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It's that time of year again when flu season is starting, and we need to know how to protect ourselves from any illness this winter. We need to counteract the common tendency to neglect ourselves, get too tired and more susceptible to any illness that's going around. Happily, there's a lot we can do to take good care of ourselves - and stay healthy. Find out more below...
These newsletters will help you make better choices for better health. The choices that you make today can either have a positive or negative impact on your overall health. Begin by choosing better. It is a step toward longevity.
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Staying Healthy - The Basics
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 I'm sure you already know the basics of staying healthy:
- Think positively.
- Exercise regularly.
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
- Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in refined carbohydrates.
- Get adequate, good quality sleep.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Manage your stress levels. (See our June 2014 newsletter.)
- Strong relationships and a good social network are good for you.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- Don’t smoke.
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In fact, all of those basics have a positive effect on your immune system and its ability to function if - or when - you're exposed to flu or cold germs, or bacteria. So, they are all really good strategies for preventing illness. Here are some reasons that these strategies are effective boosters of your immune system:
- Think positively. Happier people are less likely to develop colds when exposed to cold viruses, according to research at Carnegie Mellon University. People with high positive emotion scores produce enough cytokine (a protein) to help recruit other immune cells to fight off infections.
- Exercise regularly. A study compared women who worked out 5 days a week for 45 minutes with women who attended a 45-minute session of stretching exercises once a week. The group that exercised less vigorously only once a week had nearly four times as many colds as the group that worked out more often over a one year period. It is believed there is a temporary increase in immune-fighting cells with each episode of exercise.
- Wash your hands. Hand washing is an extremely effective public health measure. Consider that you only need to make contact with a cold or flu virus and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth to get infected. A 2008 review in the British Medical Journal stated that hand washing is far more effective at reducing risk than antiviral drugs. Be sure to wash for 20 seconds using soap and warm water.
- Manage your stress levels. Animal studies have shown:
- Stressful situations delayed the production of antibodies in mice infected with influenza virus, and suppressed the activity of T cells in animals inoculated with herpes simplex virus.
- Social stress can be more damaging than physical stress. Mice exposed to social stress were twice as likely to die as mice that were stressed physically.
- Isolation can suppress immune function. Infant monkeys separated from their mothers, especially if they were alone in a cage rather than in a group, generated fewer lymphocytes in response to antigens and fewer antibodies in response to viruses.
- In humans, it has been found that psychological stress affects the immune system by disrupting communication between the nervous system, the endocrine system and the immune system. This can result in higher levels of cortisol and, consequently, fewer antibodies in response to exposure to a virus.
- Probiotics. A relationship has been observed between "good" bacteria in the digestive tract and good immune system function.
- Eat a healthy diet. Certain foods are particularly good immune system boosters, including:
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 Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C which you need to consume every day because your body can't produce or store it. That's much better than just taking vitamin C to get rid of a cold - prevention is the best bet. Vitamin C is believed to increase the production of white blood cells which are key to fighting infections.
- Red bell peppers contain even more vitamin C than citrus fruits, and are also a rich source of beta carotene.
- Broccoli is packed with vitamins A, C and E, as well as numerous antioxidants. The less you cook it, the more nutritious it is.
- Garlic is recognized for its value in fighting infections. Garlic also helps lower cholesterol and may prevent hardening of the arteries. Heavy concentrations of sulfur-containing compounds in garlic, such as allicin, are the secret to its immune-boosting properties.
- Ginger is good as a preventive measure, not just once you have a cold. Gingerol gives ginger its heat, and is a relative of capsaicin. Ginger may help decrease chronic pain and lower cholesterol.
- Spinach is not only rich in vitamin C, but also contains numerous antioxidants and beta carotene. As with broccoli, it's best cooked as little as possible to retain its nutrients.
- Yogurt is best if it has "live and active cultures" specified on the label. These cultures may stimulate your immune system to fight diseases. Look for yogurt fortified with vitamin D.
- Almonds are packed with vitamin E which is key to a healthy immune system. It is fat-soluble, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed properly. A half-cup serving of almonds provides nearly 100% of the recommended daily amount.
- Turmeric is a key ingredient in curries, and is well known as an anti-inflammatory in treating both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Curcumin, which gives turmeric its distinctive colour, reduces inflammation and fever.
- Green tea, like black tea, is packed with flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. In addition, green tea has another powerful antioxidant known as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is largely destroyed in the production of black tea. Green tea is also a good source of the amino acid L-theanine which may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.
- While it isn't a food, vitamin D reduces the risk of respiratory infection. In addition, vitamin D has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia, several types of cancer, cardiovascular disease (including high blood pressure) and auto-immune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and irritable bowel syndrome. Very importantly at this time of year, there is recent evidence that vitamin D helps combat SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
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Supplements to Boost Your Immune System
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 Several Nature's Sunshine supplements, listed below, are effective immune system boosters. Visit our online store to purchase any of the following products.
- Super Trio contains Super Supplemental (Iron-free) containing vitamins, minerals and herbs; Super Omega-3 (contains 760 mg EPA and 380 mg DHA); and Super NT-OX (includes green tea, curcumin and other antioxidants/anti-inflammatories)
- Cat's Claw Combination
- Echinacea & Golden Seal
- HRP-C
- Collostrum
- Nature's Silver Guard
- Bifidophilus Flora Force (probiotic)
- Acidophilus Bifidobacterium (probiotic)
- Probiotic 11
- Ginger
- High Potency Garlic
- Green Tea Extract
- Vitamin D3
You can find information about these products in our online store. For additional information, please email ramila@ramilas.com or call Ramilas Healing Arts Clinic at 613.829.0427 for an appointment. Please continue letting friends and family know about this newsletter. Also, on our website, please see back issues of this newsletter, information about services, products and our clinic, and order products.
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References:
- How to boost your immune system. Harvard Health Publications www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system Accessed October 27, 2015.
- 6 immune system busters and boosters. WebMD Medical Reference, 2015. www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/10-immune-system-busters-boosters Accessed October 27, 2015.
- Young L. 9 ways to boost your immunity. www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/prevention/9-ways-to-boost-your-immunity Accessed October 27, 2015.
- Immune system boosters. www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system#ImmuneBoosters1 Accessed October 27, 2015.
- Low vitamin D levels linked to greater risk of dementia. Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter. 2014;32(9):1,3.
- Mercola J. Vitamin D - one of the simplest solutions to wide-ranging health problems. December 22, 2013. articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/22/dr-holick-vitamin-d-benefits.aspx Accessed November 5, 2015.
- Mercola J. Simple, inexpensive remedies for seasonal affective disorder. February 14, 2015. articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/02/14/seasonal-affective-disorder-vitamin-d.aspx Accessed November 5, 2015.
- Gloth FM, Alam W, Hollis B. Vitamin D vs broad spectrum phototherapy in the treatment of seasonal affective disorder. J Nutr Health Aging 1999;3(1):5-7.
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Disclaimer: The suggestions and recommendations in this newsletter are not intended to be prescriptive or diagnostic. The information is accurate and up to date to our knowledge, but we are not responsible for any errors in our sources of information.
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Reflexology
Reflexology is effective for insomnia treatment because it lowers stress and produces normal Qi flows. Many times, insomnia is a symptom of an acute stress related problem. Click here find out more.
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Since July '93, I have been seeing Ramila Padiachy, a certified reflexologist. She has given me tremendous help. I was getting a lot of shoulder and neck pain. Nothing was helping, I went to see a chiro. It would help a little. But seeing Ramila and following her treatment has improved my neck and shoulder pain. She has also given me advice on nutrition and also herb supplements to help me along. I feel she is very professional and definitely informative in her line of work. I would highly recommend her to my friends.
- Gail D-H.
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