5 Ways to Prevent Colds and Flu
Dec 26, 2018 | Sarah Tendler BSc.
As we approach winter, more people suffer from colds and flu. Factors that can increase your likelihood of experiencing a cold or a flu are:
Stress: When we stress out, our immune system is suppressed as this is not considered a vital system for initial flight or fight response.
Lack of sleep: When we are lacking good quality sleep, our immune system cells are not being adequately regenerated and can become old and lifeless.
Too many sugary processed foods: Our bodies see processed foods as a type of stressor; they mostly provide no nutrition and only create havoc with our blood sugar and stimulate inflammation which can knock over our infectious immunity.
Lack of nutrients: When we are lacking nutrients that are supportive of a strong immune system, colds are more common.
Immuno-compromised: This can be due to autoimmune disease or chronic infections.
My top 5 ways to prevent colds and flu are:
1 - Get a good nights sleep! This is a hard one for most people. This is one of the main reasons the immune system doesn't function - lack of sleep. A good night's sleep will keep your immune system in tip top shape.
2 - Feed yourself the best quality nutrient dense foods that you can afford. Your body doesn't run on empty - a diet lacking in nutrients won't help the body to defend itself from invaders. Top nutrient dense foods include bone-broth, organic eggs, oily fish, soaked or soured whole grains, green leafy vegetables.
3 - Herbs: Echinacea, St John’s Wort and Elderberry are my go-to’s in liquid form in practice. It’s imperative to make sure they are high quality herbs. These can be taken as liquid, tablets, capsules and/or herbal teas. How to tell if your Echinacea is a good one? It should tingle on your tongue quite a bit. This ensures that the active compounds are in high amounts. These herbs are antiviral specially while also providing antibacterial and anti-parasitic effects. These herbs stimulate your immune system, and act as topical antiseptics. Other herbal teas such as chamomile, liquorice and peppermint soothe the stomach, throat and chest. Often herbal medicine possesses a reflex reaction that soothes one system which in turns soothes another body system. If we are swallowing mucus it can help to provide some digestive support.
4 - Vitamin C - Vitamin C is required for the extra formation of immune cells that are needed during an acute infection. By providing the body with enough vitamin C you can shorten the duration and severity of the infection and if caught early enough can cease the infection from getting a hold on you entirely. Drink at regular intervals throughout the day to gain the best effect. Vitamin C Juice: 2 oranges, 1 large carrot, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 lemon, 1 in (2.5 cm) piece of turmeric, 1 in (2.5 cm) piece of ginger. Directions: Wash all produce. Peel the oranges and lemon and remove the stem and seeds from the pepper. Add all ingredients through the juicer and enjoy!
5 - Honey, Ginger & Lemon Tea: This is my all-time favourite for a sore throat and to support a cough. The honey soothes while also acting as a natural antiseptic particularly if you using raw or Manuka honey, the lemon provides vitamin C and other anti-inflammatory nutrients while the ginger soothes and also acts as an anti-inflammatory and anti-infective. So drink up! Try this Anti-Inflammatory Concoction for an even bigger boost.
