The most effective preventative medicine during cold and flu season is keeping your immune system healthy the natural way. This can be done fairly easily by ingesting certain immune boosting and nutrient-rich foods.
ChicagoHealers.com practitioner Dr. Helen Lee offers the following flu fighting tips:
- Keep your digestive system happy. When the digestive system is healthy, it is able to break down and access nutrients from the foods you eat. It is also better able to get rid of toxicity, and process “bad” bugs such as bacteria and viruses.
- Ginger: The volatile oils in ginger warm the body, helping it to sweat, break a fever, and eliminate toxins. Ginger also stimulates mucous release and can help your lungs and chest decongest. Ginger is a metabolic enhancer, a great digestive aid that helps with nausea, and a body-cleansing herb. Add fresh ginger to your food or tea, or eat it alone. Ginger tea (especially combined with honey) helps to sooth the throat.
- Garlic: Garlic has allicin as an active ingredient, giving it antiviral and antibacterial properties. Garlic cleans your liver, which cleans your blood, since blood cycles through your liver every three minutes, stimulating the white blood cells and in turn boosting the immune system. An onion garlic syrup can help with mucous release.
Honey: Honey acts as a natural antibiotic with antiseptic properties. It contains vitamins such as B-complex, C, D, E, minerals, enzymes, and propolis. The propolis in honey boosts the immune system, disables viruses, and fights infections. Furthermore, pediatric studies have shown that honey is more effective than cough syrup for coughs because it coats the throat better. Locally grown honey is best for seasonal allergies, asthma, and respiratory conditions because you are treating the condition with the irritants common to your area. Take a tablespoon four times per day, straight or in tea.
- Cayenne: Cayenne pepper has a high vitamin C content (making it a natural choice for a cold), as well as vitamins A and B, calcium, and potassium. Cayenne also increases the circulation in the body. You may take it in capsule form, taking two 40,000 heat units (950 mg.), or as a liquid, taking four drops of the 200,000 heat units. Place a few drops in water and gargle with it every 15-30 minutes to make a sore throat disappear.
- “Good” bacteria: Increase “good” bacteria, such as acidophilus and bifidus, which can be found in yogurt or kefir.
- Go green: Eat dark leafy green vegetables like kale, Swiss chard, and spinach that provide vitamins B12, folic acid, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K, which supports a healthy immune system.
- Acid and alkaline: Keep your internal acid/alkaline chemistry balanced by squeezing a half lemon into a cup of hot water to break up congestion, stimulate digestion, and create an alkaline or healing pH chemistry in the body.
For additional information, visit www.ChicagoHealers.com.
