These are the 10 top tips that can help you ward of the winter flus and blues. Featured in the main article.
1. Vitamin C.
Taking Vitamins C tops the list. This nutrient has been shown to be an important to help prevent and manage winter chills and ills. The reason why is because vitamin C is a critical component of the white blood cells of the immune system. Its presence in high levels is important in helping your natural resistance to emerging symptoms. The first item to take at the first sign of a tickle in the throat, ache in the body, feeling out of sorts and when you have had too many late nights. Keep taking for the duration of aching, sniffle, sore throat, stuffy nose and sneezing.
2. Avoid eating refined sugar.
It is so easy to want to grab a sweet boost when feeling low, but refined sugar in cakes and biscuits can lead to a reduction in white blood cell activity, since sugar depletes vitamin C’s entry into white blood cells.
If you feel like something sweet, take a small spoonful of nutbutter, eat a handful of nuts and raisins and have a hot spicy drink.
3. Drink plenty of fluids.
When you are busy and forget to drink enough fluids the body begins to dehydrate and headaches, foggy brain and tiredness develop, so it is important to keep up the fluid intake. When dehydrated, one becomes more susceptible to aches and lower immune system responses. If your body temperature rises, you’ll need plenty of fluids. Fluids help to prevent dehydration of the respiratory lining tract, thus helping to prevent the entry of viruses and mucous build-up, which attracts viruses.
4. Caution with the type of fluids you consume.
All purchased drinks contain sugar, some with sugar substitutes. Concentrated drinks are also high in sugar, even manufactured fruit juices are high in sugar, both have been shown to greatly reduce the activity of white blood cells, upset the normal digestive process and impact on the pancreas and small intestine. Avoid soft drinks in particular, it is best to turn to more nourishing drinks such as herb teas. For children, what is wrong with water? If you crave a sweet drink it means your blood sugar levels have risen, so the answer is a teaspoon of a good apple cider vinegar in water daily to quench the thirst and balance the blood sugar trigger.
Alcohol is another immune system challenger, impacting on the liver so take a vitamin B complex and make sure the drink is organic, or naturally brewed. There are so many chemicals in standard alcoholic and soft drinks.
5. Dairy products.
Dairy products such as cheese, ice cream and sugar loaded yoghurts can promote extra mucous. The catarrh build up is an easy target for viruses, especially when in the nasal and throat passageways. At the first sign of a sniffle or the ah-hem in the throat, avoid dairy foods. What is happening is that your digestive system will be a little acidic and the stomach lining responds with a mucous barrier for protection, lactose foods in articular.
Interesting, lactase foods don’t have such a bad reaction- lactase is naturally fermented foods such as yoghurts, even butter whereas lactose is intolerance of dairy foods like milk, cheese. If you feel acidic, drink green tea and add mineral drinks like green barley, spirulina etc. Even a squeeze of lemon juice in water helps.
6 Drink herbal teas.
Herb teas like echinacea and rosehip help to build-up the immune system whereas olive leaf and astragalus have a long history of managing infections and colds. The active compounds found in these herbs support the actions of the immune system’s white blood cells to target bacteria and other microorganisms. There is such a wide range of herb teas to support the removal of elements that can trigger off illness, teas like dandelion root, ginger, chai and milk thistle if the liver is already impacted. Add a pinch of cayenne to heat the blood. For the lung kumarahou tea with olive leaf combats lung inflammation, even just olive leaf will help. With bugs and flu around, take 5ml of Swedish Bitters in water as a preventative, take more if early signs of a pending cold emerges. An old fashioned remedy to prevent a cold or flu was a shot of whiskey or rum.
7. Garlic.
The antibiotic element and the allicin content make this herb food a must to consume during winter. If you want the best garlic, eat aged garlic as an extract. Garlic is highly nutritious, but eating too much causes bad breath so eat parsley to counteract the ‘fumes ’and you can buy Kyolic garlic that has been sensitised. Either way garlic is known to ward off coughs and colds as a preventative and a strong natural antiibiotic. The fumes kill any bacteria or viruses. Make garlic butter for the family’s sandwiches and garlic oil for salads and cooking.
8. A good time for adding supplements.
As the weather temperature lowers then this is the time to think ahead and boost your immune system. Extra vitamin C, an immune mineral supplement, even a B vitamin complex helps. Vitamin A (Omega-3) oil capsules with extra olive oil and oily fish in your diet helps to ward of ‘dry’ conditions, like a dry throat, dry joints, that can be susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Topping up on vitamin D during winter months is also helpful given the lack of sunshine, good for sleep, nerves, bones and alleviating depression.
9. Healthy eating.
There is no doubt eating simple, fresh food makes a difference to your health and wellbeing. Eating those takeaways on a regular basis upsets the digestive process and lowers ones resistance to bacteria and viruses in the gut. You cannot get passed fresh fruit and vegetables, seeds, sprouts, nuts and whole grains, fish and organic protein foods. If you cannot eat them regularly, you’ll need a multivitamin supplement and a mineral tonic such as barley grass to keep your nutrient level up and a digestive enzyme. Don’t forget to drink plenty fo water as well..
10. Rest.
In this busy world, rest is often a luxury for busy people, but it is critical for a healthy body and mind when feeling unwell. Get to bed early, turn the TV off and rest quietly having taken your cold, flu tonics. Take the time to meditate and sleep wrapped up in wool, even add a hot water bottle. Everyone needs a good nights sleep, even uninterrupted sleep in order to mange ones well-being. If you are experiencing restless sleep make sure there is no technology turned on in the bedroom, even digital clocks, cell phones and electric blankets. Technology interrupts the brain sleep patterns causing restlessness and weird dreams. Poor sleep, the mind worrying sleep can gain help by drinking chamomile tea and a dose of vitamin A Omega-3 oil in the evening before bed. If you tend to wake suddenly then a cup of rosehip tea before bed with no sugary foods the day before as this is a heart rhythm issue requiring vit C, bioflaveniod and mineral tonic. One cannot stress the importance of plenty of rest and sleep upon the impact of your immune system. Sleep, perhaps to dream supports the best immune strength.