The thing with viruses is that they aren't terribly selective. They will go wherever they think they can thrive. In every case, that will be a nice warm body. Being healthy doesn't exclude you from the selection process sadly. However, the good news is that, if you DO have a nice healthy body, it will create a very uncomfortable atmosphere for any virus and, in all likelihood, said virus will be ousted in just a few days.
I can vouch for this. I had a SHOCKINGLY unhealthy body for many years. It wasn't for lack of trying to be healthy. But I had IBS and, since the health of your colon is directly related to the strength of your immune system, my immune system was non-existent. The fact that I didn't know any better and kept going to the doctor every time I felt sick didn't help. Being a singer means that I simply can't afford to lose my voice. It's my livelihood. When I woke up feeling like I was swallowing razorblades, I didn't even pass begin or collect R200, I went straight to the doctor and got a script for antibiotics.
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| Whaaaat??!?! |
Yes, there was a time when I didn't know any better;) Thank goodness I eventually learnt. Unfortunately, years of taking antibiotics took their toll on my immune system while simultaneously aggravating my IBS. I had no immune system at all and my body couldn't hold onto ANY nutrients I had in food or swallowed in supplements. When I think of the ten or more vitamin tablets I used to swallow on a daily basis I cringe at the waste of money but what can you do? Life is a learning, growing process;)
These days I have pretty much beaten my IBS. It only flares up briefly if I'm feeling pretty stressed or if I indulge in some kind of food I know I shouldn't have. That doesn't happen often at all because I'm pretty strict with myself. Believe me, it pays off in so many ways that it's worth it. It's taken me a couple of years to "teach" my immune system how to fight again. I started eating the foods I needed and I stopped taking antibiotics and other over-the-counter medications. I went through some pretty horrific bouts of flu in the process, at one point developing bronchial pneumonia. I still refused to take antibiotics or any conventional meds. I wanted my body to learn how to fight on its own.
I know it might sound crazy to most people. Why put yourself through that kind of pain and trauma? Honestly, I did it to get to the point that I'm at now. These days, when I get a bug attempting to dig its claw into me, my body goes, "Howziiiiit?!" and boots it right back out! I feel a bit out of sorts for 3 days max and then I'm good to go. No recurring infection and no memory of ever being sick. It's great!
I remember, back in the days, I was such a regular at dischem that the pharmacists all knew me. There was one in particular who kept saying to me, "Why do you keep getting medication? Just get some echinacea and try sleep it off. It works for me." Firstly, I thought it was quite odd a pharmacist telling me this but secondly, I couldn't comprehend how I would do that. I always felt so awful that the thought of not being able to rid myself of this bug as soon as possible was incomprehensible to me. I also needed my voice back as soon as possible. I was so ignorant about how my body worked and about the effects that conventional medication was having on me that I simply couldn't get my head around what he was saying. Guess I'm a slow learner because it took me a good few years to figure it out but I eventually did;)
If I can, anyone can!
So, if you were to TRY this, where would you start? Well, I'll give you some ideas that worked for me.
- Diet: Eating healthy doesn't mean living on salads. That's a terrible misconception. You are not eating healthy to lose weight so it's not about cutting calories. You are eating healthy to keep your body healthy and allow it to fight for itself when it needs to. Your body is amazing. It will always try and make a plan. The problem is, if you deprive it of what it needs most, it will compensate by taking it from somewhere else (because it IS that clever) but that means something else will eventually go wrong. Avoid that by giving it all the necessary tools to fight with. Here are some of them:
- Eat ONLY organic and free range food: If you follow the link you'll have a better understanding of what processed, chemical-laden food is actually doing to your body. I promise it's not doing anything good. Everything you eat supplies the building blocks for your cells. If you supply your body with junk, it will respond by building you from junk. Cells built out of junk are going to be so busy just trying to survive that fighting off a virus won't even enter the equation and you WILL get sick, badly, and often. Give your cells the juice they need to be strong and function correctly, and they will respond by keeping you fit and healthy. That's a guarantee. Read this post to see which veggies are cleaner than others if you can't afford to stick to organic but TRY eat organic, they contain far more nutrients. DON'T compromise with meat, ever. Your health is worth the extra few rands. You'll spend more on a doctor and meds, I assure you.
- Bone broth: If you read the post I have linked to there, you'll know what bone broth is, and how to make it AND why it's so good for you. Just to recap though, bone broth is extremely nutritious. It improves digestion, allergies, immune health and brain health to name a few.
Fermented foods: Follow the link to learn more about fermented foods and why they are so good for you. The most important thing about fermented foods is that they put all the good bacteria back into your colon, and THAT guarantees you good digestive health. Yogurt is a really good fermented food, and so easy to make. Don't buy the processed rubbish you find at a grocery store. Read the link and make your own. It's so easy, and SO good for you. - Eat something raw with every meal: I'm not a raw foodist. I'm a real foodist. That means I believe the body needs a combination of raw AND cooked foods. You need to eat something raw with every meal. I'm not just talking raw fruit and vegetables, although a morning smoothie full of them will supply most of your daily requirements vitamin and mineral-wise. I also mean raw, full cream dairy. Pasteurised, fat-free dairy is essentially DEAD food and really not good for you at all. Raw milk is full of all the good enzymes your digestive system needs. Don't deprive it of them.
- Liver: This is a superfood of note. Follow the link to find out all the details. Liver is just so full of goodness it is hard to beat when it comes to vitamins and minerals. Of course, it needs to be free range and Woolies sells it.
- Curries: I posted a curry recipe on one of my real food friday feasts and listed all the benefits of the spices in curries so follow the link and prepare to be amazed at how good they all are for you.
- Garlic: I can't stress how good garlic is for the immune system. It's so easy to get in your body every day by cooking with it so there is no excuse to NOT eat it;) I have IBS so I can't eat it in excess but I make sure to cook with a small amount every day and it's manageable.
- The foods you should avoid at all costs are:
- Sugar: If there is one food that switches off your immune system completely, it's sugar. It's like you've literally flicked the switch to "off" and given the bugs free reign over your body. If you're sick, especially avoid it, but even if you're not, just avoid it or you WILL get sick.
- Wheat and gluten: Do yourself a favour, just DON'T eat them. Seriously, they are so bad for everyone, not just those with a wheat intolerance. They are bad for everyone. I'd avoid grains altogether while you are sick. You will heal faster. Stick to protein, healthy saturated fats and veggies and some fruit.
- Soy: Touted as a health food, you'd be hard pressed to find something MORE poisonous to your system. It is highly processed, GMO and it will completely compromise your immune system. Stay faaaaaar far away.
- Processed foods: This includes pretty much anything in a packet bought in the middle aisles of a grocery store, unless it says organic. If it's made in a lab, it's going to be bad for your immune system, period.
- Any food that isn't organic or free range.
- Some herbs and spices to boost your immune system in preparation for winter. You can also read this post for a thorough breakdown of all the spices that will help you heal and build you up:
- Echinacea: Well known for boosting the immune system and preventing colds and flu or, at least, shortening them.
- Elderflower: As with echinacea, it boost the immune system and has anti-viral properties
- Ginger: This is a wonder root that is FULL of goodness. It has proven to be superior to antiobiotics in fighting bacterial infections, it's great for the digestive system and it's an anti-inflammatory, to name few benefits. Follow the link to find out more about the powerful healing properties of ginger. Drink it as a tea or put a chunk of ginger root in your smoothies.
- Turmeric: If you can find turmeric root, add it to your smoothies to build up your immune system and fight off colds and flu. Otherwise add half a teaspoon to a mug of raw milk to fight infections. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant and will help your digestive system as well.
- Cat's claw: This herb is an immune regulator which means it will boost the immune system when necessary, and dampen it when necessary. At times, an over-enthusiastic immune system can be a problem. For example, during an allergic reaction. Make sure the cat's claw you use is from uncaria tomentosaand not uncaria guianensis. It will say on the box.
- Tissue salts are something we rely on a lot in our house. They are fantastic for so many things. They restore health from the inside out by helping your body to make better use of the nutrients available from the food you eat. One of the major benefits of tissue salts is that they are very safe and can be used by anyone, including pregnant women, babies and the elderly. Here are some suggestions:
- Calc Phos (Blood and bone tonic): It assists with the digestion and absorption of food and it has excellent restorative powers which speed up recovery and build up those who are prone to illness.
- Ferrum Phos (Anti-inflammatory): If you are already sick, this is a great one to use to fight the infection. It works for any illness ending in "itis". Like tonsilitis and bronchitis. It reduces swelling, inflammation and pain.
- Kali Mur (Mucous decongestant): It's used to relieve coughs and colds, tonsilitis and sinusitis. It's good for ear infections as well.
- Nat Phos (Acidity and rheumatism): This reduces acid in your body and also helps your digestive system. (Check out Natura's website if you need tissue salts for anything else.)
- There are a few alternative remedies you can use as well:
- Colloidal Silver: Read this post for all the info on that one.
- Septogard: This is a natural antibiotic and it's pretty amazing when fighting all manner of infections. You can also take it to build up your immune system when winter starts.
- Olive leaf extract: This is a powerful antioxidant which is also capable of stopping viruses and bacteria in their tracks and can be taken while you are sick, or during winter to build up your immune system.
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