Prevention decreases the cold weather blues
Feb 2019 — This winter has been especially brutal with flu, scratchy throats and uncontrollable coughs – whether we’ve been vaccinated or not. The symptoms tend to return again and again, so prevention is key to boosting our immune systems.
Meditating, listening to relaxing music and practicing yoga daily help us to reduce stress. Exercise strengthens our white blood cells, which fight infection. Adequate sleep allows our bodies to detox, repair and rebuild. Since tobacco use increases our chances of developing bronchitis, pneumonia and ear infections, and alcohol use increases our risk of infection, we need to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
Drinking water, especially lemon water, aids digestion, flushes toxins and boosts our immunity. Cooking with turmeric, a powerful antioxidant, treats many ailments. Garlic, onion and ginger fight germs and increase our immunity. Probiotics replenish the good bacteria in our gut. Occasional supplements of Vitamins C and D fight infection as does occasional use of oregano, eleuthero, ginseng, echinacea, and astragalus.
Unlike the empty calories that strain our bodies and the processed foods that junk up our body systems, the antioxidants in whole food plant-based diets strengthen our immunity. Most colorful fruits and vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, berries, kiwi and spinach contain antioxidants. Mushrooms help our white blood cells.
Despite our preventive measures, we can still get sick. When we do we can resort to over-the-counter or prescription medication with its side effects, or we can adapt home remedies to our vegetarian needs.
Home Remedies Fight Back
Below are sources for home remedies in line with our vegetarian lifestyle:
2 Vegetarian www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/natural-remedies-for-frequent-cold-and-cough/
food.ndtv.com/health/6-best-home-remedies-for-cough-to-give-you-instant-relief-1445513
3 Vegan (no animal products)
www.care2.com/greenliving/5-vegan-home-remedies-for-a-sore-throat.html
www.thepositivemom.com/how-to-easily-beat-a-cold-the-vegan-way
www.thewholesomefork.com/2016/12/22/homemade-natural-cough-remedy-vegan/