I used to get sick all of the time.

A common cold would quick turn into an infection in my lungs.

I’d go from sniffles to bronchitis in what seemed like a matter of minutes.

Once that deep cough took hold, it was there to stay, sometimes for months on end.

I’d soldier on. Stuff myself full of symptom-masking “medication” and antibiotics.

“It seems like every time you come home to visit you are sick,” my mother bemoaned as I crashed face down on the sofa and stayed there for the duration of my visit.

“Don’t martyr yourself,” said my colleagues at the provincial health authority where I worked (the irony isn’t lost on me now).

But people depended on me – I told myself. I had to go to work. I couldn’t slow down enough to take the time to heal. And the way I lived my life did little to prevent getting sick.

In fact, it was quite the contrary.

“I think you have a problem with your immune system,” said my roommate at the time.

I was so in denial that I actually started believe that I did have some kind of rare un-identifiable immune disease.

Though I didn’t want to admit it, the problem I had with my immune system was 100% self-inflicted.

My problem was my lifestyle, the extent to which I pushed myself to the extreme, was always running on empty, never giving my body what it needed to stay strong.

I grew up eating homegrown, wholesome food – yet I had forgotten what it meant to nourish my body.

I was addicted to over-achieving and under-sleeping.

“How did you accomplish so much at such a young age?” people would ask.

I don’t sleep! I would respond, only half joking.

I was perpetually running on empty, fueled only by adrenaline, caffeine and the odd aderroll.

Being sick didn’t change my drinking habits, it just changed what I drank.

I’ll have another hot toddy please, heavy on the whisky.

This lasted through my teens, twenties and into my thirties.

One two skip a few years and as I sit here writing this, I’m getting over a cold and I feel great.

What was an ass-kicker of a bug that circulated and took out family members and close friends with symptoms like fever, deep cough, achy body and congestion for weeks at a time left me relatively unscathed.

Day one sore throat and head cold, day two mucus factory and day three coughing it all out.

Boom.

Over.

Me? I’m smiling.

Do I still wish I had become superwoman, with the ability to resist all infection?

Yes of course, that would be great.

Second to that – this scenario is pretty damn great.

What am I doing differently now, you might ask?

Now when I get sick, instead of pushing through, I stop everything. Call in reinforcements (aka ask for help). Free up all my energy for healing.

I’ve also set my life up to focus on preventing illness or disease and staying healthy, rather than as an invitation for sickness.

I eat whole foods; a plant-based diet that is high in nutrients versus calories.

I supplement with superfoods, powerful nutritional gems full of vitamins, mineral and properties that help boost immunity.

I am religious about my daily water and lemon followed by an alkaline-boosting, anti-inflammatory green juice or smoothie. (I’m talking every. single. day.)

I sleep! This reformed adrenaline junkie / psuedo insomniac who used to boast about how little sleep she needed to function now relishes in siestas and at least 7 hours a night.

I have conscientiously removed the drama factor from my life – favouring calm over chaos.

I have a soothing spiritual practice that helps ground me and nourish my soul.

I’ve kept this up with a newborn baby.

It has allowed me to ward off infection, shorten the lifespan of viruses and lesson the symptoms, and heal from surgery in record time.

I’m not saying I’m perfect.

I’m also not strict.

I eat dairy ice cream sometimes.

Occasionally I crave these green salsa flavoured corn chips and I buy them.

I don’t meditate every day.

What I can say is that my life is set up for health. The choices I make daily invite health rather than sickness into my life, and when I do get sick, my body has all the necessary tools to fight it right quick. I practice preventative medicine with what I choose to put in my body and how I choose to spend my time.

How do you set yourself up for health?

What choices can you be making NOW for a healthier you in the future?

This is what my “preventative medicine” cabinet looks like:

Staple items include: green power blend (wheatgrass, moringa leaf, alfalfa, chlorella, spirulina) mushroom blend (reishi, cordyceps, chaga, corriolus, shiitake, maitake), acai and super berry blend (gogi, wild blueberry, acerola cherry, schichandra berry), raw cacao, maca, organic green and mate teas, organic mothers health tea, liver detox tea and more.