Cold and Flu protection

Tue. Jan 24, 2012

(NaturalHealth365) The flu shot may not protect you, and winter is upon us. When it comes to cold and flu symptoms you are on your own. In an endless quest for a cold and flu cure the obvious seems to be overlooked. Prevention comes from a good immune system, which enhances your body’s natural defenses. When it comes to reducing symptoms again there are powerful natural solutions.

Protection

Protection means not coming down with a fever, sweating, sore throat, congestion, sniffles, cough and muscle aches. To avoid colds and the flu is easier, simpler and more effective.

The best way to start is to be on a highly nutritious diet, with plenty of plant food. Some studies prove that you can significantly reduce your chances of getting colds and the flu with good nutrition.

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, an internal medicine specialist and author, has plenty to say about this topic. He says avoid high sugar foods; they will decrease your immunity. Three direct quotes from Dr. Teitelbaum say it all.

“The sugar in a can of soda suppresses immune function by 30 percent for three hours.”

“Avoid excess milk products if you are stuffy. Milk protein thickens mucous and makes it harder to drain.”

“Water, on the other hand, will help keep mucus thin and easier to clear.”

Karen Gibson RD, a dietitian at the University of Texas Medical School in Huston believes foods can offer assistance in preventing a cold by offering a way to maintain a healthy immune system. She states: “Think of foods as more of an insurance policy, as a preemptive strike against winter’s cold viruses.”

The consensus is building up your immune system with healthy food is as close as you’ll come to finding a way to prevent and fight colds. Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, a dietitian and author says, “to help keep the sniffles and sneezes away shop for nutrient-rich foods and beverage.” She recommends foods high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, potassium, zinc, and magnesium.

Simple Truth

Your level of health and resistance to disease are a product of lifestyle.
The environment your cells live in have a huge impact on your ability to prevent and ward off both the common cold and flu. By consuming nutritious food instead of junk food you build healthy cells.

You need energy to ward off a cold or flu and you can only get that by supplying your body with energy producing foods.

Herbs

Echinacea protects you and has shown to significantly decrease infections in double-bind placebo-controlled studies. When infected it has proven to be a safe and effective way to relieve symptoms. Echinacea has demonstrated a reduction in the seven symptoms of colds and influenza compared to placebo groups.

The jury is out on how if any one stand alone herb can stop or slow the duration of the common cold or flu. However, when a combination of products such as Echinacea, propolis and vitamin C are used there are demonstrations of preventive benefits. A placebo-controlled group of 430 children aged 1 to 5 years were given either this combination or placebo for 3 months during the winter. The results showed a statistically significance reduction in frequency of respiratory infections in the group taking the herbal vitamin combination.

Botanicals

Garlic, habanera, onion, ginger, horseradish, Acerola Cherry, and elderberry are just a few botanicals that have shown some results. These may be able to spare you of weeks of suffering if you catch a cold or flu.

No one wants to spend weeks flat on their back with a sore throat, chills, runny nose, coughing congestion, muscle aches, and sneezing. There is no better way to spare you of this than by taking care to blast every cell in your body with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which are found in nature’s high-octane super nutritional foods.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.