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Avoiding the Common Cold, Flu or
Stomach Virus Winter is here! In all her glory. And with it she brings the usual bouts of colds, flu and sinus problems. Every years billions of cold products are sold over the counter to treat the various symptoms of the common cold or flu and the pharmaceutical industry makes a gazillion dollars off these items annually. Over the counter remedies are not without their problems. Many of these drugs are being pulled from our superstore and drugstore shelves by the dozens for the damages they cause and their potential abuse. The actual content of the medications that have been in use for as long as I can remember are being removed from many of the over the counter remedies, rendering them 'useless'. It has been recently reported in Japan, that one of the leading cold cures, and not one of those that treats only the symptoms but one that actually cures or kills the germs and virus of the cold and flu, has been linked to several deaths. This particular medicine has only recently been released in the United States. The Japanese authorities have from my understanding begun an investigation into the cure and have pulled it from the shelves there. Many cold remedies on the American markets now must be signed for at the pharmacy counter or you can only buy so many bottles at one time so that the government can track who is purchasing what, and where and can control the 'medicine' sales to prevent the creation of illegal drug from the contents. Most cold symptom relievers come with warnings. Do not take if you have high blood pressure, thyroid problems, diabetes, for more than 10 days, are taking blood thinner, anti coagulants, and a host of other things. The labels warn you of the dangers of driving or operating machinery while taking these 'medicines'. Knowing all this, the true treatment of a cold or flu becomes obvious. The first course in treating a Cold is PREVENTION! Proper diet and nutrition is the foundation of all good health and the key to achieving and maintaining good health. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. Food contains all kinds of nutrients and is a vital component in the balance of health and harmony inside the body. It is best to avoid over the counter vitamin supplements and to focus on a properly planned and balanced diet to provide your vitamin and mineral requirements. In the event you are not able to provide for your daily nutritional requirements, vitamin supplements are available over the counter, but a normally healthy person eating a proper balanced diet, USUALLY does not require the use of the supplements without a legitimate medical reason. When planning the winter diet, look to 'comfort foods' and foods rich in spices and vitamins A, B, & C on a regular basis. The role of Vitamin A in preventing a cold or flu Vitamin A is a vital in maintaining the body's tissues including the to the mucous membranes throughout the entire respiratory system during a cold or flu. This includes the nasal passages and the lungs as well as the intestines. In it's natural form, Vitamin A can be found in liver, carrots, broccoli leaves, sweet potatoes, kale, butter (not margarine), spinach, most leafy green veggies, pumpkins, melons, eggs, tropical fruits such as papaya and mango, carrots, peas, beets, and squash Vitamin A deficiency is known to cause a weakening of the immune system resulting in a decreased ability to fight off colds. Vitamin B2 Vitamin B2, also called riboflavin is important in the maintenance of the skin and mucous membranes. Riboflavin is found in whole-grain products, milk, meat, eggs, cheese and peas. A deficiency of riboflavin can cause skin disorders, anemia, light-sensitive eyes, and inflammation of the soft tissue lining around the mouth and nose. Vitamin B3 Vitamin B3, also called niacin, is needed for the metabolism of food, the maintenance of the gastrointestinal tract. Niacin is found in protein-rich foods. The most common protein rich foods are: meats, fish, brewer's yeast, milk, eggs, legumes, potatoes and peanuts. Vitamin C The studies linking the use of Vitamin C or mega loading the Vitamin C at the time of a cold is to inconsistent for me to 'swear by it as a cure or treatment of the common cold. The true benefit of Vitamin C lies in maintaining a consistent balanced intake. If you are experiencing frequent colds you should examine your diet for a deficiency in Vitamin C. Since the body can not produce vitamin C you must 'feed your body" accordingly. Most people associate oranges with Vitamin C but the list of C rich foods is much more extensive. Excellent natural ounces of vitamin C include broccoli, bell peppers, kale, cauliflower, strawberries, lemons, mustard or turnip greens, collards, brussels sprouts, chard, cabbage, spinach, snow peas, cantaloupe, tomatoes, celery, peppermint and parsley. Avoid sweets Neutrophils are a special type of white blood cell that engulf and destroy cold viruses and other foreign invaders. Neutrophils become lethargic when you eat sweets. So, it is a good idea to stay away from sweets when you have cold as well as as a preventive strategy during the cold season. In one study, researchers had volunteers consume 100 grams of sugar, the equivalent of two cans of soda. Then they took blood samples from the volunteers. They found that neutrophil activity in the volunteers had plummeted by 50 percent after consuming the sugar. Five hours later, neutrophil activity still remained substantially below normal. Anything that contains any form of sugar-including sucrose, fructose, and corn syrup -- can impair neutrophil activity: The worst offenders are candy and sweets, which are almost pure sugar and have virtually no nutritional value. Wash Your Hands! Clean Clean Clean The most obvious and overlooked method of prevention of the spread of any kind of virus or bacteria is cleanliness. Wash your hands.... they pickup and carry a million different germs and bacteria and you give them so little thought. The touch everything that someone else has already touched. Door knobs, telephones, mail, paper, money all things that have passed through countless of other hands that have been countless of other places. As children this was instilled into past generations and has become lost on the current ones, but it is by far the most effective method of curbing the most contagious diseases. May lessons learned in the past should be applied to this generation and have been lost in 'modernization'. A few of those include cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
In the event that you already have a cold or have managed to catch yourself one of those wonderful viruses that the world seems to share, check here for more information on surviving the virus naturally.
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