I know it’s late in the game to write an article about flu prevention and treatment. But as this winter lingers on, it seems that few people are better off than they started at the beginning of the season. So I thought it was in order to put together an article about keeping cold and flu away. Every conventional health site gets cold and flu treatment wrong. They recommend things like drugs and shots, which most people will agree don’t work in the long run.
Many of my husband’s coworkers take conventional drugs such as these and end up dragging out their illness for weeks and weeks before they feel even moderately normal again. In fact, my mother-in-law was almost killed by the flu shot a few years ago. The doctors had all but given up on her when her diarrhea went into a third week and she became extremely dehydrated. You’ll see part of the treatment I gave her that helped her start feeling better right away.
On the other hand, many holistic practitioners also get cold and flu treatment wrong. They turn to foods that weaken the body during the winter and in their anti-drug mindset think that handful of herbs will sure everything. However, people following these recommendations also end up holding on to illness just as long as those on conventional treatments. This winter I have seen a slew of recommendations around the Internet that have failed many of my friends and acquaintances over the years including this year. If you are trying to keep colds and flu at bay, then you must consider the following common sense advice that nearly no one else is talking about.
1. Bundle up! You would be surprised at how many people I see walking around in nothing but a sweatshirt throughout the winter. When the temperatures get down into the freezing temperatures, your body has to work harder and harder to maintain homeostasis. Your arms and legs can go a little bit longer without needing a lot of coverage, but your head and torso need to be insulated to protect your organs inside. Going outside without proper attire makes your immune system work harder than it needs to. Add that to the number of sweets, desserts, processed not foods and other depleting things that people eat throughout the day and you have a recipe for disaster.
2. Jewish penicillin! Chicken soup has been long regarded as the primary food that anyone who is sick or convalescing should eat. It has bone building minerals and helps your body hold onto water — Again, to maintain homeostasis! Don’t give up on this traditional remedy. If it was good enough for your grandmother or great-grandmother, then it’s good enough for you. I don’t get sick anymore (And my children have never had a cold or flu) but when I did use to get sick back before I was a nutritionist, I would immediately make myself a pot of chicken soup with special added ingredients. This, plus number 3, would knock out a cold or flu in as little as one hour!
3. Get some sleep! Sleep is the time when your body restores itself. If you take a nap after drinking the chicken soup prescribed and number two, you will feel like a million bucks when you wake up. If you make a point to get enough sleep every night, chances are you will not get sick in the first place.
4. Eat with the season not against it! Because so many have touted the benefits of eating raw vegetables and salads, people think that they should eat like this year round. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we want to eat locally, sustainably and with the seasons, then we should be eating those foods that store well during this season as well. These foods naturally help to keep our immune system booty even in the dead of winter. Sauerkraut, winter squashes, potatoes, and root vegetables are all fair game during the winter. They help keep our bodies warm and, you guessed, help maintain homeostasis.
5. Minimize your sugar and oil intake or don’t eat it at all! Many people don’t realize that eating sugar and all other low-quality carbohydrates such as cakes, juices and some breads is actually depleting on the immune system.Your body must give up important minerals from its stores in order for your body to excrete the excess sugar from these items. While the set in the chicken soup actually wards off illness, common vegetable oils such as canola and soybean oil have pretty much the same effect as sugar on your body. So these should also be avoided.
6. Coconut oil! Extra virgin coconut oil is a great antibacterial antifungal and anti-viral. This is a must, especially if you eat more sweets and low-quality carbohydrates then you know you should. Take 1 tablespoon before every meal and cook with it as well to get the best effect. Start slow with a small amount because many people who consume too many carbohydrates will find that the coconut will kill a lot of yeast in the gut and may lead to an unpleasant die off reaction.
7. Get some vitamin C! I almost wasn’t going to include this one here because it seems so obvious to so many. However, I thought I would put it down here anyway for good measure. Just remember that vitamin C does not replace all of the other steps mentioned above. It is merely an adjunct that you can use on top of the other things. Quite often I see people downing vitamin C as if it’s going off the market the following day, only to end up disappointed and sick. As long as you are eating adequate in season fruits and vegetables, there should be no need to supplement, But it doesn’t hurt to have some on hand in case you feel something coming on. If you take “too much”, your body just excretes the rest.
If regular old chicken soup doesn’t work for you, then you may want to check out my personal recipe which has never failed me or anyone else who has used it. It’s in my latest book, 50 Ways to Eat Cock. This book is bulging with lip-smacking rooster (and hen) recipes that are also nutritious. Several of the recipes are specifically used for medicinal purposes.
