Tis the season to be…sick? Oh no, it’s that time of year again! Flu Season! This time of year has become so infamous we’ve started calling it a SEASON! Have you ever wondered what would happen if we paid closer attention to our health this time of year, vaccinated and lowered sugar intake? Maybe, just maybe, the flu season would just be the flu every now and then and not an entire season.

So, let’s dive in to why this time of year has gotten such a bad rep as the time to get sick.

During the holidays we tend to consume way more sugar than normal. With October comes Halloween candy, with November comes Thanksgiving overindulgence, with December comes Christmas and holiday parties, sweets on sweets on sweets.. oh, and don’t forget alcohol! Our bodies were not made to consume this much sugar, and especially over the course of several months in a row! Sugar lowers our bodies ability to fight infections. The more sugar we consume, (sugar being added sugars and anything that breaks down into sugars (glucose) in the body such as breads and alcohol), the lower our immune system becomes. Over the course of 3 months of sugar consumption its no wonder flu season peaks in the winter. Once our immune systems are down then we are more susceptible to picking up the virus.

So, what can we do to decrease the effects of flu season this year?

First and foremost. GO GET YOUR FLU SHOT. When you vaccinate, you not only protect yourself from the flu, but you are also protecting others by not spreading it around. Just because you may feel like you have a strong immune system, “you never get the flu”, “the flu shot gives me the flu”, etc, doesn’t mean that it still doesn’t do the job it was made to do. Whatever your excuse is, it is still more important to get the shot than to not.

Second, clean up your diet during the holidays! Creating an 80/20 lifestyle allows you to still enjoy these holiday months, but you are able to maintain the healthy lifestyle and minimize your risk of lowering your immune system. You also minimize the amount of weight gain you might experience from overconsumption! Imagine going into the new year without feeling like you have to completely backtrack and go through a hardcore diet. Make the promise to yourself now to create a sustainable lifestyle, rather than an all or nothing mentality in January.

This season of giving, join me in giving back to yourself and to others! Arbonne’s Nutrition programs are the perfect things to help get you through this flu season. The 30 Days to Healthy Living Challenge or the 10 Day Reboot are incredible tools to help you learn about your body and how to live an 80/20 lifestyle. Lowering the consumption of inflammatory things in our diet, such as added sugars, gluten, wheat, dairy, alcohol, soy, and coffee, and adding in good things, such as fruits, veggies and lean protein, not only strengthens our immune systems but it also helps with so many other areas of our lives such as sleep, chronic pain, weight gain, stress and anxiety. Just to name a few. Arbonne’s detox tea, pictured, is also an incredible addition to your day to day lifestyle during the holidays! Our liver needs all the extra lovin’ it can get this time of year, and this tea with dandelion root and milk thistle is perfect to provide just that! Plus, who doesn’t love a hot cup of tea during these freezing cold days?

This month of thanksgiving and giving back I have teamed up with the Atlanta Community Food Bank to help give back to Georgians in need. When you join me in a 30 day or 10 day challenge part of your proceeds will go towards this amazing cause! Give back to your own health while also strengthening others!

I challenge you all to take this holiday season to be more mindful, thankful and giving. Enjoy the holidays with loved ones, but try and implement an 80/20 lifestyle. Give back to yourself and to others, and be thankful for the health God has given you! By doing this you will feel amazing going into the new year! The flu ain’t got nothin on ya! I am here to help guide you on this journey. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about Arbonne’s nutrition programs, please feel free to contact me via my contact page 🙂

Happy Holidays and Happy Healthy Living! 🙂

BWell,

Ashley