How To Reduce Cold And Flu Symptoms

Symptoms of colds, flu or any other pathogenic (virus, bacteria, fungi, parasite) related infection are actually not the result of the germs per se. They are actually caused by the reaction of your body to the germ in its attempts to rid itself of any toxins that have either built up as a by product of the immune system fighting the germ or directly from the poisons released by the germ. In essences they are detoxification symptoms. The healthier your detoxification system the less you will experience these symptoms. For this reason supporting the detoxification processes and not overloading your body with toxins is key reducing symptoms.

To reduce your toxic overload try the following:

• Reducing alcohol consumption
• Minimise process foods
• Minimise grains and dairy in the diet
• Eating organic
• Filter your water
• Drink plenty of water – Dehydration can lead to constipation which leads to harmful toxins, that the body is attempting to eliminate in the faecal matter, leaching back into the body, which then adds to the toxic overload in the body
• Use natural (organic) rather than commercial cleaning and personal care products

To support the detoxification processes try:

• Skin brushing – Removes dead skin cells (the skin is a detox organ) and stimulates the circulatory and lymphatic systems (another part of the detoxification system).
• Hot and cold shower cycles  – 15 sec each x repeated 7 times – Again stimulates circulation.
• Eat whole foods – Focus your diet around whole (preferably organic) foods will help maximise your nutritional intake of nutrients.
• Basic nutritional supplements – Vitamin C and a good quality multi-vit are good strategies for supporting the detoxification pathways.
• Individualised Nutrition -  As touched on in my article on “7 Simple steps to preventing colds and flu” eating a diet suited to your body is essential to the healthy function of every organ, system and cell of the body, which obviously includes the immune and detoxification systems. To learn more check out my video on individualised nutrition.
• Exercise – Exercise with a big emphasis on twisting, rotating and moving maximally through the joints will help aid circulation, lymphatic drainage and squeeze and refresh the liver with new blood. Exercise that makes you sweat will also help eliminate toxins through the skin. Some also suggest rebounding (exercise done on a mini-trampoline) as particularly beneficial to lymphatic drainage.
• Drink plenty of water – Optimal hydration status is essential to many areas of the detoxification system as well as in preventing the body from becoming overloaded with toxins.
• Consume cayenne pepper regularly – Fantastic for stimulating circulation and clearing the sinuses.
• More advanced detoxification cleanses, supplements and protocols for strengthening the health of the organs and glands involved in detoxification also exist, but the suggestions above are a great place to start. In taking the above actions you will not only reduce the severity of cold and flu symptoms but you will help to reduce the length of time you suffer symptoms and your likelihood of developing them in the first place as a toxic overload in the body is only going to suppress immune function.

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