How to Boost Your Immune System In One Step!

If you are looking for ways to boost your immunity, there is just ONE thing you need to do to get started! 

Reduce your sugar intake!

That's all there is to it. It may not sound like a big feat but it's all you need to do to see an immense positive change in the way your body works.

I'm sure that has got you wondering how just removing a little bit of sugar from your diet can make such a big difference in your health. The reason is that just that little bit of sugar can wreak such havoc with your immune system, and reducing or even completely eliminating excess sugar from your diet may be the only change you need to make to improve your health. That is especially true if you have tried all kinds of immune boosters and supplements and nothing seems to work, you still keep falling sick at the slightest instance. 

If you are still reading this, you would definitely like to know how sugar drastically damages your system and makes it prone to sickness. Here's how:

When you eat something sweet, the sugar is the first to get digested and is instantly absorbed into your system. This sugar is carried on a fast track to all your cells because it is instant fuel. Your body does not need to break it down to access it for fuel, like it needs to break down other nutrients like proteins or complex carbohydrates. 

Your cells are then loaded with sugar and remain so for hours until all this sugar is used up either during regular body functioning or for extra energy. Your blood sugar level rises, giving you a false state of alertness and making you hyperactive. (Sugar that is not used up is converted into fat and stored.)

While your cells are loaded with sugar, your immune system remains suspended because it is weakened by all the sugar-high activity. Sugar competes with vitamin C for space within your cells. Vitamin C is required by the body to fight infections and heal tissues. 

A healthy diet contains not more than 120-130 calories from sugar obtained from natural sources like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and grains. Sugar found in processed foods made from refined flours, or in desserts or other processed foods should be avoided.

A high sugar diet reduces the absorption of vitamin C which is so important to the immune system. So it is the one thing that you need to change to improve your immunity!

How to Avoid Frequent Upper Respiratory Illnesses

Throughout this season, cold dry weather causes excessive dryness of the throat and nasal cavity, and the dry air from your heater saps the humidity within your home. While the popular belief is that lowered temperatures cause frequent upper respiratory illnesses like the common cold and flu, the lowered humidity plays a big part. 

The throat and nasal cavity are lined by mucus membrane, that releases mucous, which keeps them moist. The mucous also contains some antiseptic enzymes and antibodies which either kill micro-organisms upon contact or activate the immune system to act against them, respectively. 

Dry air causes the throat and nasal cavity to dry out, and most of us make matters worse by drinking less water, resulting in dehydration and therefore less production of mucus. All of these literally open the doors to viruses and micro-organisms into your body, and that is the foremost reason for the increase in upper respiratory illnesses in winter.

Keep yourself and your family healthy this season by following these rules:

1.  Stay hydrated by drinking enough water throughout the day. Remind yourself to take a sip here and there. 
2.  Maintain the level of humidity in your home at 25-40% by running a humidifier. 
3.  To keep your nasal cavity moist, use a saline nasal spray when you are outdoors. 
4.  Avoid turning the thermostat up in your home (you also save a lot of energy!). 
5.  We all know this rule, but it can never be repeated enough - always eat a healthy and wholesome diet, stay away from junk food, get enough exercise, and use homeopathy!

Stay warm, and stay healthy!

Monday Health Tip - Garlic & Flax seed Chutney powder

It's time again to talk about staying healthy with nutritious food! As the season changes to cold and we acclimatize our bodies, it is important to include in our diet foods that help us to stay healthy. Garlic has historically been used in medicine as an antimicrobial for preventing infections, treating digestive disorders, and lowering blood pressure. The fact that it is found around the world shows its popularity. Garlic is such a powerful herb that everyone should use it all through the year. In this post, I'm sharing a very nutritious recipe that uses garlic and flax seeds - garlic and flax seed chutney powder.

Chutney powders are a convenient side dish used in South India as an accompaniment for breakfast dishes like dosa and idli. Most chutney powders contain split white urad dal (black gram or matpe bean), coconut, dry tamarind, and dry red chillies, in varying proportions. These ingredients form the base of the chutney powder and the main ingredient may be any kind of dal or seed. Every household has its own traditional recipe for chutney powder. Some recipes use garlic, some don't. Some use additional ingredients like peanuts or curry leaves. 

Chutney powders are a simple way to include extra protein or essential nutrients in the diet. Flax seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially in plant-based diets. I have already written about the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in this post. Now let's look at the recipe!

Ingredients:

Flax seeds, whole - 1/2 cup
Dry coconut, grated - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 1/4 cup
Dry red chillies - 3-4
Garlic, crushed - 15-20 cloves
Dry tamarind - 2 teaspoon
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat a pan and roast the flax seeds lightly, stir frequently and take care that they do not burn. Remove the flax seeds into a dish and then do the same with the sesame seeds, dry red chillies, and dry coconut. Let the coconut turn light brown. After the first 4 ingredients are done, take 1 tsp of oil in the same pan and fry the garlic until it turns light brown. The other ingredients should have cooled enough by now. Take everything in a coffee grinder or a small Indian grinder with salt and pulse a few times to get a coarse mixture. This should not be ground to a fine powder. Once cool, store it in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a month. Chutney powder is typically served with Indian breakfast dishes or with rice. You could also sprinkle this on yogurt or use as a garnish over other side dishes. Mix it with a little yogurt to make a spicy dip. There are lots of ways to enjoy this chutney powder!

Tips:

1. Chutney powders are typically coarse and have some texture. However, they can be ground fine if you prefer. 

2. Adding peanuts will give this powder a different taste. If you like peanuts and would like to experiment with them in this recipe, dry roast the peanuts and grind along with the other ingredients. Do not grind them too fine as
peanuts release oil and can make the dish pasty.

Homeopathic Remedies for Common Cold

Aconite

Common cold affects both adults and children and though it is prevalent all through the year, it is more likely to occur as the seasons change from cold to warm or warm to cold. Common cold is medically diagnosed as upper respiratory tract infection, and symptoms last for seven to ten days. If symptoms last longer than that, it is usually an indication of secondary illness and it is no longer just a cold.

According to homeopathic principles, the real cause of disease is a disturbance in the vital force of the organism (or a disposition to disease) which creates a susceptibility to the virus, resulting in symptoms of disease. This is the reason why not everyone gets a cold at the same time, and also why some people recover faster from illnesses than others. The factors that alter susceptibility could be nutritional, environmental, emotional, genetic etc. 

Some factors that increase susceptibility to cold:

• Cold weather - reduces the body's ability to resist pathogens
• Air planes, enclosed areas like childcare centers
• Smoking
• Pollution
• Long-term use of orthodox medical drugs 
• Corticosteroids
• Stress
• Pre-existing illness

Symptoms of common cold:

• Watery eyes
• Stuffy nose
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Fever
• Chills and sweats
• Fatigue
• Body ache

Homeopathic remedies for common cold:

 

1. Aconite: This remedy is useful when a cold starts suddenly and progresses rapidly, accompanied by fever and chills. Symptoms begin after being out in cold dry air or after a shock. Symptoms are very distressing and the patient is anxious about his health and recovery. 

2. Arsenicum album: Arsenicum is the remedy for colds that start in the middle of the night with chilliness and restlessness. The person who needs Arsenicum feels chilly and likes to cover up for warmth.

3. Belladonna: The person who needs Belladonna has a red face, the cheeks or the head feel hot and the hands and feet are cold. The cold symptoms may be accompanied by a throbbing headache.

4. Bryonia: This is the remedy for colds that are accompanied by a dull headache and constipation.

5. Nux vomica: Anyone who needs Nux vomica feels extremely chilly, with a stuffy nose. Symptoms are worse especially in the evenings and may be associated with nausea or other digestive complaints.

6. Merc sol: This remedy is useful for those lingering colds that don't seem to go away, along with constant runny noses. Symptoms may be associated with a sore throat.


These are just some of the remedies that may be indicated for symptoms of common cold. There are many other remedies like Ferrum phos, Hepar sulph, Kali mur, Kali bich, Gelsimium, Dulcamara, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla, Zincum met etc. which may be indicated based on your symptoms. Your homeopath will be able to suggest the best remedy for you after evaluating your condition.



Image courtesy: jenny downing/Flickr CC