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Colds

Colds: A Different Understanding

 

Prevention, of course, cannot be mentioned enough. Here are a few things that I feel are worth mentioning, the first of which are hand washing and filtered air. Both reduce exposure to bacteria and viruses. Know what processing your food has been exposed to. Not only is over processed food depleted of nutrients it is also more likely to lower the immune system with its high sugar, pesticide and chemical residue. Purchase foods more locally to reduce the spread of harmful organisms. Detoxify your body regularly. A blocked lymph system is much more likely to succumb to infection. It is impossible to vaccinate against all harmful bacteria, viruses and mycotoxins because they transform and mutate for survival. The best defense is to keep your system running fully charged with nutrients and well maintained to be able to metabolize and detoxify when needed. Regular exercise prevents illness by improving circulation, lymph drainage, oxygen and metabolism. I recommend incorporating cardio, strength training and yoga. If you produce too many stress hormones during exercise this could be counter productive for your immune system. Meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi reduce stress hormones. Endorphins released by the body have the quickest impact on reducing stress hormones. So try to live a positive, reflective and enjoyable lifestyle.

If you are under extreme stress, you should take extra precautions to keep warm and to maintain a healthy diet. People under extreme stress can disable their immune system. Simply put, your mind can tell your body, "No, I can't get sick right now, I have too many important things to do." The mechanism of how this works is quite simple. Your emotions originate in an area of the brain called the limbic system. The limbic system sends messages to the hypothalamus/pituitary causing it to release a hormone called ACTH. ACTH stimulates the adrenal glands (commonly referred to as your stress glands) to release cortisol. Cortisol works quite similarly to its synthetic counterpart cortisone, which is an anti-inflammatory hormone. Cortisol increases the white blood cell count within the body but stops the white blood cells from moving to the peripheral circulation where they are most needed. So, in essence, what happens is that you are stressed and you get exposed to a virus or bacteria, which enters your body unchecked. As soon as your adrenals stop functioning, your white blood cells can not go to the peripheral circulation and start doing battle with the invader causing you to experience symptoms. 

The symptoms of getting sick are just an expression of your immune system working at its best. Today most diseases are the result of immune suppression, the worst being cancer and AIDS. I strongly recommend you do not utilize some of the bewildering arsenal of weapons found in your neighbourhood drugstore. These simply stop the symptoms of the cold by disabling your immune system and in most cases they do this very effectively. Antihistamines are just that, they de-activate histamine, which is a chemical that activates your body's immune response. 

I'm certain all of you have friends or family that avidly pronounce to you that they never get colds. They go about disregarding their health by eating poor diets, drinking and smoking excessively. These people are in fact too sick to get colds. Their whole body is toxic and their immune system is so debilitated that they can no longer react to external pathogens. These people are prone to chronic debilitating diseases. 

One of the symptoms most commonly found with colds is fever. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, once stated: "Give me a fever and I will cure all disease." Only recently in a much-publicized fashion did the medical profession reveal that fevers are good. Naturopaths, homeopaths and other proponents of alternative health care have long held that fever is good and very productive. It is the body's attempt to stimulate its own immune system into action to destroy pathological bacteria. These pathological bacteria usually have a very narrow optimum temperature range. Being pathological, they live within the normal range of human temperature and can actively reproduce. As the body temperature rises the bacteria cannot reproduce and the body's defences gradually engulf and destroy the bacteria faster than they can reproduce. The symptom of fever should not be thwarted unless it gets too high, (above 103 degrees F.) 

A cold is a complex of symptoms reflecting the body's internal attempts at trying to maintain harmony or homeostasis by rectifying imbalances. The original causes of the imbalances within the body are usually multiple. Improper diet is the single most influential factor. An excess of refined carbohydrates, wheat, corn, sugar and dairy products will cause an increase in mucus making the organs of elimination work harder to get rid of the perfect breeding ground for pathological bacteria. For every tablespoon of sugar a person consumes the immune system is disabled for five hours.

The best treatment for a cold is a liquid diet, lots of hot teas, (peppermint and ginger act as a diaphoretics causing sweating), rest and a few of the following: 

Hydrotherapy--in the old black and white movies you often saw someone who was chilled or who felt a cold coming on taking a hot footbath. This stimulates the immune system by increasing the body's internal warmth without stimulating any neurological pathways that would result in a cooling response (as I indicated in the shower section above). The water in the footbath should be as hot as you can stand for twenty minutes. Afterwards pat dry your feet and put on two pairs of woollen socks. This therapy does two things; it stimulates the immune system and causes the body's reflex mechanism to shunt blood from areas of congestion (i.e. the throat and sinuses) to the area of greater congestion (now the feet). If you have a sore throat, place a cold damp towel around your neck while doing the hot footbath. 

Salt Water Nasal Douche--opens up the sinuses by removing mucous accumulations. 

Gargling with hot salted water--in the case of a sore throat gargling with hot salted water proves very effective in soothing the area as well as creating an environment in which bacteria cannot thrive. 

Other natural therapeutics include Chinese and Western botanical medicines and homeopathy. These three medical systems are very effective in any situation when used correctly. You will find with the above recommendations that most colds will resolve themselves quite quickly. I usually a combination of high dose nutrients (Vitamin C, zinc, selenium, and vitamin A) and a synergistic blend of herbs based on the patients presenting symptoms. IV pushes with the above mentioned is also very effective at quickly dissolving a cold as long as you rest and eat a nutritious diet. If you suffer from prolonged colds or you find the above remedies ineffective, I suggest you seek professional help with someone who is well-versed in natural therapeutics.

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