What not to do when sick: Part I
Every year we see a barrage of colds, flu's and other respiratory tract infections. No one likes to be sick, and as a result we reach for anything - anything that will bring comfort. More times than not, what we reach for is precisely the wrong thing! Instead of helping with recovery, it may prolong the illness.
A typical upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) lasts about 1-2 weeks. Rarely are we willing to wait that long. We want to be over the misery immediately. So we reach for antibiotics to "kill" the infection (we'll discuss that further in a moment), anti-histamines to reduce congestion, expectorants to break up the mucus, aspirin or Tylenol for the aches and pains, cough suppressants, and something else to help us sleep. Wow! It's actually much easier to prevent them in the first place. But we'll leave that for the last.
The best approach to recovery is prompt treatment at the first signs. The longer you wait to treat any infectious disease, the longer it will take to resolve it. Start before you get to the miserable stage! That includes all the elements we will be covering.
Since nearly all URTI's are caused by a virus, anti-bacterial drugs (antibiotics) are worthless. If you want to take something, you need an anti-viral. This is mostly available in an herbal form. Echinacea, garlic, astragalus and Cat's Claw are amongst the most used for a cold. Dosages vary depending on many variables, so we cannot discuss that here. A competent health care professional can help.
Next, don't eat. When sick, we naturally have a reduced appetite. That is for a good reason. If you eat, digestion becomes a priority over immune function, and eating, especially heavy foods could be counter-productive. The worst foods are the ones most commonly dispensed when ill - soda pop, popsicles, ice cream, gelatin desserts, pudding, etc. Sugary foods suppress immune function - precisely at the time you need it the most - when you're sick! Eating sugar when sick can actually prolong your illness!
Another food that undermines healing is hard to digest foods such as meats and pasteurized dairy products. High carbohydrate foods such as pastas, cereals, grains and breads convert to sugar, and they tend to load the body down. Again, the body's energy gets redirected. Junk food goes without saying.
It is important to keep your electrolytes up and nutrients in your system to support immune function. So how do we do this without eating? Chicken soup. Yes, you heard right. Good old-fashioned chicken soup. Not from a can, from a real chicken! I recommend people make a chicken soup broth the next time they roast a whole chicken, then cool it and put it in a Ziplock baggie and freeze it. Then when they're sick, they need only warm it, salt it to taste, then consume. It contains the protein, minerals (electrolytes, plus), fats to carry the minerals into the tissues, and immune components from the marrow that support healing. It is the perfect food when sick!
Part II covers more mistakes people make when ill, what to do to heal quicker than you ever have, and how to keep your immune system strong in the first place!
Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist with more than 32 years of experience. Carling is currently accepting new patients and offers natural health-care services and whole food nutritional supplements in her Coeur d'Alene clinic. Visit Carling's website at www.vitalhealthandfitness.com to learn more about Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes and read other informative articles. Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.