Happy Holidays from The McCullough Familty

Happy Holidays?

Are you looking forward to the holidays or are you already so miserable that the thought of doing more sends you into a panic? For people with chronic illnesses this is one of the most painful times of the year. What I call “The Season of Pain” tends to start around Halloween and end sometime before St. Patrick’s Day. That is a big chunk of your year to feel bad! Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, and other illnesses seem to have exacerbated symptoms this time of year. There are several reasons for this, but I think it is not a coincidence that the exacerbation coincides with these Triggers:

• Less sunlight – SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
• Greater consumption of sugar (that’s why it starts with Halloween!)
• Disruptions in routines/travel
• Being around more people – toxic family relationships
• Stress
• Weird foods (or just weird-to-you)
• Cold and flu season
• Colder weather

What to do to help?

            Some people think that The Season of Pain is inevitable, but I know that one can have vibrant health all year long. Here are some strategies to keep you healthy during this trying time:

1. Stress is an attitude. Cut down activities to only the necessary ones and deeply enjoy those.
2. Take a detox bath (soak in a hot bath of 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup of sea salt).
3. Drink extra Raise the Dead Chicken Broth
4. Cut out sugar and fake foods. (If you must have something sweet, see my recipe in this newsletter for Cold Whipped Hot Chocolate.)
5. Take extra of the following supplements:
   1. For depression and cold-fighting (Vitamins A, D and K₂): fermented cod liver oil/high vitamin butter oil capsules
   2. Therapeutic grade probiotic such as FermPlus Pro
   3. If you feel a cold starting, to support the immune system take an extract of the Agarigus Blazei mushroom
6. Investigate homeopathics for yourself. These are remedies you take at the first sign of symptoms and they do not interact with any medications. The following are my go-to remedies for myself and my family this time of year:
   1. If you feel a cold coming on – Cold Calm
   2. If you feel the flu coming on – Oscillococcinum
   3. If you feel nervous or anxious – Calms
7. Meridian tapping for dealing with toxic people and situations (described in detail in my book Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery)

Be sure to tune in to our free monthly Hope Army Webinar on Monday, Dec. 22^th at 7 pm EST. My guest, Victoria Smith, Holistic Therapist, will be discussing more strategies to deal with the Season of Pain so that this year you can look forward to holidays!