If you have a tendency to catch colds, make sure you eat plenty of foods that help build up resistance.
• Make sure you drink plenty of fluids: – water, herb teas, hot juices with cinnamon and ginger and fruit juices that are rich in vitamin C.
• Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Foods rich in calcium should be on your menu. Eat carrots every day. White turnips, rutabagas, parsnips and the like are also good because of their high calcium content. Include plenty of figs, raisins, Brazil nuts, almonds, pecans and pine kernels in the diet. Taking a natural calcium supplement can also be helpful.
• Meet your body's needs for vitamins A and C with parsley and watercress. Sow cress seeds in flower pots or little boxes and raise them on your windowsill.
• Eat plenty of fresh garlic as it has antibacterial properties or, if you don't want to offend partners or colleagues, take odourless garlic capsules high in allicin.
• Try and keep your diet very light.
Cut out or cut down on these products to alleviate the strain on your immune system and mucous membranes:
• Dairy products
• Junk food
• White sugar
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Artificial colourings and flavourings, and artificial sweeteners
Also, reduce your exposure to smoke and actively seek out non-smoking areas. Avoid applying perfume heavily. Think about your household cleaning products: do you spray your furniture with polish? Do you use air fresheners that are full of chemicals? Nice smelling sprays made from essential oils are now readily available and are far better for your body than highly chemical and artificially scented products.
Salty and bitter foods are most appropriate for winter. According to traditional Chinese medicine, these foods help drain excess moisture and help keep our energy. Such foods also cool the exterior of the body and bring body heat deeper and lower; with a cooler surface, one notices the cold less.
However use salt with care, as an excess can cause coldness, which weakens the kidneys and affects the heart as well. Salty foods include miso, soy sauce, seaweed, millet and barley. Consider Herbamare®, the natural fine sea salt infused with organic herbs and vegetables to enhance the taste of all your meals.
Bitter foods include watercress, lettuce, turnip, celery, alfalfa, rye, oats, quinoa, amaranth and roasted chicory which is found in the delicious drink, Bambu®.
Our white blood cells have the ability to detect and destroy bacteria and viruses before they cause harm, so it is in our best interests to see that they have everything they need to function well.
• Rest – get plenty of sleep
• Laughter – your immune system works best when you are happy!
• Echinacea improves the way the immune system recognises and kills bugs, jumping on them before they have a chance to cause trouble in the body. Taking Echinaforce® every day, has been shown to improve the immune response to any potential threat, making it less likely that you'll fall prey to any kind of infection. If you are one of the unfortunate people who can bank on getting at least four colds every winter, start taking it in October and be amazed as you sail through until March with scarcely a sniffle.
As the chilly nights draw in, comforting bowls of hot, nourishing soup and stew are exactly what our bodies need. They are excellent for those wanting to avoid extra calories and are quick and simple to make. The benefits of winter soups and stews, bulging with nutritious vegetables and herbs, eclipse the heavily processed and modified food that spends months or years on the production line and shop shelf.
Try these:
• Carrot and lentil soup
• Potato and bean stew