Boosting Immune System?
- Thread starter Aldaniti
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Colin Phillips
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I'm told you shouldn't need it if you have a balanced diet, Aldaniti.
Grand Armee
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Echinacea is what my doctor recommended several years back. Its a natural remedy, which helps boost the immune system.
Eating chili also supposedly very good too.
Eating chili also supposedly very good too.
I think I prefer the chilli option :lol:
Thanks GA I will try that, I have just got sick of being sick :blink: since xmas its been cough/cold/sore throat & now chest infection for which I had to concede to a course of anti bio's yesterday, Doc thinks its down to being stressed out as I got very upset in the three months running up to xmas as I'd had three of my pets pass away in a very short period of time, stress/grief whatever you want to call it apparently reduces your immune system & allows the bugs that a healthy immune systems would normally fend off, worth giving it a go.
Grand Armee
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Al, do you happen to work in an office as well? We currently have the flu going around again <_<
Germs spread like wildfire through my office. Last year in June it was bronchitis, then in September the flu, and December it was a bad case of some weird viral infection (which in general most people I knew had), which every single person had throwing up, diahorrea, and laryngitis.
As I said before its the flu now, five people off today.
Germs spread like wildfire through my office. Last year in June it was bronchitis, then in September the flu, and December it was a bad case of some weird viral infection (which in general most people I knew had), which every single person had throwing up, diahorrea, and laryngitis.
As I said before its the flu now, five people off today.
Grand Armee
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Actually Al here is something I found on a website. http://www.thechillifactory.com/main.php?p=Chilli%20Facts
Also read it somewhere, that it is stronger than Vitamin C.
Only problem with chilli is seriously getting used to eating it. I eat it every night, so have built up a real tolerance to it. What used to be hot, is no longer "hot" any more. You do get used to it.
Also read it somewhere, that it is stronger than Vitamin C.
Only problem with chilli is seriously getting used to eating it. I eat it every night, so have built up a real tolerance to it. What used to be hot, is no longer "hot" any more. You do get used to it.
Desert Orchid
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Different vitamins react differently if taken in excess of RDA. Some will simply pass through the sytem without doing anything beneficial and some can be harmful. One multivitamin tablet a day would probably cover most deficiencies but I reckon a healthy lifestyle allied to a healthy diet is just as beneficial. I have neither, hence my current ill-health!
Aldaniti, before you spend a fortune on stuff your body might already be rich in, ask your doctor to give you a blood work-up. You may be anaemic, and need Iron (which is MUCH more efficient taken with Vit. C), or your thyroid might be going a bit out of whack, or you may have a minor condition which could be treated short-term. If he's already done this for you, then find out exactly what the result was. If everything was 'normal', then I think you may be going through 'the blues', quite a normal response to grief. And never underestimate that grief for a lost pet, let alone three in a row, can be just as valid as that for a human - in many cases, a lot more so. When you become in a long-term anxious state over the health of ill pets, just as you might over friends or family, your system is using its stores of adrenaline, keeping the body on a 'high alert' status. When the pets/people die, the system tends to crash as the anxiety over illness has gone, and the grief can be exacerbated by the depleted adrenaline. That's when you become exhausted, fretful, possibly not sleeping well, and so on.
Your diet of plenty of fruit and veg is a great way to build up your system to normal again, but make sure you're also eating a balanced diet, too, with grain and protein (meat, or if you don't like it, cheese and eggs), which will help to strengthen a weakened system.
It's also winter (in spite of the lack of snow!) so your system, in addition to having been kept anxious and then sad, may also be reacting poorly to the time of year. Try serotonin for a mood elevator - Boots, Holland & Barrett, etc. will all stock it. Many clinically-depressed people (and you may not be at that stage) have been put onto it, and it is a naturally-occurring chemical in the brain which has been found to be deficient in depressed (and worse) people. The condition also becomes worse in winter, when it gets called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Best of luck.
Your diet of plenty of fruit and veg is a great way to build up your system to normal again, but make sure you're also eating a balanced diet, too, with grain and protein (meat, or if you don't like it, cheese and eggs), which will help to strengthen a weakened system.
It's also winter (in spite of the lack of snow!) so your system, in addition to having been kept anxious and then sad, may also be reacting poorly to the time of year. Try serotonin for a mood elevator - Boots, Holland & Barrett, etc. will all stock it. Many clinically-depressed people (and you may not be at that stage) have been put onto it, and it is a naturally-occurring chemical in the brain which has been found to be deficient in depressed (and worse) people. The condition also becomes worse in winter, when it gets called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Best of luck.
Shadow Leader
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A dose of good old fashioned vitamin C & zinc helps boost the immune system - it works too, don't think I've had a cold yet this winter whilst all around me the wusses in the office have been dying of man flu....
jft2005
Conditional
a guy in our office has always got a cough and/or cold. he now takes these vitamins which you disolve in a drink. be careful though, as once he took it on an empty stomach and chucked up everywhere. not pleasant.
Desert Orchid
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I once tried echinacea over an extended period as I was very prone to any virus going. It made no noticeable difference. Getting my tonsils out did.
(I'm not suggesting this as a preventative measure, by the way.)
(I'm not suggesting this as a preventative measure, by the way.)
Honest Tom
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Speaking as a Doctor, some of the symptoms mentioned above are more likely to be caused by a hair lip as opposed to a poor immune system.
Isinglass
At the Start
Aldaniti, As the forum Nutritionist (are there any others on here ?) I would like to tell you what I tell patients. This is just what I have been taught and what I believe, I am sure others wil disagree with me, as usual, but maybe some of it will be useful to you.
A balanced diet is indeed best, however since the soil of our island is depleted of minerals like selenium by over farming due to small space, much of the food we get here is not as nutrient rich as it might be - and you know a lot of it is imported too. Cooking also takes vitamins and minerals out so the way you eat your food matters too. Long transport time and picking food before it is ripe means we only get a percentage of the goodness. Try to buy local food, both meat and veg. (Like your own chickens!)
Despite Gillian McKeith's best efforts to tell us that we are what we eat - we are not. We are more likely to be what we absorb and if our system is not working correctly then we do not absorb much. Krizon is right, get your blood tested, this can tell you about your liver function as well as if you need iron or are low in minerals and vitamins. NEVER ignore a bout of fatigue it could be something nasty lurking which you need medical attentuion for.
Eat some raw food, it is highest in nutrients, even a little helps. Avoid over processed food like sugar, white flour and cakes and biscuits. They are nutrient empty and you use up energy to digest them.
It is also correct that herbs like Echinachea will boost the immune system, But be careful, long term use of it can make you immune to it. Best to use during winter or when you need a boost and then take a break for a few months.
Drinking more water helps to keep our systems hydrated, and less caffiene helps our blood sugar levels, so go light on tea/coffee. Green tea contains some caffeine but also lots of phytonutrients which help to prevent colds and even cancer.
Stress depletes our energy levels and gobbles up nutrients at a fast rate. Loss of our 4 legged friends, for those who love them, is high on the scale along with moving house, changing jobs, and divorce.
You might want to look at Bach Flower Remedies to help with emotional traumas. Most people know about Rescue Remedy, but there are 38 remedies. I can advise you if you want, I am a practitioner. Rescue Remedy is useful for loss of pets, and people. It is herbal, does not harm or react with other medicines. I use it on the family and all of the animals. Very useful for sick creatures, and for major events in their lives like foaling or moving.
If you get a multi vitamin get one with minerals. Be careful where you buy, some are made in laboratoires and are chemcial replicas. It is better to take a blanced supplement than trying to get separate bottles of pills. It is easy to get an imbalanced vitamin regime and make yourself sick. Do not take too many either, as someone said on here, water soluable vitamins such as Vit C wash through your system, oil soluable such as A and D stick with us and can build up causing side effects. If you are reasonably healthy and eat well, have a normal level of stress, you should only need a multi vit/min which will ensure you get a good dose of nutrients every day. If you remember to take it!
Whatever you decide to do, remember natural solutions are never instant, it takes about 2-3 weeks for flower remedies to really help, and about 3 months for a new vitamin regime.
Hope this helps! Let me know how you get on.
A balanced diet is indeed best, however since the soil of our island is depleted of minerals like selenium by over farming due to small space, much of the food we get here is not as nutrient rich as it might be - and you know a lot of it is imported too. Cooking also takes vitamins and minerals out so the way you eat your food matters too. Long transport time and picking food before it is ripe means we only get a percentage of the goodness. Try to buy local food, both meat and veg. (Like your own chickens!)
Despite Gillian McKeith's best efforts to tell us that we are what we eat - we are not. We are more likely to be what we absorb and if our system is not working correctly then we do not absorb much. Krizon is right, get your blood tested, this can tell you about your liver function as well as if you need iron or are low in minerals and vitamins. NEVER ignore a bout of fatigue it could be something nasty lurking which you need medical attentuion for.
Eat some raw food, it is highest in nutrients, even a little helps. Avoid over processed food like sugar, white flour and cakes and biscuits. They are nutrient empty and you use up energy to digest them.
It is also correct that herbs like Echinachea will boost the immune system, But be careful, long term use of it can make you immune to it. Best to use during winter or when you need a boost and then take a break for a few months.
Drinking more water helps to keep our systems hydrated, and less caffiene helps our blood sugar levels, so go light on tea/coffee. Green tea contains some caffeine but also lots of phytonutrients which help to prevent colds and even cancer.
Stress depletes our energy levels and gobbles up nutrients at a fast rate. Loss of our 4 legged friends, for those who love them, is high on the scale along with moving house, changing jobs, and divorce.
You might want to look at Bach Flower Remedies to help with emotional traumas. Most people know about Rescue Remedy, but there are 38 remedies. I can advise you if you want, I am a practitioner. Rescue Remedy is useful for loss of pets, and people. It is herbal, does not harm or react with other medicines. I use it on the family and all of the animals. Very useful for sick creatures, and for major events in their lives like foaling or moving.
If you get a multi vitamin get one with minerals. Be careful where you buy, some are made in laboratoires and are chemcial replicas. It is better to take a blanced supplement than trying to get separate bottles of pills. It is easy to get an imbalanced vitamin regime and make yourself sick. Do not take too many either, as someone said on here, water soluable vitamins such as Vit C wash through your system, oil soluable such as A and D stick with us and can build up causing side effects. If you are reasonably healthy and eat well, have a normal level of stress, you should only need a multi vit/min which will ensure you get a good dose of nutrients every day. If you remember to take it!
Whatever you decide to do, remember natural solutions are never instant, it takes about 2-3 weeks for flower remedies to really help, and about 3 months for a new vitamin regime.
Hope this helps! Let me know how you get on.
Isinglass
At the Start
PD Read Krizons post again, what a wise woman!
Aldaniti, for the iron with Vitamin C, one idea I use is to drink a glass of orange juice with a green salad. Green leaves, darker the better, are high in iron. That is why Popeye ate spinach! (okay that is showing my age now....)
Orange juice is also brilliant with a fry up, you get better uptake of iron from the meat. And offal is high in iron, but do not eat loads if you are pregnant.
Aldaniti, for the iron with Vitamin C, one idea I use is to drink a glass of orange juice with a green salad. Green leaves, darker the better, are high in iron. That is why Popeye ate spinach! (okay that is showing my age now....)
Orange juice is also brilliant with a fry up, you get better uptake of iron from the meat. And offal is high in iron, but do not eat loads if you are pregnant.
G
Griffin
Guest
I'm a big fan of green tea. It's supposed to speed up your metabolism too so is good for weight loss. For me though I suppose I lose weight with green tea because biscuits don't go well with it yet when I have earl grey I feel the need to dunk at least five biscuits in :lol:
Spoons
At the Start
Been taking Berocca all winter,longest I've gone without being sick.Taking it before you go out supposedly also stops a hangover.
Echinacia rocks..
Didn't take it last winter and had two heavy colds.
Remembered to start taking it mid-November and, while all arund me having been snorting and snufflings with colds/flu, so far I've avoided the lurgy. I take one high dose capsule every other day and will stop in another month or so.
Don't care whether it's psycho-somatic (? can't be arsed to check spelling!) or not - if it appears to work, I'm convinced!
Didn't take it last winter and had two heavy colds.
Remembered to start taking it mid-November and, while all arund me having been snorting and snufflings with colds/flu, so far I've avoided the lurgy. I take one high dose capsule every other day and will stop in another month or so.
Don't care whether it's psycho-somatic (? can't be arsed to check spelling!) or not - if it appears to work, I'm convinced!