Become immune to the common cold or flu - Prevent it!
But if it does hit you, do not resist it. Rather, accept it and apply some of the tactics listed in this article to actually make the flu work for you!
What Exactly Is the Flu?
The flu is not a disease that calls for panic or that needs to be “treated”.
The flu is a natural detoxification that the body’s intelligence wisely instigates to “clean the house” (the body). So do not suppress it!
Your body “vents” (clears) toxins 24hrs a day. But sometimes (particularly as the seasons become colder) it gets overwhelmed and opens up all the vents for immediate clearing. This clearing comes in many forms: perspiration, breathing, sweating, rashes, diarrhoea, colds, flus and so on.
So we must facilitate this process of “cleaning the house” by allowing and assisting the toxins to be eliminated. Unfortunately people aren’t facilitating this process enough.
Common Treatment Process of the Flu
- People are masking the symptoms with pharmaceutical drugs that fool the body into feeling that it doesn’t have any toxins to eliminate.
- The drugs may also clog or block these “vents” (elimination channels).
- These toxins then will get trapped deeper into the bodily channels, causing deeper problems down the track.
- Additionally, drugs and vaccines will further add to the toxins that are trapped in the body and increases the risk and severity of "Dis-Ease" later on. No one currently knows the long term impact of these ‘foreign’ substances that are being injected into the blood streams of many people (vaccinations).
Vent the Body to Prevent Disease
If your body is not able to “vent” toxins coming in (undigested food, environmental pollutants, stressful relationships, stressful work situations etc.) you will experience discomfort.
So in winter, if you or your children get the sniffles or a severe cold, rather then stressing, here are some simple home remedies to keep these “vents” open and working effectively:
Home Remedies for the Cold and Flu
Realise and become aware that your body is “cleaning the house” during this period and the best thing you can do is to support it during the detoxification process.
- Avoid suppressing the symptoms with a pharmaceutical drug. Yes, you might get some symptomatic short-term relief but the effects of the toxic residues that are left behind will show up down the road and your body’s natural intelligence to function will be weakened. There are other ways to relieve the discomfort as listed below. However, after you have tried natural remedies to relieve the symptoms, if you are unbearingly suffering it is sometimes better to take the pharmaceutical drugs than suffer.
- Rest - The most important. Avoid the cold wind outside, avoid strenuous work, late nights. Stay warm.
- Eat lighter - Cut down on your intake of meat and animal products such as cheese and yoghurt. Dinner especially should be light (soups are best).
- Liquid diet day - any cooked and pureed foods or soups, lassi, fresh fruit juices and herbal teas can help you overcome a virus much more easily. Avoid vegetable juices.
- Fasting (with your body type in mind) coupled with sipping hot water all day is “the best/chief among those which cure fever.”(1)
- Sip hot water - Plain hot water is the best to clear all body’s channels and hydrate the body. Plain is best because is works on all the body’s channels, rather then specifically targeting a certain area. Plus, plain hot water is even more hydrating than lemon water! Frequency is what matters, not quantity. Sip every 10-15 minutes. You can also make a tea with turmeric + a little black pepper or cumin + ajwain tea.
- Avoid therapies such as massage, nasya (oil administered in nose) and exercise.
Plants and Whole-Food Remedies
These can provide instant relief and still support the body and it’s natural defence system to vent.
Honey & Kitchen Spice Paste
Cough and cold remedy, increases immunity, fights infections. Recipe Here.
Tulsi tea - English name “Holy Basil.” Also known as the “Queen of Herbs” in Ayurveda. Tulsi is especially effective for lungs and to decongest the respiratory system.
Salt + warm water gargle - Can do all throughout the day, especially if experiencing sore throat. Use 1/2tsp-1tsp of black salt for best effect. Can add a little turmeric to the water for stronger bacteria-fighting help.
Gargle with liquorice tea - Soothe a sore throat and reduce inflammation.
Steam inhalation - Perhaps one of the most effective remedies. Add 2 drops of Vital Veda/Raju Prandhara into a bowl of boiling water, cover head and bowl with towel and inhale steam till steam is finished. Mini Steam inhalation: 1 drop of prandhara in a cup of boiling water, inhale steam until steam is finished, then drink liquid. Can do a few times a day. Order Prandhara from Vital Veda clinic. Alternative to Prandhara: 10-15 drops of eucalyptus oil in a big bowl of boiling water and inhale.
More complex herbs for deeper seated problems. Available from the Vital Veda clinic or a good Ayurvedic practitioner.
Prevention is a key component in Ayurveda. If you notice the initial stages of a symptom - waking up with a slight sore throat, then gargle with salt water, eat the Honey & Spice Mix or better take some complex herbs.
If you are beginning to feel a bit congested in the sinuses or lungs, incorporate steam inhalation into your morning routine. Jump in early to work WITH the viruses or toxins to ensure their effective elimination.
Act even earlier
Adopt an Ayurvedic diet, lifestyle and perhaps take some herbs to maintain optimum immunity and vitality and hardly ever see the start of a disease or symptom. Especially the cold or flu.
Read my articles in the blog or book in with me for a consultation to acquire a detailed lifestyle and dietary plan to tune yourself into optimum balance and wellness.
(1) “Astanga Samgraha (of Vagbhata)” - Chaper 13: Collection of the Best, Agryasangrahaniya Asdhyaya, translated by Author: Prof. K R Srikantha Murthy