SHOW BUGS WHO’S BOSS

Eeeeek, the cooler months are fast approaching, and they are carrying a whole lot of bugs and nasties.

You might have already been unlucky enough to have had your first cold or flu for the season.

There are certainly lots of runny noses and viruses walking though my door at the moment.

So I thought a good old-fashioned reminder of some immune prevention and treatment might be in order.

Because many of us forget what to do when it’s us that get sick and we wallow in our sickness and drown ourselves in Panadol and cold and flu tablets when we could be being much more proactive and shortening the life of these lurgies.

Aside from the usual suspects like Echinacea, vitamin C and zinc, there are loads of everyday foods and practices you can incorporate into your life when you’re in the throes of a cold, or better yet, get into some of these habits before they bite!

Run yourself a warm bath, tip in a whole lot of magnesium salts, a few drops of eucalyptus oil and lavender oil. Soak. Rest. Breathe deeply and take yourself off to bed.

Get that juicer out of the cupboard, dust it off and use it.

Get some good veg, lemon and ginger in there and drink up that goodness. Avoid fruit-only juices. Instead, use beetroot BOSS (blood building and detoxifying), lemon, fresh ginger, spinach, green apple, mint, cucumber, carrot and fresh turmeric. Loads of water too.

Simplify your diet. Energy needs to be spent on fighting infection, not on digesting heavy, rich, sugary foods like bread, refined carbs, junk food and processed foods.

Think juices, smoothies (no dairy, it will make you more snotty) clear, brothy soups, stews and make friends with the old slow cooker.

Look after your gut. Probiotics and fermented foods are amazing immune supports, great for prevention and treatment. Remember, if you need antibiotics, always follow up with a good, strong, practitioner-strength probiotic.

Hot mugs of water infused with fresh lemon, manuka honey, freshly grated ginger and turmeric and hop into some herbal teas like yarrow, peppermint and elder. Loose leaf is ideal.

Rest. You know, that thing where you stop running around like a maniac, take a day or two off work (keep your germs to yourself) hydrate and nourish your body? Don’t run, or go to the gym, rest. Sleep and delegate where you can. Only do the necessaries.

Ditch the caffeine. Ditch the comfort food. Take your vitamins and kick those germs in the butt.

Bec Winkler is a qualified naturopath with 10 years experience. She works at the Chiropractic Centre, Jan Juc.