Staying healthy through the season of smoke

To stay healthy while we have an inversion of smoke in town, the best option is simply to leave. Find a place that is smoke-free, and stay away until the smoke clears. For many of us, though, that is not an option.

There are ways to keep your immune system strong, your body healthy, and to combat depression and crankiness. Listed below are ways to keep you, your family, and your environment as healthy as possible, using items you may already have around your home.

To offset the smell of smoke, and help keep your lungs clear, pull out your vaporizer, diffuser, (they are available to purchase locally) or a large pot. Fill the vessel with water, add essential oils and let it steam (Vicks Vaporub works). Essential oils that will help neutralize the smell of smoke and assist your lungs are: peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, wintergreen or melaleuca (tea tree). Specific essential oils for such as On Guard, and Breathe can be purchased from a doTerra representative or Raven and R.C. from a Young Living representative.

With all the ash that has been falling, our home air filters are working overtime. If you have a filter system in your home, you may need to change or check the filters weekly.

Our lymph system is our body's form of filtration. Comprised of 500 to 700 nodes throughout our body, our lymph works hard every moment to keep our organs, cells, blood, and autoimmune system strong. Like the air filter in your car or home, it is important to keep your body's filter system working properly.

Here are ways to help your lymphatic system stay strong:

Dehydration weakens our immune system, imbalances our blood pressure and sugar. Staying hydrated is extremely important. Drink a lot of water and increase your intake of good salt. Mixing sea or Himalayan salt in water with lemon to taste can do this. Basically, this is a home version of Gatorade or PowerAde; the lemon alkalizes your body while the salt assists in hydrating your muscles.

Now, more than ever, we need to keep our mind clear and our bodies energized. Increasing healthy fats and oils (fatty acids Omega 3s and 6s) will help. Add olive, flax seed, or avocado oil to your daily diet.

Your liver and kidneys perform vital functions in filtering toxins from the blood and keeping your blood clean. However, your intestines, lungs, and skin are also involved in eliminating waste products from your blood, so it's important to keep them healthy to help building a stronger, healthier blood.

Some foods to incorporate into your diet that help: Leafy greens such as broccoli, spinach, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, fresh cilantro and parsley can be added to salads. Also beets, asparagus, avocado, carrots, radishes, celery and turnips. Some spices to add are garlic, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne pepper.

Our skin is the body's largest organ. Liken it to our outer filter; it needs to be properly cleaned. Exfoliating your skin will assist. Here are a few ways:

Dry brush your skin. This can be done with a shower brush or a loofah, with swift upward strokes toward your underarms in your upper body, and the inguinal area in your legs (panty line).

Salt scrub your skin. Using fine sea or Himalayan sea salt, (1/2 cup) add three tablespoons of olive oil (you can warm in microwave for 25 seconds). Scrub your entire body with the salt mixture. You will be purifying, exfoliating and hydrating your skin all at the same time. When you shower it off, do not use soap on your skin.

Epsom salt baths, in addition to feeling wonderful and relieving muscle discomfort, will detox your body. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar can also be added to increase the healing benefits.

During these smoky times, staying hydrated, eating healthy, and exfoliating your skin could produce noticeable results in how you feel. Your lymph system and body will thank you.

Francesca Russo, LMT #7995, has been a licensed massage therapist since 2001, focusing her studies on lymphatic drainage and cranial sacral therapy. Francesca works as a massage therapist at Shibui and freelances her lymphatic and cranial sacral work. She can be reached at 541-749-8340.