FLU SEASON – OCTOBER 2004

Foods & Spices to prevent colds & flu as well as helping you get over it if you’re already sick.

Coughs & Colds – Get Vaccinated if at all possible, especially if you’re in a high risk group. Most of us can’t avoid other people, especially in enclosed spaces so using aromatherapy antiviral & antiseptic essential oil blends can kill those bugs right out of the air.

You can also use air systems that clean the air with filters that trap viruses, just like those the hospital uses. I bought a system from Tri-Star & it literally cleans the air.

Prevention is the best possible way since the flu is passed on from person to person. The virus can’t live outside a warm, moist human on its own.

Wash your hands and don’t touch your face until you do. This will prevent germs from entering through the nasal passages, eyes or mouth.

Eating chili peppers will sure clear up those sinuses! Yeah, it’s clear up your nose due to colds, “emphysema, hay fever, asthma & chronic bronchitis.” According to UCLA Prof. of Medicine, Irwin Ziment. His quick decongestant for chronic breathing problems is to eat three spicy meals a week & drink or gargle a glass of water with 10-20 drops of Tabasco sauce in it. That’ll sure do it Doc.

Antioxidants are natural Vitamin E with all 8 components, tocopherols & tocotrienols. If taken with the right multivitamin this will boost the immune system & help prevent cancer.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., cold prevention means boosting your immune system with a multivitamin & antioxidant as well as astragalus, mushroom extract, elderberry extract to lessen flu symptoms & speed up recovery. Eating raw garlic, at least 2 cloves everyday will certainly prevent anyone from kissing you, so you won’t catch a cold. Getting plenty of rest also speeds up healing & boosts the immune system. Depriving your body of sleep will make you more prone to disease.

Get a plant. Plants cut down on the chemical toxins in the atmosphere & “counteract allergies, asthma, headaches & fatigue. Plants also humidify the rooms they are in so both your lungs & skin benefit.

Yoga also improves the immune system, clears the mind and improves breathing. It’s great for asthma when one learns how to breathe properly & there’s no side effects except that you feel better.

Eat foods that boost your immune system especially if you are susceptible to the flu. Foods rich in zinc are cereals, wholegrain breads, and red meat. Crab & oysters also contain high amounts of zinc – in fact one oyster (fresh) would be your recommended daily allowance.

Visit www.weilfoundation.org 

Aromatherapy – scent a room with antiseptic & antiviral essentials oils. There are plenty of blends that will do that at your aromatherapy store. If not then get a five-ml bottle. Blend 3 parts ravensare, one part naiouli or eucalyptus, one part lemon, one part rosewood, and one part lavender. Add about 50 drops on a diffuser at at time. John Steele, Aromatic Consultant, L.A., C.A.

At the first sign of the flu, switch to a bland diet, like soft-cooked rice which is cooked longer with more water making it soft & moist. Season with a pinch of cumin, ginger powder & turmeric. Ginger & cumin heat up your body, so you sweat out the toxins, & turmeric has antibiotic and antiseptic qualities. – Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc. Director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also suggests a decongestant he calls sitopaladi powder (available at Indian grocers & through mail orders) and sudarshan (available from Ayurvedic practitioners) with ½ tsp. honey. Take a tsp. every few hours & “You’ll be amazed how quickly your symptoms disappear.”

Drink lots of fluids to flush your body and replace the water you lose through sweating or vomiting. Drink apple juice, preferably freshly made and vegetable juices as well as soups. Juices should be fresh as well as the soups. Dark grape juices are beneficial for fighting the flu because it’s rich in tannins, known to kill viruses. Don’t blend the juices but you can dilute them. Drinking at room temperature is best since it doesn’t stress your body. The Chinese say that drinking cold water weakens the body. I think it has to do with the temperature being cold making the body work harder to heat it up. Pear, cranberry & pomegranate juices are also excellent.

Herbs like Echinacea has antiviral & immune boosting properties.

Doing reflexology on your hands, feet & ears will greatly reduce the symptoms, release chemicals from the brain that will help heal faster and prevent coughing by working the lung reflexes, heart, diaphragm, intestines, lymphatic, pituitary & adrenal glands.