Whether you’ve armed yourself with the flu shot or settled for copious amounts of hand sanitizer, you’re probably still going to get a cold living in Vancouver.
Unless you listen to us.
‘Cause with year-end projects wrapping up and party season just around the corner, there’s no such thing as slowing down. Being proactive is key, which means you should start taking extra care of yourself right now. Luckily, we’re here with a few ways to make sure you never catch ‘what’s going around’…
1. Sweat It Out
Doing aerobic exercises gets your blood moving, makes you breathe faster, and thus jumpstarts your body to start sweating. This naturally increases white blood cells and antibodies, aka natural virus killing cells. If the recent downpour has been keeping you from your seawall running routine and you’re looking for a mind-clearing work out, check out Semperviva Yoga studios. To really turn up the heat and sweat out a few toxins, drop-in to Jazz Braden’s Vinyasa Flow class. Expect a great playlist and to learn a few inversions along the way.
2. Drink Your Vegetables
Before you go calling us the Fun Police, copious amounts of drinking can subdue your immune system making it harder for your lymphatic system to drain, and thus making you more prone to infections. Instead, head over to The Juice Truck’s new outpost – a Cafe and community space – to pick up a few wellness shots that won’t leave you with a hangover the next day. If you don’t have the time to make a trip to their store front, The Juice Truck also delivers cleanses to straight to your door, so there’s really no excuse.
3. Stay Sexy
Sex can also be considered an aerobic exercise, but if you can do both, why not? It increases levels of oxytocin, serotonin, and ups your endorphins that have been found to fuel immune system cells. If you want to be really well versed, swing by The Art of Loving. They organize seminars and workshops a couple times a week to really teach you the art of, well, gettin’ it on.
4. You Are What You Eat
Certain foods contain immune-boosting properties. Generally, your best bet is to stick to whole foods to naturally nourish yourself with proper anti-viral vitamins. For example, yams are an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C whereas oysters (which also happen to be a notorious aphrodisiac) are high in zinc. For arguably the best oysters in town grab a table at the Glowbal Group’s Coast on Alberni St. where you’ll have no problem getting a perfect boost from of both b12 and zinc.
5. A Soothing Approach
Going the holistic route is up for debate, however, echinacea has been touted as a preventative alternative to common drugs. Whether the herb actually reduces symptoms or prevents colds is not entirely clear, but we’re up for doing what works…even if it is just a placebo effect. Saje Natural Wellness has an Immune Booster Kit stocked with echinacea throat spray, an ‘immune’ roll-on oil, and a fortifying bath salt soak, so even if you do get sick, at least you’ll be relaxed.
6. Time To Make Soup
As young professionals (YPs) on the go, we don’t always have patience to food prep or even the time necessary to sit down and have an actual meal. Luckily, The Stock Market located in Granville Island has the best chicken noodle soup in town. It’s the perfect meal on a cold rainy day and they also have frozen pouches for when you’re really in a pinch. Adding soup to your diet is an easy way to nourish your body with the nutrients it needs to combat viruses. Did we also mention that chicken stock is a natural antibiotic?
7. The Latest Thing
If you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous and you’re not afraid of needles, The IV Wellness Boutique offers a slew of various IV cocktails. The Cold Buster drip is packed with zinc, vitamin C, and selenium to ensure your immune system has more than a fighting chance. Fast and effective, this method is quickly becoming a favorite for the YP pack.
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