A Cold for Christmas!? Clearly I'm on the naughty list again.

On the 10th day of Christmas somebody gave to me, one common cold, with a very sore throat and a debilitating headache. (Sing it!)

Ahh, it has been a long time since I have felt this awful or been sick at all. So long that I can’t even remember when it would have been. The worst of it is my head! It hurts so bad that I can’t sleep, but I can’t keep my eyes open either. I avoid speaking and laughing in an attempt to reduce the likeliness of a coughing episode. I’m on day 3 now and possibly, just maybe, starting to feel a little bit better. I am praying to all the antioxidants in my smoothie that the worst of it is over.

Now, I said I haven’t been sick in a long time, and that is true, however there have been multiple times that I’ve felt the beginning symptoms of an illness coming on, only to wake up A-Okay the next day, thanking my wicked awesome immune system for kicking it’s ass on my behalf! So why has it failed me now? Super virus? I doubt it. Before I decide whether my immune system and I need a time out, you know, friends off, I’m looking back, to see which part of this I might be responsible for. As if my immune system and I are two entities. Girl, there’s no I in team! Well actually there is.. Have you seen it?? There it is!!

So why now, just days before Christmas have I become susceptible to this virus? The truth is, I’m looking back on the past few weeks and there are a number of contributing factors to my weakened immune system such as, sugar, stress and an influx of people.

Whether mental, physical or psychological, the bodies stress response can cause the release of cortisol, which is an immunosuppressant. It works like this, if a Demogorgon (just crushed both seasons of Stranger things) was chasing me, I would need every ounce of energy my body can muster to run or to use my special mind powers to explode the beast into dust, because right now it doesn't matter if I get the sniffles! So the excess cortisol shuts down every system in my body that is not required for survival in this moment and sends a surge of energy to my legs so I can run! However, since there is no Demogorgon and I do not have special mind powers, this stress response doesn’t do anything but weaken my immune system! Lets be clear about stress, the magnitude of an individuals stress response is not necessarily dependant on the situation or circumstances in which one experiences it, but rather by their ability to manage it. This can vary in extremes from one person to the next. Some people can endure traumatic events and keep calm while others manage to have extreme panic attacks in the midst of their spa day. Hello Christina. Hello Brain.

So these past few weeks I have been stressed out and not managing it well at all. I have been experiencing consistent anxiety, which manifests as impatience, interrupted sleep (or my sleep is interrupted by other factors causing the later) inability to focus and anger for example. My stress and anxiety, with the exception of spa day, generally strike when I am consistently pressed for time and when that time is filled with a To Do list of other peoples priorities leaving me little time for myself or my own projects and interests (cue all parents to chime in here). In the past few weeks we have been managing one soccer career, one basketball career, high school issues, homeschooling my daughter, Christmas shopping and executing Christmas get-togethers, while trying to work and study and clean the house!

(Super off topic but I always have this reoccurring dream in the middle of summer every year without fail, where I suddenly realize it’s Christmas Eve in the middle of the night or worse, its Christmas morning and I’ve done NOTHING! I’ve ruined Christmas. It's terrifying.)

Back to it.

Having this long to do list, supporting everyone around me, leaves me no time to

• Run my business the way I would like to.

• Study my courses specializing in – get this – Immunology! The irony.

• Learn about my new business venture in clean skin products and safer beauty ahem check out the link to my Beautycounter.

• Read a book for fun and relaxation.

• Or you know, relax AT ALL.

• Journal! Which would do wonders for stress management by the way.

• Meditation, the ultimate gift to your wellbeing.

Honestly I could go on and on. The point is, I am experiencing stress and not managing it well and when I am stressed out and pressed for time what do I eat? GINGERBREAD BABIES! Yes I said babies and they are OMG delicious, and mini, so I eat 4-5 at a time! And what is in these amazing delicious gingey babies??? (Is it just me or did you read gingey babies with a British accent too?) You got it sister/mister – SUGAR. But hey, at least they were Vegan and Gluten free. Bah.

So, let’s talk about sugar. Sugar has numerous incredibly bad affects on your body and is highly addictive, but for this purpose lets link it to the immune system. When you eat sugar, it slows the reaction of your attacker cells, stunting your immune system for HOURS, leaving you with your defences down. Let’s be honest, those gingey babies are not the only culprits here. There is all that cookie dough I taste tested while baking Christmas cookies. There was that awesome Trini Rum Punch I made with 2 CUPS of sugar and double that in rum. There was apple pie and turtles and it isn’t even Christmas yet! This is not normal eating for me. When I have sugar, especially in excess, I immediately get a headache and feel sick. In a normal day, I add a tsp. of raw honey into my coffee in the morning, and otherwise the only sugar I eat comes in the form of fruit and other complex carbohydrates, so this has been a real shock to my system. I probably had enough to stunt my immune system for days, and if there happened to be a nasty virus kicking around, it had every opportunity to waltz right past all my defences and make itself right at home. And here I am, days before Santa’s big appearance, and I don’t feel the least bit festive because my head hurts so bad I can’t feel anything else at all. Bah humbug.

There is another reason why it’s “flu season” or “common cold season” in my case, other than the fact that it’s cold out, it’s a stressful time of year and we eat too much sugar. We are out shopping, lunching, gathering, sharing and touching more than normal. The chances of being in the proximity of an airborne virus are heightened and our defences are lowered.

So now what? First of all, I’m going to slow down and rest, I’m going to say no to what I don’t absolutely have to do and enjoy a charcoal mask while I binge on Netflix and Naps instead. I’m going to go to bed at 6pm when my body tells me that’s what it needs and I’m going to fill my body with the nutrients it needs to defend my health and to decrease the length and severity of this cold the best it can.

Here are a few of my go to immune supports.

• Soak in a hot bath with one full cup of Epsom salts and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. This helps to draw out toxins while you soak in the Magnesium. This helps improve energy and blood sugar control and reduce the toxins your system is already combating.

• Drink a smoothie loaded with Antioxidants and fibre, like dark berries, apples, and beet juice. Recipe is on my Instagram.

• Eat your greens! As many as you can. If need be, Juice them! Greens help to alkalize the body making it harder for sick cells to survive.

• Avoid Caffeinated Tea and Coffee (the struggle is real)

• Drink lots of PURE water. It’s important to filter out the added chemicals as they are additional toxins that weaken our system.

• Drink lemon in hot water

• Get some fresh air and sunlight

• Take your get well supplements:

• Vitamins A, C, E and Selenium

• Vitamin D

• Oregano Oil

• Probiotics

Make sure to get plenty of rest and make time for yourself. Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful. It should be a time of rest and relaxation; enjoying time with those you love, cozied up by the fire, and if you do indulge, enjoy every moment!! And then get back on track.

Wishing you all Good health and a very Merry Christmas.

Love,

Christina Quan Chan