary value,
and we'll get to that in just a few minutes.
But let's talk about the holidays because it seems
everyone starts to get sick around the holidays doesn't it?
And we blame things like cold weather, crowds of people,
stressful holiday travel, and coughing children.
For years, I thought I was just unlucky and always got sick.
But after adopting healthier habits and understanding
better how the immune system functioned,
I started to realize that more people got sick
around the holidays.
And not just Thanksgiving and Christmas,
the winter holidays, people also got sick
around Valentine's Day and Easter
and Fourth of July among other holidays.
So this was my light bulb moment
because there are three things that we tend to do
around holidays no matter the time of year
that weaken our immune system.
And once we pay attention to these, we can fix our actions,
boost our immune system, and prevent getting sick.
So here are my three tips.
I've talked numerous times about the importance of sleep
because I feel so strongly
about the role that it plays in our wellness.
In a previous video,
I've shared with you my 10 tips to get better sleep.
But today let's talk about sleep
as it relates to the holidays.
During holidays we tend to compromise sleep really easily
because we stay out late with family and friends.
We often have parties that go late into the evening
if not the early morning.
So instead of eight hours of beautiful,
restorative sleep, we're probably getting
about half of that during the holidays.
And the clincher of course is that lack of sleep
significantly impairs the immune system.
Studies show that if you don't get enough quality sleep,
you're more likely to get sick after being exposed
to a cold or a virus.
Which is more prevalent
around larger groups of people during the holidays.
When we sleep,
our bodies release disease-fighting chemicals,
proteins, and substances.
So if you deprive yourself of sleep,
you deprive yourself of a fully functioning immune system.
You really need to prioritize seven to eight hours of sleep
even if that means leaving the holiday party early.
In terms of quality sleep,
you also wanna make sure that you're not bombarding
your immune system with toxic foreign substances
that may be lurking in your mattress while you are sleeping.
That's why I highly recommend Naturepedic mattresses
that are 100% organic and made from high quality materials.
It's what I have in my bedroom
and it's what you could have in your bedroom
because in addition to graciously sponsoring today's video,
Naturepedic is generously giving away
one mattress to one U.S. subscriber.
And we'll talk about that more in just a few minutes.
Work parties, dinner parties, and other social gatherings
are always scheduled more frequently around holidays.
Socializing with friends and family is great
and it can give you an oxytocin boost
with all the love and hugs.
But if that socializing also includes wine or alcohol,
you've now impaired your immune system.
As little as one alcoholic drink can significantly impair
your immune system for up to 24 hours.
And that 24 hour period at holiday parties is usually
right around the time we've been hugging and kissing
lots of people and being exposed
to foreign viruses and bacteria.
The cornerstone of your immune system is your gut
because about 70% to 80% of your immune system
is comprised of the cells and tissue that line the gut.
So, what exactly happens when you consume alcohol?
Well, it immediately affects the structure
and integrity of the gut.
It alters your microbiome and impairs the communication
between your microbiome and immune cells.
It also disrupts gut barrier function,
creating a leaky gut
that's now more susceptible to viruses and bacteria.
Ideally, you'd abstain from all alcohol.
But if you do have a drink, try to keep it to just one.
Drink it slowly over a long period of time and try to eat
healthy food at the same time to help slow the absorption
of alcohol into the bloodstream.
Also key is to make sure to drink a full glass of water
after any alcoholic beverage
to make sure that you re-hydrate your body.
Nothing says it's a holiday more than cakes,
cookies, and dessert.
And just thing of the supermarket aisle during the holidays
like Christmas, Easter, and Valentine's.
It is nothing but chocolate and sugar.
But when it comes to your immune system,
sugar is absolutely one of the biggest culprits
in weakening it.
Studies have shown that when you consume sugar,
your immune system slacks off
and instead of your white blood cells attacking
and eating bad bacteria that enter your body,
they just ignore it.
Your immune system literally goes into a sugar coma
and stops functioning as it should.
Now, also important to remember is that sugar is sugar
in terms of its impact on the immune system.
So whether you're consuming organic chocolate,
processed sugar, honey, or maple syrup,
the impact to the immune system
is gonna be the same either way.
And that is that your immune system is now weakened
and you my friend are now far more susceptible to getting
the common cold or the flu.
I know this one is hard during the holidays
as it's so ingrained in our culture
to celebrate with sweets.
But the more that you can avoid and limit sugar
during the holidays,
the more you can boost your immune system.
Give yourself permission
to enjoy one small treat at a party.
But also be extra vigilant
about eating healthy leading up to and after the party.
All right, there you have it.
Three simple tips to prevent
getting sick during the holidays.
And of course remember that it's far easier to prevent
getting sick than it is to treat it once you are sick.
Hopefully that's a little motivation for you.
Now, about this giveaway.
To help you prioritize sleep,
Naturepedic is generously giving away one
certified organic mattress to a U.S. subscriber.
As you can imagine, this is a pretty huge item to ship
so the giveaway is restricted to U.S. subscribers.
To enter the giveaway,
you need to make sure you're subscribed to my channel
with the notifications turned on.
So click the red subscribe box
and then the notification bell.
In the description box of this video, there will be a link
to enter the giveaway and it will verify
that you're subscribed to my channel
and ask you for your name and email address.
And this information will only be used
to contact the winner.
If you'd like additional bonus entries,
you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.
Just click on each link which will take you to each
social media platform and click the follow button.
Lastly, you can share this giveaway with your friends
and if they enter, you'll get an extra entry as well.
I wish you all the best of luck with the giveaway
and remember that it's never too early to start boosting
your immune system before the holidays.
If you enjoyed this video make sure to give it a thumbs up
and if you have additional tips to share with the community
on how you prevent getting sick during the holidays,
make sure to share those in the comments below.
And I will see you guys again in the next video.