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by Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D.
Your Best Defense Against Colds,
Flu and The New Super Germs
It's that time of year again. But it isn’t just the season of colds and flu. New waves of antibiotic-resistant diseases, called super germs, are sweeping across the population. This is serious news indeed. Even with all the advances of modern medicine, infectious disease is still the leading cause of death in the world. In fact, in the last 15 years, infectious disease has jumped up from the fifth leading cause of death to the third leading cause in the United States. Our antiseptic, prescription drug lifestyle hasn’t saved us from infectious disease. Super germs are truly the epidemic of modern medicine.
Overuse of Antibiotics and Reduced Immunity Contribute to the Super Germ Epidemic
The chemicals and toxins in our environment, unhealthy diets and stressful lifestyles are taxing our immune systems. Experts believe that antibiotic therapy is backfiring—antibiotics are over prescribed by doctors and misused by patients. Overloading of antibiotics in the agriculture industry is another serious problem; even if you don’t take antibiotics, you are ingesting them through your food. Also, loading up your home with antibiotic cleansers may cause otherwise harmless bacteria to transform and become more dangerous.
What Can We Do to Protect Ourselves?
- Use prescription antibiotics only when absolutely needed and use them as directed.
- Choose organic meats and dairy products which aren’t laced with antibiotics or hormones. Eat organic fruits and vegetables.
- For basic household cleaning stick with environmentally-friendly cleaners free of chemicals and antibiotics.
- Wash your hands often and try to stay away from crowds.
- Boost your immune system with diet and herbs.
A super nutritious diet, along with plenty of rest and exercise, is important to build up the immune system. When you add herbs you are adding living medicines that interact with the body in a very complex way—a way that no drug can.
Remember, every single person’s immune system is unique, individual and personal in every way. It is hard to imagine a drug that would address the billions of different immune profiles—there is no “magic bullet” to restore immune system health. The best offense against colds, flu and super germs, is a good defense.
BUILD IMMUNE RESPONSE WITH SUPER NUTRITION
Add fresh fruits and vegetable juices to maximize your immune power.
Key foods to juice for immunity are:
- Garlic—for its antibacterial and antifungal properties
- Alfalfa sprouts—rich in vitamin A, B-complex, C, D and E, enzymes, essential fatty acids and minerals which are natural antioxidants that strengthen immunity.
- Beets—keep your liver functioning well.
- Have a tonic broth at least once a week. A delicious, proven favorite: mix miso, onions, garlic and shiitake mushrooms for a tasty broth that works wonders to build back immunity and prevent respiratory illness.
- Eat cultured foods like yogurt, kefir, kefir cheese, cottage cheese and raw sauerkraut to build friendly bacteria.
- Take a green drink several times a week. Green superfoods like alfalfa, barley grass and wheat grass have immune-stimulating, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-viral properties.
- Choose green tea instead of coffee as a morning energizer. Japanese research shows green tea flavonoids inhibit the flu virus, strep bacteria linked to cavities, even deadly staph acquired in hospitals.
- Drink quality bottled water.
HERBS ARE POWERFUL ALLIES
Herbal antibiotics are some of the best weapons against drug-resistant super germ disease strains—they stimulate immune response, flush the lymphatic system of toxins and kill off pathogens without harming healthy cells.
- Echinacea—increases levels of the antiviral substance interferon in the body and prompts the thymus, bone marrow and spleen to produce more immune cells.
- Astragalus—boosts natural killer activity and enhances interferon production.
- Burdock—works to boost immune response by supporting the liver.
Herbal lymph flushers help the lymphatic system to flush waste and engulf pathogens before they make you sick.
- Seaweed Bath—releases excess body fluids from congested lymph cells and dissolves fatty waste and toxins through the skin, replacing them with key immune boosting minerals.
- Bitters Herbs—regenerates the liver and lymphatic system for protection against super germs. Take a short course of herbal bitters like turmeric, cardamom and lemon peel.
MORE HELP FROM THE PLANT KINGDOM
- Olive Leaf Extract—changes with a microbe’s mutations, so it continues inhibiting a bad microbe’s growth, spread or survival.
- Tea Tree Oil—helps kill antibiotic-resistant staph infections. (Use a few drops in an infuser and breathe in deeply. Do not take internally.)
- Garlic—increases immune cell activity.
- Oregano Oil—inhibits candida yeast, bacteria, viruses and parasites. Oregano even inhibits bacterial growth on foods, so cooking with it can help prevent food borne illness.
- Noni (also known as nonu and nono throughout the South Pacific islands)—has adaptogenic properties that enhance and stimulate a stressed immune system. Noni even fights deadly E. coli.
BEE PRODUCTS ARE HELPFUL DEFENDERS
- Honey—inhibits the fungi and bacteria responsible for wound and surgical infections.
- Royal Jelly—highly effective for herpes, flu and skin and intestinal infections.
- Propolis—arrests the growth of deadly staph and several strep species.
ALSO EFFECTIVE:
- Selenium—enhances immune cell defense against viruses.
- Transfer Factors—give T cells information about pathogens to help improve their defenses against them.
For more information about building immunity, read Healthy Healing—A Guide To Self-Healing For Everyone by Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D.
–––www.healthyhealing.com
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