Winter Health Tips and the importance of Convalescence
Surviving winter means keeping your immune system fighting fit!
Winter is the season many of us experience an increased risk of viral infections such as colds and flu. Both of these illnesses can hit hard and fast, often leaving us feeling drained and fatigued. Unfortunately, we see people having no other option than to ‘soldier on,' spreading their illness to the unsuspected and others with compromised immune systems. A healthy immune system will recognize and respond appropriately to an invading virus. However, not everyone’s immune system is a healthy as it could be, resulting in ongoing, lingering infections.
We don’t hear much of the term convalescence anymore, as many of us are unable to take time off work and daily duties to give ourselves time to recover and there is always some sort of quick fix out there to get you going again. Convalescence is probably one of the most important aspects of recovery as it allows you time and space to restore your health. Convalescence also involves consuming nourishing foods, broths, and specific remedies to support the immune system.
Recovering well after a cold means there is no relapse of symptoms a week later, no post viral fatigue or secondary infections. Combining traditional herbal medicine and convalescence helps us build a robust and resilient immune system. Thankfully there are many traditional remedies and foods to support your body during acute illness and recovery.
So how do we do this?
Your immune system is an intelligent thing!
Fever is the body’s natural, healthy response to help fight infections. To support a temperature, you can sip on hot infusions of yarrow, elder and peppermint tea throughout the day, this is a popular remedy for the common cold and flu with associated fever.
A warm bath made with a strong infusion of chamomile or lemon balm tea added can help with headaches or restlessness.
Sipping on broths and consuming well-cooked foods such as soups, makes digestion easier on a taxed system. Foods such as raw honey, garlic, thyme, onion, lemons, oranges and ginger can be added to teas, made into syrups, and herbal honeys.
For those of you who are susceptible to recurrent infections, mushrooms are a wonderful way to enhance the immune system response, cordyceps, reishi, shitake, and kawaratake are among my favourites. They contain beta-glucans, a naturally occurring polysaccharide with immunostimulating properties However even your humble button has beta-glucans, add these to your soups and broths.
Rest- Most importantly take some time out to rest and recover. Sleep! Your body recuperates with a restful sleep. No one can live well on little sleep; eventually, it will catch up.
This is in no way an exhaustive list of remedies; your naturopath is well versed in dealing with these sorts of immune assaults. The fusion of traditional herbal medicine with today’s hectic lifestyle is the best approach for a happier immune system!
Stay tuned for more workshops on common health complaints and how to use food as medicine.
If symptoms persist, you are on medication, please consult your GP for testing and examination, followed by your naturopath for herbal, nutritional and supplementary advice.
