Unwelcome Holiday Guests: Stress and Contagious Illness
It’s that time of year again: the cold and flu season. Holidays with family and friends are just around the corner as well — many times involving travel in close quarters with crowds. It’s difficult to believe we are already racing towards Thanksgiving here in the United States!
This is why my family takes extra precautions during the autumn and winter months to avoid picking up a bug that can dampen the celebrations spent with loved ones. I am also careful to manage stress levels during the busyness of the season. Here’s my secret for staying healthy and happy throughout the holidays and beyond.
A Dose of Instant Calm
If you are anything like me, I have multiple balls in the air on any given day. Add to this the holiday season and it can easily become overwhelming. When I feel myself approaching my limit, I reach for lion’s mane and reishi medicinal mushrooms, along with ashwagandha and lemon balm — all of which can be found in our convenient Anxiety & Stress Blend. It’s a dose of instant calm and energy support!
Ashwagandha is adaptogenic so it helps you to navigate stress in a healthy way, while also quieting the nervous system. It also soothes anxiety and depression. What’s more, ashwagandha improves cognitive function including attention, processing speed, and memory — an important consideration as stress can often cloud thinking.
Next is lemon balm. This herb is famous for its ability to calm the body and mind and relieve anxiety. It also helps to alleviate insomnia and improves sleep quality, which can be disrupted during times of stress. Moreover, it is an excellent herb to take during the cold and flu season as it is antiviral too.
Fatigue often accompanies the holidays, as well as the cold and flu season. Medicinal mushrooms to the rescue! Lion’s mane and reishi help to improve energy; boost cognitive function; lessen anxiety, depression, and insomnia; strengthen immunity; alleviate adrenal fatigue; and offset the negative impacts of stress, such as hormonal imbalance and high cortisol.
This blend is my go-to formulation when I need an extra level of support to keep me calm, cool, and collected — whether it’s during the rush of the holidays, traveling, or a particularly busy season in life. It keeps me balanced and clear while protecting against the damaging effects of stress. If you find yourself overwhelmed or would like to avoid becoming so in the first place, I highly recommend this tincture!
BEST THING TO CALM ME DOWN!!
“I love this tincture! I take it in the morning and it keeps me calm and happy all day long. Thank you Nicole for an amazing product!” -Anaivette T.
Defeating Colds, Influenza, & Severe Respiratory Illness
Now we come to side-stepping contagious illness. As someone with an autoimmune disorder, I need to be particularly careful about becoming sick because it can cause an MS flare and set me back for weeks. But I also need to steer clear of immune-boosting herbs that are overstimulating for me, such as echinacea, goldenseal, chaga mushroom, and astragalus. It’s a fine balance of supporting the immune system, but not causing it to go haywire.
Instead, I turn to herbs that modulate the immune system with antiviral and antibacterial properties. Our Eastern Blend was developed specifically for this reason. It is formulated with Chinese skullcap, Japanese honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed, and cordyceps mushroom.
Chinese skullcap has been shown to exhibit strong antiviral activity for severe respiratory syndrome, the common cold, and influenza. It is also anti-inflammatory, calms anxiety, and relieves insomnia. Japanese honeysuckle modulates the immune system, increases disease-destroying killer (NK) cells, and demonstrates formidable antiviral and antibacterial activity.
Another antiviral powerhouse, Japanese knotweed contains high concentrations of trans-resveratrol that inhibits viral replication. Additionally, it is antibacterial and antifungal. Cordyceps helps to restrict viral entry and viral replication into host cells. This medicinal mushroom also combats fatigue, chronic inflammation, and improves brain function.
MY GO-TO FOR PREVENTING/TREATING “YOU KNOW WHAT”
“Best anti-viral I have found for today’s times. My entire family has been using this. Those of us who use it preventatively haven’t gotten sick (!) and those who got sick got well SOON. We all pair it with Nicole’s Bronchial Blend. I also take her Mushroom fourtress daily – for health, autoimmune issues and as another anti-viral. This is a hidden gem and we even got this for all of our employees to keep them healthy. Thank you!” -Tracy
In addition to the Eastern Blend, my family also uses our Travel Pack throughout the cold and flu season, when in crowds, or while traveling to keep us healthy and avoid illness. In fact, I never leave home without these three herbal remedies. Here’s why.
Dual-extracted Elderberry Tincture is an outstanding ally for families who would like to stay healthy this season because it can safely be used by children; addresses colds, influenza, and severe respiratory syndrome; and shortens the length of viral illness. Importantly, it does not overstimulate the immune system or create a ‘cytokine storm’, so it is safe to use by those with an autoimmune condition or ill with severe respiratory syndrome.
An excellent antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal our Usnea Tincture Spray is considered an herbal antibiotic that can be sprayed in the back of the throat to ward off and treat illness — including colds and influenza, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections, strep throat, Epstein-Barr, and more.
As an added layer of protection, my family applies a small amount of our All-Purpose (First-Aid) Salve to the inside of the nose to prevent contagious illness. It contains powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antimicrobial herbs that help to keep us healthy!
COLD AND FLU-FREE! KEEPS US HEALTHY!
“My wife and I own a bookstore with the town post office in the store, And we are the post masters, so I deal with people coming and going all day long 6 days a week. When all this C0VID stuff started I started using Nicole’s Elderberry Tincture-Usnea Tincture Spray and the First Aid Salve. I have not had a cold sore throat or anything. I stand behind Nicole’s herbal remedies 100%.” -Matt M.
The Takeaway
Again, herbal remedies are an outstanding ally for you and your family this holiday season if you would like to avoid contagious illnesses that can put a damper on the festivities. If you will be traveling, in crowds, or gathering together with friends and family, our Eastern Blend and Travel Pack are a must-have! I always travel with these.
To keep your cool and navigate the rush of the holidays and travel without becoming overwhelmed, there is no better remedy than our Anxiety & Stress Blend. It helps to calm and support the nervous system so that you can fully enjoy the season and time with family. If you feel as though you need more calm and less stress in your life, this is the blend for you!
Don’t wait until illness strikes or stress overwhelms you this holiday season — visit my apothecary today to learn more about how these remedies can help!
Nicole Apelian
Nicole’s Apothecary Products in this Post
Anxiety & Stress Tincture
Eastern Blend Defense Tincture
Travel Pack
