How to boost your immune system, naturally.

It's that time of year when everyone is getting sick. You can't walk into a room without hearing someone coughing and spluttering.  That's winter for you. Yesterday I spoke about colloidal silver benefits for your immune system but I thought I'd talk more generally today about ways to boost your immune system and hopefully avoid the winter sniffles.

A lot of people ask why winter is the season for colds and flu. Our mom's told us that it was the cold weather and made us bundle up like a little eskimo before leaving the house. But, if you know anything about the body, you know that our body temperature is constant, no matter what the weather. Even if the temperature is below freezing, the body will find a way to maintain its core temperature. That means, theoretically, that's it not the cold that makes us sick. So what could it be?

Well, think about what happens in winter. It's cold, so people close doors and windows and they all stay inside. In summer, if you have a gathering at your house, the doors and windows will be wide open and people will be gathering both inside and outside which means any germs will be spread further apart making it less likely that one will latch onto you. The breeze will be clearing the stale air out of the house which also means less of a concentration of germs. In winter, the air doesn't clear at all because everyone is keeping all the warm air in and all doors and windows are closed. Everyone is in a confined space, breathing the same air over and over and touching all the same things over and over and that is why more people get sick in winter.

It's hard to avoid those germs. In fact, I'd say it's impossible. I think I'd rather deal with the germs than having all the doors open and an icy cold breeze blowing through the house, brrrrrrr! That means our best defense is actually our immune system. It doesn't mean you won't get sick at all, although  I know people who never get sick so it IS possible. You'll probably get a little cold for a few days, but it will be manageable and it won't stick around long enough to make you feel too awful, as long as your immune system is fully locked and loaded.

So, how do you do that? There are actually SO many ways and it doesn't hurt to cover as many bases as possible. You can use food, you can use herbs, you can use tissue salts and homeopathic preparations and there are any number of alternative remedies, all there to build your body up and prepare it for the indoor, winter months.

There is no ONE cure for colds and flu. I've lost count of how many times I've been told, "Take lots of Vitamin C!" Here's the thing folks, once you are sick, you are sick. Vitamin C won't cure you. Taking it as a daily supplement might help boost your immune system BUT, if you are not a healthy person, it probably won't and I'll explain why, in a bit. Did you know that your body only needs about 90mg of vitamin c a day? It can't actually absorb a lot at a time so, you may think you are helping things, but all you are doing is peeing out the excess vitamins that your body can't use, wasting money, and putting undue pressure on your kidneys. You'll end up with an upset stomach and you'll STILL be sick. Needless to say, most vitamin c supplements are synthetic and not actually doing you any good anyway because your body can't assimilate the nutrients. You'd do better to eat citrus fruits.

Did you know that your health depends directly on the health of your digestive  tract? If your body is struggling to digest food properly, you are going to get sick more often. You can eat as healthy as you want, but it may not even make a difference. This is why:

• If your digestive system is not functioning properly, your body loses its ability to transform the food you eat, into something that the body can use for fuel. IBS sufferers really struggle here.
• These days, thanks to a diet full of chemicals and processed food, people don't have as many digestive enzymes as they used to. That means our food is not being digested properly. You can tell if its not being digested properly if you are experiencing gas, bloating, belching, muscle pain, skin disorders, insomnia, constipation, diarrhea, or heartburn. 
• If your digestive system is weak, it will literally "steal" enzymes from your immune system to digest food. That leaves your immune system compromised and raises the toxic load of your body.
• People also have less good bacteria in their colons thanks to taking too many antiobiotics, and eating dead, processed food and this will also lead to poor digestion of food, which will leave your body, literally, starved of nutrients and vulnerable to sickness.

How can you improve your digestive system? By eating the right kind of foods:

• 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 needed to be strong and to 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. Pick n Pay free range chicken is not expensive and your health is worth the extra few rands. You'll spend more on a doctor, 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 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 raw wherever possible:  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. But I DO believe in eating 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: I'm putting this separately because 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.
• 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;) (unless you have IBS and it aggravates you!)

Foods you should avoid to boost your immune system:

• 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.

Once you are nutritionally sound, you can boost your immune system with some of these herbs and spices:

• 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 tomentosa and 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. 

To build up the immune system and fight off infections, here are some you can use:

• 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 yesterday's 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.

This is far from everything. I have really listed the stuff that has worked for us but there is a lot more I'm sure I'll discover over time. Other advice that I can give you is to AVOID antibiotics! These things are shocking for your body. Read this post to find out why and also for some tips on how to fight flu naturally. Antibiotics kill off ALL the bacteria in your colon, whether it's good or bad. You know now, that you need that good bacteria to make your immune system strong. If you are taking antibiotics every time you are sick, you will ALWAYS get sick. That's how it goes. You need to allow your body to heal itself, to make your immune system stronger. The first time you try it, it will probably be hell. I know, I did it. The second time its better. The third time you probably won't even GET sick because your body will be strong enough to fight it off.

Human beings have become so accustomed to taking the fast route for everything. Life is busy and we don't have time to focus on what's actually important so we just take a pill, or we eat a microwave meal, or we just SKIP meals. Then we get REALLY upset when our bodies let us down. Is everything else SO important that our health should be compromised? At the end of your life you won't be thinking that it's ok to be dying because you managed to attend all those business meetings and sign all those contracts, you'll just be thinking, "Why was my life so short?" The answer is simple. You took all the shortcuts to give you more time, and they ended up giving you less time.

Learn to love and respect your body now, while there is still time. Focus on what's important, teach your kids to focus on what's important and do things the natural way.