Don't feel trapped this winter with runny noses, sleepiness, and overall fatigue. Use these tips & tricks for keeping your immune system healthy and my top four steps for what to do when that cold attacks!

Immune Boosters: Food

Yep! You can eat your way to a healthy immune system! Remember that saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Well, turns out it's true. Eating more organic fruits & veggies on a daily basis will boost your immune system, naturally. Foods that are high in vitamin C and D will help ward off those inevitable germs you encounter. One of my favorite ways to do this is to make a smoothie in my blender–here's a great recipe:

Immune Boosting Smoothie Recipe

1 organic Honeycrisp apple
1 organic Bosc pear
2 stalks organic celery
1-2 organic carrots
6-8 leaves of organic romaine lettuce
1 organic green pepper
splash of organic lime juice
sprinkle of organic cayenne pepper

Blend and enjoy.

Read more about the best green smoothie

These "green drinks" not only taste great, but they will also increase your energy, decrease mental fog, boost your immunity, and can aid in weight loss. This is one great way to get a ton of immunity support that works for kids & adults!

Other food immunity boosters (loaded with vitamins and minerals)

• Green pepper
• Spinach
• Kale
• Onion
• Garlic
• Apples
• Pears
• Lemon
• Cayenne pepper (add to green drinks, hot lemon water, soups)
• Cinnamon (add to your coffee, tea, soups)
• Raw cacao (powder, nibs)

What to do when you feel a cold coming on

At the first sign of a sniffle, headache, feeling like you are dragging just a little, there are several things to do without grabbing the medicine. I recommend doing them all every day and your cold will disappear or subside in a couple of days.

Step 1: Hot Water with ½ Organic Squeezed Lemon & Organic Cayenne Pepper

• This jump-starts your entire system – gives it a little kick in the rear & wakes you up! Organic lemon is extremely high in antioxidant properties and aids tremendously in detoxification and digestion. Drink your lemon water daily or even several times per day! This will relieve a sore, scratchy throat, fatigue, and constipation, and acid reflux.

Step 2:  Apple Cider Vinegar, straight up.

• There are a million things that apple cider vinegar can fix from sinus congestion to diaper rash. You can dilute it in water if you want, but I find it easier and more effective to just take it in a spoonful. If you do have sinus congestion, drink apple cider vinegar and give yourself apple cider vinegar steam treatment. If you are feeling really fatigued or have achy muscles, add apple cider vinegar to a hot bath.

Read more about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar

Step 3: Vitamin C, baby!

• Keep your vitamin C on hand. Take it multiple times per day and especially before bed. Larger doses than those indicated on the side of the supplement can be used for acute conditions. Check with your health care professional on what does may be effective.

Step 4: Rest. And take your vitamins at night.

• Besides you just getting some rest, your body is actually working like crazy at night. Your body is repairing each cell in your body overnight! So the better you take care of your body during the day, the better rest you’ll get overnight. Regardless, rest & relaxation at night is important, especially when you are feeling sick. Feeding your body a surge of pure vitamins & minerals before bed is a major boost to the repair work it’s trying to do.

What are your top tips to fight off the cold and flu season?

Image: sivinjski danijel

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Goal Setting – Here's How:

Step 1: Out with the Old, In with the New.  Clear your head of 2015. Reflect on what you accomplished, give yourself a pat on the back, and move on. Don’t dwell on what you didn’t do. It’s a good practice to do a year-end clean-up. Clean-up the house, files, de-clutter, de-tox.

Action: Clear your head first. Get back on track from the holiday festivities and detox your body. Go for a run. Sweat. Drink water lots of water.

Read more about ways to amp up your daily water intake

Step 2: Dream It. Take a couple of days and set aside 30 minutes each day to daydream. Envision what 2016 will hold for you. Where you’ll go, what you’ll do. Imagine it as if it’s happening. Pick a quiet spot. Focus. Really think about the next year as a whole. Where will you be one year from now?

Action: Block this out on your calendar. 30 minutes for two consecutive days.

Step 3: Draft It. Draft out some preliminary ideas that came to you during your “daydreams.” A big picture view of the next year. Where will you live? How will you be financially? Where will you travel? Personal life? Business life? (Side note: I actually recommend doing this separately for your business, if you have one. Take separate time to daydream about your biz.)

Action: Sit down. Right now. Write a paragraph or two on what your next year looks like. Stream of consciousness writing – write what comes to your mind – it doesn’t have to be perfect. You aren’t being graded.

Step 4: Date It. Start for December 2016. What do you want to have accomplished? Make a list. For each item, you’ll develop a plan of action. Assign a realistic deadline for each item. What do you need to do in November to make that goal happen? What do you need to do in June to make that goal a reality by December?

Action: Put your deadlines on the calendar. Now.

Step 5: Plan It. What steps do you need to take to reach your deadline for each goal? Take a separate sheet of paper/word doc and develop a plan of action for each item on your list. In order to reach your goal of earning $100k in 2016, how many clients do you need to see? How will you get those clients? In order to lose 10 pounds by May 2016, how much weight do you need to lose each week starting now? How will you do that? How will you keep it off?

Action: Ask yourself high-mileage questions and give yourself mini-deadlines (and mini-rewards) along the way.

Read more about planning 'me time' to reduce stress

Step 6: Read It. Post your plans somewhere you can see them and read them. Read them weekly, or daily is even better. Reminding yourself of your plan and your goal will help you stay motivated and reach your goals.

Really want to accomplish your goals? Set weekly meetings with yourself to go over your goals – it can be 10-20 minutes. Create a weekly action plan. If you want to lose 10 pounds, schedule in your workouts, plan your meals ahead of time. Take the steps necessary to make these goals a reality. As an added bonus, you’ll feel accomplished, successful, organized, and on track. A little boost in confidence goes a long way for motivation and consistence. You can even get your family/hubby/wife involved!

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75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated

70% of preschoolers drink no water during the day

Americans drink more soda than water

Mild dehydration slows down your metabolism by 3%

What are the dangers of dehydration?

• mental fog
• headaches
• constipation/diarrhea
• joint pain, swelling
• inflammation throughout the body
• sleeplessness
• stiffness
• lower immunity (more colds)
• other serious health conditions

The good news? Dehydration is 100% preventable and it’s FREE!

How much water do I need to avoid being dehydrated?

Here is a formula that is pretty easy to follow to figure out how much water you need everyday to maintain proper hydration. After all, humans are made up of 60-80% water (depending on your age, since babies are born with a higher water percentage) and your brain alone is 70% water, lungs are nearly 90% water. Water is essential.

Take your body weight, divide by 2 and that is the number of ounces of water you should drink daily.

example: 140lbs / 2 = 70 ounces of water per day

Adding more water to replenish fluids lost during exercise is extremely important. Add these guidelines to your daily intake.

How do I avoid dehydration during exercise?

drink 15-20 ounces 2-3 hours before exercise

• drink 8-10 ounces 10-15 min before exercise
• drink 8-10 ounces every 15 min during exercise
• weigh yourself before & after exercise- for every 1 pound lost during exercise, drink 20 ounces of water after your workout.

How do I know if I am dehydrated?

• If you are feeling thirsty, you are already dehydrated (the human thirst mechanism is so weak that thirst is often mistaken for hunger)
• If your urine is yellow or dark brown, you are dehydrated. Urine should be clear or very pale yellow

What causes dehydration?

alcohol

tea, coffee, caffeine

drugs, prescription drugs, antibiotics (if you are on medication, be sure to drink more water while taking them)

exercise, sweating

How can I get excited about drinking water?

• add slice of lemon or dash of lemon juice
• add a whole cinnamon stick in your water bottle to boost your metabolism, feel warm, and decrease any muscle/joint pain and inflammation
• sip on plain, warm water at night, minus the tea to heat up your body, and wind down

The post Dangers of Dehydration appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

8 Tips for a Successful Spring Detox

1. Prepare your body Take 3-5 days to prepare your body for a detox. That means eliminating toxins from your diet, like dairy, sugar, chemical sweeteners, alcohol. The more you can eliminate ahead of time, the less likely you will experience headaches and fatigue during your detox program.

Read more about the worst ingredients in food

2. Pick the right detox or cleanse

Not all programs are created equally – do your research on who is running it and what is included. Most detoxes are between 1 and 5 weeks long. There are detoxes that are food-based only, and others that include coaching, self-care, and nutrition education. It is extremely helpful if you are able to find a holistic health coach who runs a detox program and can actually provide you with a consultation beforehand to help you decide what length is best for you.

3. Get support

You’ll need to get support from your family, co-workers, and friends. If you can join a group detox program, even better! Holistic health coaches’ programs include the recipes and how-to’s, but also a lot of coaching and support! In fact, many holistic health coaches will provide a meal plan for your family who is not detoxing just to make things a little easier for you.

4. Add whole foods

Springtime is such a great time to cleanse and detox because of all of the wonderful fruits and veggies available to us. Adding in whole foods that have natural anti-inflammatory properties will make the cleanse program delicious!

5. Eat + drink

A cleanse or detox is not a deprivation diet. You should not be hungry and should not be skipping meals. Real, whole foods, should be part of the program – detoxing does not equate to a liquid diet. And drink lots of fresh, filtered water!

Read more about the best water filters

6. Exercise

Remember to keep moving! Sweat is a wonderful way to detox your body and skin. Breathe in the fresh air and sweat each day.

7. Relax

Take time to unplug – literally. Relax your mind with meditation, journaling, and plenty of sleep! Your body’s cells rejuvenate and rebuild overnight, so getting enough zzzz’s is important to proper detox.

8. Self-care

Learn the art of self-care and use this detox period to practice extreme self-care.

Happy detoxing!

Image: Alexander Duret-Lutz

The post 8 Tips For A Successful Spring Detox (Hint: You Don't Have to Starve) appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Tara graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing from The University of Denver in 2005. While at DU Tara was a division 1 athlete and knows first-hand the power and importance of the mind-body-health connection to success and optimal health. With that, Tara knows that not everything works for everyone- we are all individuals- and that is the core of her coaching style.

Tara has experience in Sales, as an educator & coach at Severn School, and has worked as contractor in Knowledge Management for NASA. Her love for health and education lead her to found Tara Hantske Wellness. Tara is currently studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a board certified holistic health coach (CHHC) and will be a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP).

Tara lives in Maryland with her husband, 19 month-old daughter, and 2 chocolate labs.

To contact Tara, e-mail her at tara@naturallysavvy(dot)com.

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