Sick and tired of being sick and tired

Goodness.  I feel like the last week + has been filled with nothing but medications and taking it easy.  I am honestly, "Sick and tired of being sick and tired." It seems like it was all I could do to work, pick up Eleanor, get dinner together, get her to bed and then get myself in bed right after.  Pollen is bad, asthma is bad, antibiotics have caused side effects- it has been one long bad day.  On Saturday (with my doctors permission) I stopped taking my antibiotic that was causing me more side effects then actual good and it got me thinking, "What daily things could I be doing to take better care of myself to prevent this long course of bronchitis, sinus infections, and stomach aches?" I looked through a couple of my natural health books, researched a few things on the web and had a brief conversation with my doctor and came up with this list.

1. Drink more water.  (You should take your body weight divide it in half and drink that in ounces.)

2. ProBiotics are your friend.  A few months ago I started researching the Paleo diet and decided to eliminate dairy.  I have always been a huge fan of yogurt especially Greek yogurt and made sure to eat at least one container of yogurt a day.  Stopping that practice cold turkey had the opposite of a health benefit to me- it has made my stomach a mess.  So while I am still going to reduce my dairy, I am welcoming my old friend Greek yogurt back.  You need a ProBiotic to help regulate your digestion and replenish the beneficial bacteria.

3. Gargle with salt water.  Horrible topic to discuss on the blog I know, but this is the only thing that relived my sore throat. If you gargle daily when you are first feeling symptoms it can reduce and/or stop them before they start.  (One cup of warm water + 1tsp of salt and gargle until the cup is empty.)

4. Sinus rinse best cure for sinus congestion.  Again horrible topic to discuss, but get a neti-pot or sinus rinse.  The doctor suggested this as a tool to keep you free from the bacteria that can cause a sinus infection.  I will be sure to use this a few times a week to keep things clear and purchased NeilMed on my doctors recommendation.

5. Mint tea before bed (lemon honey optional.) Drinking any caffeine free hot tea helps wind you down and prepare you for bed. I prefer mint tea because it helps to aid in stomach digestion. A little extra help for the stomach while I am sleeping isn't a bad thing.

6. Sleep. Did you know that you can not catch up on sleep?  Ugh.  That is what I thought I was doing by sleeping in on the weekends!  Adults should get between 6-8 hours of sleep a night. I know that I can function on about 6 a night, but I would love to start getting around 7 a night.  I think this is key to staying healthy.  

Ok, that's it these are my first thoughts on how I can get healthy and kick this crap out of my system.  What are your natural get healthy tips? Any that I missed?

//Disclaimer- I am not a health professional these are just things that worked for me and I wanted to share.