Halloween kicks off cold and flu season 🍂

Hello my lovely community,

Halloween is this Saturday.

For a lot of us, it’s also the unofficial start of cold and flu season. Flu activity in the US usually starts to rise in October and often peaks between December and February.¹

It’s also the start of two months of candy bowls, pie, cookie exchanges, and holiday drinks.

I’m not going to tell you to skip the treats. But I do want to share one simple habit I come back to every fall: a big jar of homemade fire cider.

Fire cider is a traditional tonic made by steeping garlic, onion, ginger, hot peppers, and herbs in apple cider vinegar. My version has no added sugar at all, because this time of year most of us are already getting plenty.

Why this matters:

--> In a small study, a large dose of sugar temporarily made some of the body’s first-responder immune cells less effective.²
--> Clinical trials have found that having vinegar with a meal can soften the rise in blood sugar afterward.³
--> It’s an easy, flavorful way to get more garlic, ginger, and turmeric into your day.

It takes 5 to 10 minutes to make and 30 days to infuse. If you make a batch this week, it will be ready just in time for Thanksgiving.

--> Get the full recipe and the research behind it on the blog.

If you’re in treatment or recovering from it, please check with your care team before starting a daily tonic. What’s right for you depends on your cancer type, treatment, and side effects like mouth sores. I cover this in more detail in the post.

Want to keep building your immune toolkit for the season? Check out these other posts:

--> Herbs for immune support
--> Medicinal mushrooms for immunity

And if you’d like a cold and flu season plan built around your body and your treatment, I’d love to help.

--> Book a Discovery Call

Sending lots of love (and a little fire),
Michelle

Citations (full list on the blog):

Cleveland Clinic. When is flu season? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/when-is-flu-season

Sanchez A, Reeser JL, Lau HS, et al. Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr. 1973;26(11):1180-1184. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/26.11.1180

Shishehbor F, Mansoori A, Shirani F. Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2017;127:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2017.01.021

Disclaimer: The information shared on this newsletter is intended for inspirational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Nothing on this newsletter is intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Consult with your healthcare provider before making any dietary, lifestyle, or supplement changes and do not forego or delay seeking medical attention based on the information shared on this newsletter. You acknowledge and agree that the results of any of our services, offerings, or products as described in a testimonial are not typical, are for illustrative purposes only, and cannot be guaranteed or assumed to be achievable by you. Please always consider your personal situation and do your own research.