10 Tips to stay healthy through the colder months

Ready to finish the last days of the year strong?

These are our top 10 simple things you can do to strengthen your body’s immune system so that you can stay healthy and well during the winter season! 

1. Eliminate white and raw sugar.  Use lower glycemic options such as stevia, coconut sugar, and Lakanto. This will keep your mood, blood sugar, and hormones more balanced. There are new products coming out regularly that are using these types of sweeteners such as Lily's chocolates, Hu chocolates, and more. 
2. Eliminate gluten. Taking this one huge step will reduce inflammation and fatigue. Did you know that gluten (whether you are allergic or not) can flatten the villi in your intestines, gum up the digestive process, and lead to depression, brain fog, and slower response time? Switch out regular flour for almond flour or gluten-free oat flour in your holiday baking.
   • Here's a quick recipe for a white flour substitute:
   • 2 cups almond flour or oat flour
   • 1 cup tapioca starch
   • 1/4 cup coconut flour
     1. Sift together and store until ready to use. 
3. Add more greens into your daily routine. Aim to have something green every day. This will add nutrients to your diet and raise your alkalinity. When your body is more alkaline, you feel happier and your cells function more optimally.  You can make 16 oz. of celery juice with a splash of lemon every day as I do, or if you don't have the bandwidth to make your own juice, add a scoop of green powder to a glass of water every morning.  Vitamineral Greens is one of our favorite superfoods. Start with just a teaspoon a day and work up to a tablespoon. See what you notice about your mood, your energy levels, and the strength of your fingernails! 
4. Try intermittent fasting. Go for 12 hours or longer without having anything but water. Surprisingly, extending your "fasting" window to just 12-14 hours daily can significantly strengthen your immune system. Stop eating at 7 pm and you can eat again by 7 or 9 am. Super easy! If you want to be really bold, try fasting on just water, tea/coffee, and celery juice for 24 hours to reverse the aging process and boost muscle recovery. 
5. Eliminate canola oil and vegetable oils by substituting them for coconut oil, avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil. Most vegetable oils cause inflammation because of their high heat processing and overload of omega 6's. Coconut and olive oil (along with cutting out gluten and sugar) can help reduce inflammation and clear your brain fog.
6. Try new recipes this healthy, easy-to-make soup recipe packed with nutritious veggies. Add a protein of your choice if desired. We have a lot of delicious gluten and sugar-free recipes or online classes to make the transition easier. 
7. Stock up on healthy ingredients and snacks. 
   1. Mountain Rose Herbs: Our go-to for bulk organic herbs and spices. Try some new spice blends and get creative in the kitchen!
   2. Thrive Market: An online health food store with discounted prices (and way cheaper than whole foods!) Shop by category such as gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, keto, and low-carb, to discover all the best organic snacks and ingredients. Use our link above to get $25 off your first order.
   3. Quicksilver Scientific: FInding high-quality supplements to support your health and immune system can be confusing. That's why we love Quicksilver Scientific for all of our supplement needs - to keep our immune systems healthy and body optimized. Try the Liposomal Vitamin C or the Liposomal D3 to keep healthy this winter.
   4. One last (and favorite) trick I use anytime time I feel a tingle in my throat or think I have been around a sick person is oregano oil. Take one capsule 3x a day until you feel clean and clear again. The side benefit is that it also helps eliminate yeast, fungus, and candida and will boost your energy levels after just one cap. My favorite method is to use essential oil and put 3 drops in a veggie capsule  3x a day (do not take without a cap as it will burn your mouth and throat). Do this for only a couple of days to a  week at a time and always take probiotics to replenish your bacteria afterward. 
8. Join a support group or hire a coach to keep you accountable. Support and motivation from someone you trust can be a great way to stay on track, especially if you need healthy eating or recipe motivation. If you don't know where to start to find healthy friends, join our free Facebook support group or even our upcoming 30-Day Whole-Food Detox Program this January 2022 to not only get healthy but stay healthy, long term!
9. Meditate. Can you believe that mindest and low stress are just as important as proper nutrition when it comes to staying healthy? Studies have linked high stress levels to making a person more susceptible to catching colds and flu. Minimize your stress by working reasonable hours at your job. Aim for at least one night per week to spend with friends and family. If your stress is out of hand and you feel like you need some help, Join our Monday Morning Meditations with Elaina! This is a free live meditation that you can join in every week and start your Monday in a healthy mindset. We love the saying "We are what we eat and we absorb what we think." That's why one of Pure Joy's Pillars to Health is about mindset! 
10. Move! Movement is key to staying healthy in winter. As easy as it is to stay inside and curl up around the fire, your body will thank you with some Vitamin D and lymph movement! Turn winter festivities into a workout! Like ice skating, which is a great calorie burner. It’s fun for the whole family, too. For those days that you can't get outside due to extreme weather, try getting a rebounder so you can get some exercise inside and move toxins from your lymph. Or try a yoga class like this one on youtube and do some living room yoga.

Do smart swaps on comfort foods — There's nothing like a savory, rich soup on a cold winter day. Instead of making a calorie-rich cream or dairy-based soup, consider opting for a veggie soup filled with fiber-rich vegetables like spinach. Or switch out your heavy holiday foods for some lightened up versions

Need more healthy recipe ideas for the Holidays?

We have many holiday-inspired classes available including our Vegan Cultured Cheese Making Class! This is a 2+ hour class that goes in-depth into how to culture nuts and seeds to make decadent vegan cheeses.

We teach you:

• Cultured Kefir
• Basic Cultured Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese (cultured and non-cultured crumbly topping)
• Zesty Feta 
• Cream Cheese Spread (this has so many uses!)
• Crumbley Blue Cheese 
• Smoked, Aged Gouda
• Cheddar Cheese
• Aged Truffle Cheese Rounds
• Garlic Herbed
• Sundried Tomato Cheese
• BONUS: Sweet Strawberry and Chocolate Cream Cheese

You can be the vegan cheese culturing master you've always wanted to be - you just need the right techniques to make your ferments unforgettable!

I'm already starting to make my coconut kefir to prepare my aged cheeses for Thanksgiving and Christmas! I even have a Truffle Cheese that's been aging for over two months, since we taught this class. It's the perfect hardness and tanginess that really embodies the essence of dairy cheese.

See full class details here: https://www.purejoyplanet.com/cultured-cheese-making-class

Or maybe you fancy some decadent holiday dessert recipes?

Our latest Pumpkin and Chocolate Dessert Class is perfect for the holidays and features 10+ pumpkin and chocolate-inspired cakes, cheesecake, pies, truffles, and much more!

Online learning doesn't mean you go at it alone.