Happy November y’all! Did you survive the ‘candy binge’ that we call Halloween, here in the United States? I hope you woke up today headache-free – LOL. Believe it or not, I did not consume a single piece of candy. Yes, I know, it’s sad, but after all, I am dealing with a chronic health issue, so no sugar for me. Boo.

Do you ever wonder why ‘cold and flu season’ hits right in the middle of Winter? Could it be that it hits when it does because of the major events that precede it? Notice that colds and flus surface just after several holidays where high amounts of sugar and alcohol are consumed. Think about it, in the United States we have Halloween followed by Thanksgiving, followed by festivities in December such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve. December often includes several end-of-year celebrations, work-related parties, or other seasonal gatherings. This could mean tolerating people we may not like, plus consumption of cocktails, cookies, homemade candy and many other unhealthy ‘treats.’ Sure, it can be fun, but that’s not all it is. Tack on the stress that comes with attending and organizing these events, end-of-year deadlines, etc., and the body is like, “WOAH, JUST STOP ALREADY.” So, all I’m saying is that it is possible that the circumstances (in addition to our behavior) can lead to an increase in cold and flu susceptibility. Now that you’ve heard me out – haha, thank you very much – let me share with you something in my healthy ‘bag of tricks.’ You’ll find it in a blog I wrote for Best Holistic Life – the place to go for excellent health and wellness information by a diverse group of experts.

Let’s really get down to business now. We all want to stay healthy, right? Seriously, can you name someone who enjoys being sick? Best Holistic Life recently featured a short piece that I wrote on vegetables. That’s right — you read that correctly — healthy, wonderful vegetables. We do our best dreaming and living (and partying) when we run on clean fuel. I advocate for eating as many dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies as possible all Fall and Winter long. Think of them as medicine…because they are!

Pop quiz!!! Can you name at least two veggies from the cruciferous family? How often do you consume those? What health benefits do they deliver? The answers to these questions and more can be found in my article here: https://www.bestholisticlife.com/dr-kims-4-good-mood-seasonal-veggies/

Oh, and in addition to their wellness blog, Best Holistic Life has a unique podcast – check ‘em out!

Wishing you a thriving and health-focused season,

Dr. Kim