mommyhood helps the medicine go down...didn't cha know?

so since everyone i know  [total exaggeration] is sick right now, i figured i'd post a little bit about my 98% success rate for avoiding getting sick or getting better quickly. lol no really...it works. 98% of the time.

in the last {almost} 24 years of living [gosh, i'm getting old], i've been fortunate enough to have a WICKED immune system. people could be hacking up phlegm, sneezing all over me, and dying of a zombie apocalypse and i'd still be good. [98% of the time..lol] and while my mom breastfed me for a little bit, i don't think that had anything to do with it. i can tell you right now that the times i do get sick [that 2%, remember??], it's because i'm not following one of my fundamental rules.

keep in mind: this is what works for me and friends of mine. i am not a doctor. i am not a medical professional. i am merely using my own experience. you can take some and you can leave some. but first you should speak to your own health care professional before trying any methods.

To Avoid Getting Sick:
1) Eat. Healthy  Balanced. and Regularly.
notice i crossed out healthy. charlie is a health nut...like it's a battle to get some kind of grease and salt and fat in our food. he looks to food as sustenance. i look to food as an experience. i like my food to taste good.  in our compromise, we eat balanced. we try to include at least three food groups in each of our meals. we know we get enough protein [and anyone who is an omnivore like us...you do too.] so we try to up the veggie/fruit portion and also have a decent amount of whole grains/carbs. and by cards, i mean GOOD carbs. if we miss something that day, we try to make up for it later in the week. just like with children, don't focus on what you've eaten TODAY...think about your food intake over the week.
not only do we eat balanced, but we eat all the time. lol. we have snacks that tide us over between meals. i started this when i was pregnant because i would get violently ill whenever i didn't eat. honestly, i'm eating every 2-3 hours these days. when i don't, i start to lose focus and get super irritable. lol

2) Take some sort of vitamin supplement.
i, personally, HATE taking vitamins. i think they were created by the devil. have you seen those commercials for some drink for kids that "fills in the gaps" in their nutrition? well, that's kind of how vitamins work too. being pregnant, i need quite a bit of nutrients to pass onto baby bella and my diet alone won't provide that. especially since i've been craving lots of random, non-nutritional foods. so i take a prenatal vitamin. in all honesty, i recommend every woman [whether you're pregnant, wanting kids, or not] take a prenatal vitamin. it's got so much good stuff in there for you. the only side effect i've experienced is a bit of constipation and some nausea if i've taken it on an empty stomach. so my suggestion is to either take it at night so you sleep through any sick feelings or take them with some food...and to also up your water intake to help keep your system regular.
side note: i don't like swallowing pills. it creeps me out. plus they taste bad. so i got some prenatal gummies! omgaaah they're so delish. you feel like you're eating candy. so try those!

3)Do some sort of exercise.
currently, i'm crippled and can't work out. thanks SPD! but..i do quite a bit of walking and yoga twice a week in school. it gets the blood flowing. DO IT.

4)Get plenty of rest.
i canNOT stress this enough. sleep is GOOD. it's the time where you body can restore and rejuvenate itself. show of hands- who DOESN'T feel good after a nap? if you raised your hands, you're a liar liar. and look now, your pants are on fire! when you don't give your body a chance to rest, you're not letting it heal and process the days work. the human body and all of it's parts within is a fascinating, resilient thing. it can withstand and endure quite a bit...but not without consequence. most people recommend 8 hours, but with lifestyle changes- sometimes you can't get all of that in. i, personally, aim for at least 6 hours. and resting doesn't necessarily mean sleeping. i get rest by lounging on the couch reading blogs and watching tv. i take my rest very seriously, especially since i have a toddler and a baby on the way. lol

Once You Are Sick, How To Get Better:
1) Apply the aforementioned fundamentals.

2) Really get some rest.
for why, see Rest section above.

3) Along with #2, Leave Everything that Doesn't Matter Alone.
laundry, dishes, housework, emails, homework, etc. LEAVE IT BE. if it can wait, let it. honestly, you're not doing anyone any good by continuing to work while you're feeling crappy. in fact, you're just prolonging your sickness. when i was sick, with what felt like death, i had no idea what it was but i immediately took a plan of action. i stayed home from school [because it was contagious], i took austin to the sitters [because i didn't want to get him sick nor did i want to put more stress on my body], and i laid on the couch with snacks and fluids. by the end of the week, i felt better. some people might not be able to do that, i understand...so you work with what you can. if you can't take your kiddos somewhere else, set them up with toys, tv, books, snacks and whatever else and you lie down. when i'm feeling low energy, i turn on sprout and leave some snacks on the table and let austin go nuts. yes, my house usually ends up into a pigsty[sp?!] but i give my body the chance to rest. yes, my husband probably has to fend for himself in the dinner department, but what did he do before i started cooking? i've told charlie on more than one occasion that if he wants to eat, he has to learn how to cook for himself. and doggone it- he DID! if you can't get out of work, school, or other commitments...find ways to lessen your burden. ask for help. take it slow.

4) REALLY hydrate your self and provide enough sustenance.
it's hard to eat when you don't feel like eating. but you have to. your body needs fuel. and water and food are those fuels. i really can't stress this enough.

5)BUNDLE UP.
i live in the PNW where 9 months out of 12 [and sometimes more] it's crappy weather. who remembers their mothers telling them that if they didn't cover up they'd catch a cold so deep in their butts they'd never get better? anyone? bueller? just me? *looks around* lol. well there is some truth to that. no, just simply going outside with wet hair or without a jacket won't get you sick. illnesses come from viruses or bacteria...not your body temperature. BUT- if your body temp is low, you weaken your defense. and that's no bueno. now when the sickly bugs [aka bad guys] get near you, you don't have a wicked defense to fight for you. and now you're sick. don't you feel dumb. so- bundle up kiddos. and wear a hat!
**this could also be part of how to avoid getting sick...**

welp. that's all folks. i need to drink some water. hope you enjoyed it!!