Easy immune boosting self-care rituals

In a fantasy world, every day would be dedicated to self-care; a hydrating face mask, followed by a herbal tea enjoyed in a lavender essential oil bath, and transcendental meditation session before donning a satin eye mask and hopping into your plush bed.

Unfortunately life gets in the way, and self-care tends to be the first thing to fall by the wayside. As we’re well into winter, we’re all about keeping our immune systems thriving to reduce sick days, so you have more time to do the things you love.

Here are our easy to implement self-care strategies, which even someone with the busiest of schedules could squeeze in.

Sip on some immuniTEA

Nothing beats a cup of tea on a winter’s day, and with the right ingredients, it can help boost your immunity! Yarrow, elderflower, and peppermint have been used in traditional herbal medicine for years to support the immune system, promote healthy respiratory function, and reduce the duration and intensity of colds and flus!

Simply combine equal parts of dried yarrow, elderflower, and peppermint, and add hot water. We recommend 1 teaspoon of each in a teapot with 500mL boiling water. Leave to steep for 5 minutes before drinking.

Scrape your tongue

Weird suggestion, we know. However, tongue scraping has been performed for centuries as a traditional Ayurvedic practice. We brush our teeth twice a day, and the diligent oral hygienists may even whip out the mouthwash, but what about our tongues?

If you’ve ever noticed a thin film or coating on your tongue (it can range from clear to yellow, white, or even green), it may be indicative of a build up of ‘ama’ or toxins in your body, which can negatively affect the digestive and immune systems. Tongue scraping removes this ama and eliminates that Cady-from-Mean-Girls style morning breath!

Also, the buildup of ama (toxins) weakens the immune system over time. The tongue is the first line of defence, and simply eliminating ama from your tongue actually boosts your immune system; the removal of these toxins prevents them from being reabsorbed into the body, allowing your immune system to function at its best.

To tongue scrape, use a silver or copper tongue scraper (you’ll find this at the health food store). Stick your tongue out as far as you can, reach your tongue scraper to the back of your tongue, apply gentle pressure and scrape forward. Rinse your tongue scraper off after each scrape to avoid depositing the bacteria back onto your tongue.

Supercharge your shower

Sure, nothing beats a long hot bath with flower petals, but sometimes we just don’t have the time! Why not spruce up your shower instead and support your immune and respiratory system at the same time? Sprinkling three to four drops of eucalyptus oil onto your shower floor during a hot shower creates a DIY herbal inhalant. Eucalyptus oil has antibacterial properties, so breathing in the shower steam opens up your nasal passages and relieves any congestion or stuffiness.

Sip on warm water with lemon

Lemons are full of nutrients, including immune system favourite; vitamin C, which helps prevent and fight off colds. Lemons also have antiviral and antibacterial properties, which makes warm lemon water a perfect way to start your day (after a tongue scrape of course!).

As pure lemon juice can wear down the enamel on your teeth, it’s important to dilute it with water (and better yet, drink with a paper or reusable straw). We recommend warm water over cold as it helps extract the beneficial vitamin C and polyphenols from the lemon. Simply squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a glass of warm water and drink 15-20 minutes before breakfast.

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