Traveling through four cities across three continents, and spending time in huge enclosed spaces such as malls, airports, and the hospital meant my immune system had to work non-stop these past couple of weeks. Add to that the drastic change in temperatures and humidity, the emotional ups and downs, lack of sleep...and you have the perfect formula for those viruses and bacteria to get an upper hand.
Good thing it's only laryngitis....could be a lot worse! The tropics has a good number of bugs that can do way more harm than render you speechless. Pun intended :)
While I'm not averse to using synthetic drugs, especially pain relievers, most drugs for viral and bacterial infections just target the symptoms and not the underlying cause of the infection. Holistic treatments, on the other hand, help your body's immune system fight and get rid of the virus and/or bacteria causing the infection. So you get better quickly and reduce the risk of further complications, like pneumonia and asthma.
Most of the treatments here came from my grandmother, a healer and herbalist, complemented with insights I've gained from research and my nutrition studies over the years. The treatments don't stop when the virus has been defeated; we need to continue them in order to heal the damage caused by the virus and restore our body to its optimum health.
When you're fighting an infection, you need to sleep and rest. Don't go to work or school, don't even go out of the house. Gentle yoga or tai chi is permitted, but no strenuous exercises. Remember that your cells are engaged in battle - you need to let your mind AND body focus all their energies on that.
I found this short video on how cells fight viruses but if you're really, really interested to learn how our immune system works, here's an awesome lecture for you :) Immune System 101: An Introduction to Clinical Immunology.
We all know we need plenty of fluids to fight infections, but what exactly should we should drink?
Water (of course!) - is required to for biochemical reactions at the cellular level, but also keeps the respiratory track moist so you can breathe easier. Water also carries toxins out of your body.
Herbal teas and infusions - one of the most effective herbs for treating respiratory infections is thyme. It helps with both bacterial and viral infections. Best taken as a herbal infusion made by steeping fresh thyme leaves in boiling water for at least 5 minutes.
Licorice strengthens our immune system by increasing interferon levels, a key chemical needed for fighting viruses. It soothes and heals sore throats, coughs, colds, headaches. It has an expectorant action, which makes it good for irritating coughs and asthma.
Licorice also improves resistance to physical and emotional stress due to its action on the adrenal glands. Licorice tea is widely available and can be combined with other herbs due to it's harmonizing action.
If you have a bacterial type of infection, peppermint's your herb. It also contains traces of vitamin B, potassium, calcium and other antioxidants to help boost your immune systems. Other herbs that can help are oregano, olive leaf extract, ginger and echinacea.
Chicken or beef bone broths. Packed with minerals in their most bioavailable form, bone broths also seals your gut to allow you to absorb nutrients easily. The benefits for fighting and healing respiratory infections are just too many to mention so please read Dr. Mercola's article, which includes a recipe for making chicken broth.
A friend of mine, who was a vegetarian for over a decade, narrated that beef bone broth saved his life when he contacted a viral infection in Spain.
What about vitamin supplements? There are two important vitamins linked to treating infections: Vitamin C and D.
Vitamin C is a very powerful antioxidant. It's antiviral and antibacterial properties have been well documented . When fighting infections, it is recommended to take it at therapeutic levels, which means at bowel tolerance. Drop it back down to moderate levels (500 to 1,500 mg) to promote healing once the infection is gone.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the treatment of respiratory illnesses. While this Vitamin has been mainly considered essential to bone growth, studies have shown that it's also required to activate and bind to our T-cells to get it started fighting foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria.
Aromatherapy is another effective treatment for respiratory infections. The power of aromatherapy not just lies with the essential oils, but combined with a healing massage relieves pain, stimulates the limbic system and helps the body get rid of toxins.
My grandma kept a stock of essential oils at hand for practically any ailment :) Whenever we have colds or sore throats, she would put a few drops of eucalyptus oil in boiling water for steam inhalation. She'd also add a few drops to a carrier oil - coconut for us tropical folks - and rubbed them on our chests, back, forehead, soles of our feet.
Now we have more essential oils available: lavender, clary sage, tea trea, and lemon. I found a good list and how to use them here.
Finally, a note on what foods to avoid when you're fighting an infection. Top of the list is sugar and I'm not just talking about sugar but high glycemic index (GI) foods that easily converts to sugar in your blood stream. Sugar inhibits your white blood cells from doing their work.
Milk and dairy products may increase mucous production and make phlegm thicker and harder to expel. I found a really informative article about milk by Dr. Mercola about milk and upper respiratory congestion.
Other foods to be avoided are processed foods loaded with artificial additives and preservatives that can make your symptoms worse or lead to complications such as asthma.
I'd like to write about immune-boosting and healing foods, but that would be too long so will put that in the queue of blog topics :) For the next blog, I want to answer the most common question asked when I tell people I'm a qualified nutrition adviser: How do I lose weight and keep it off? The answer might just surprise you. Namaste!
