Summer came and went at record speed this year with fall chasing at its heels. Hopefully you were able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine with your friends and family in large quantities. Now that the days are getting shorter and the nights longer we need to be extra diligent with our health regimen to help keep our immune systems performing in tip top shape. How about I twist your arm (pun intended) and advise you to set up some massage therapy sessions.

Yes, massage therapy is much more than just emollient service-as many of you are hopefully well informed on. A plethora of physiological changes happen during a massage session which includes enhancement of your immune system. We all know that massage therapy is relaxing. Well, guess what? Relaxation has been known to have beneficial side effects such as increasing serotonin levels – your brain\’s \”feel happy\” chemicals which switch off your body\’s parasympathetic mode of fight or flight and, as a consequence, calm down your adrenal glands which are ever inclined in elevating your cortisol levels. Several things add to this, such as environmental stress, traffic, demands at work and at home, bills, and dietary factors such as going without food for a long period of time or eating sugars and starches. Pretty much anything that causes your body stress, to tense up, or react in fear, frustration, anger or irritability can cause cortisol levels to explode like a volcano. Your thymus gland is another essential key player in immune system health as it produces killer T-cells. Killer T cells act as soldiers, seeking, attacking and killing any foreign invaders, i.e. harmful bacteria and viruses.

To enhance the thymus gland\’s job of purifying your system, there is a type of massage therapy called lymphatic drainage which causes metabolic wastes such as fats, proteins, viruses, dead cells and bacteria to be flushed from your lymph system and then purged through natural elimination. This is why a certified massage therapist typically recommends you to drink plenty of water after your bodywork session to aid flushing these impurities out of your system more efficiently, preventing you from possibly feeling sick or getting a headache after your appointment. You do not necessarily have to request a Lymphatic Massage to gain these health benefits, as a regular Swedish Massage will accomplish this just as well.

These holistic changes that occur while you receive a massage cause a ripple effect to benefit your immune system and make your body better epuipt for when you are sure to be around coughing, sneezing, sniffling, achy, chills and fevered people this fall and winter seasons. As my chiropractor once told me, \”Germs are always around you. It is the strength of your immune system and how you take care of yourself which determines whether or not you will get sick.\”

Some last words of advice are as follows: get adequate hours of quality, deep sleep every night in complete darkness; do at least one thing you enjoy every day; make produce and other whole foods be the majority of your meals along with drinking good quality purified water; get your vitamin D3 levels checked to see how much you should be safely supplementing with; up your vitamin C intake; stay active through yoga and cardiovascular exercises. There are also herbal formulas and supplements, which are too numerous to include in this article, but I recommend that you speak with a qualified herbalist, holistic health practitioner or naturopath to help guide you in selecting the right fit for your constitutional needs.

If you do find yourself catching a cold, despite your best efforts to stay healthy, do not be hard on yourself. This is your body\’s way of telling you that you need to take a break from life and REST! Rest is the secret ingredient to overcoming colds and flus. You can take all the best herbs, supplements, and fluids, but without rest it will take longer for you to kick the bug. Below is one of my favorite tea recipes to take upon the first signs of a cold.

1 bunch of fresh mint

Peel of 1 organic orange (eat the orange)

3 slices of fresh ginger with the skin

1 chopped green onion, both white and green parts

1 tablespoon of honey

Bring ingredients to a boil in 4 cups of water then turn heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes and let cool down enough to sip comfortably. Cover up with a warm blanket and rest. This tea should make you produce a sweat, which is one of the Traditional Chinese Medicine theories of how to get rid of a pathogen. In conclusion, don\’t starve yourself during a cold. Your body needs more energy than usual to conquer this cellular level war. So eat, drink plenty of fluids and broths, and sleep like a bear! With all this in mind and practice, you will be better prepared to guard yourself against future potential invaders.

Mindy S. is a natural health writer and certified massage therapist in Encinitas, California. She has been a Holistic Health Practitioner since 2004 and enjoys helping clients improve their quality of life.

Mindy S. is a natural health writer and certified massage therapist in Encinitas, California. She has been a Holistic Health Practitioner since 2004 and enjoys helping clients improve their quality of life.

Author Bio: Mindy S. is a natural health writer and certified massage therapist in Encinitas, California. She has been a Holistic Health Practitioner since 2004 and enjoys helping clients improve their quality of life.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: massage therapy, certified massage therapist, immune system, holistic health practitioner