By Dr. Skye Davis, ND, CNC
The best way to be healthy is to be PROACTIVE VS REACTIVE!
Proactive means ---are you regularly taking an inventory as to what is affecting your lifestyle negatively or positively?
Top 3 Foods to Avoid to Boost the Immune System, and Healthier Alternatives.
The yearly estimated adult intake of food additives in addition to 150 pounds of sugar and 15 pounds of salt includes 8.4 pounds of corn syrup, 4.2 pounds of dextrose, and 10 pounds of about 2,000 food additives.
WHITE SUGAR
Processed sugar is a dead food, far removed from what Mother Nature intended, having no nutritional value, even though it tastes good! It has been proven that refined sugar suppresses the immune system. In addition, when white sugar is consumed, the body must immediately supply calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other minerals to process it. If not supplied through nutrition, the body will strip these minerals from organs and bones in order to process white sugar, creating a mineral bank deficit. A mineral bank deficit creates a chain reaction leading to the onset of a myriad of ailments.
Healthier Options: USE ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, HONEY, DATES, SORGHUM, BLACK STRAP MOLASSES OR STEVIA. Check out the internet for recipes using white sugar substitutes!
WHITE FLOUR/WHITE FLOUR PRODUCTS
Wheat is the "Staff of Life"...in its wholesome state!
After wheat is harvested, it is sent to the miller who removes most of the outside wheat (bran) and markets it for livestock. He removes the oil and takes out the "wheat heart" leaving white starch laden with gluten. He grinds and bleaches it, then stores the flour for up to ten years. Bugs will not eat it! When it is to be sold, four synthetic vitamins are added, and it is presented to the consumer as "enriched" flour. Every time we eat white flour, a layer of paste is placed on our colon wall, building up to form a mucous lining or "encasement". The colon will begin to malfunction and cease to perform as intended. The colon produces most of our B-Vitamins, the majority of our immune system antibodies, aids in acid, alkaline and pH balance, extracts excess moisture from food re-circulating it to prevent dehydration, extracts the very last ounce of nutrition from food, and acts as a waste tube.
Healthier Option: BUY WHOLE WHEAT PRODUCTS ONLY! EAT WHOLE WHEAT PRODUCTS ONLY! Approximately 30% of all processed foods contain white flour.
AVOID ARTIFICAL SWEETNERS & FLAVOR ENHANCHERS
-Aspartame – (Equal, NutraSweet, NatraTaste Blue)
-Sucralose (Splenda)
-Acesulfame K (ACE, ACE K, Sunette, Sweet One, Sweet 'N Safe)
-Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low)
- MSG (See handout)
Healthier Options: Erythritol, Xylitol, Stevia leaf extracts, Neotame, Monk Fruit Extract, and natural spices or sauces (Bragg’s is a good brand).
2. Echinacea Herb.
- Echinacea is one of the strongest immune system supporters known. This product boosts the immune cells and natural chemicals in the blood, stimulating them into activity and action.
- Echinacea promotes less sickness if used at the onset of possible immune challenge symptoms, creating a shorter duration of colds, flu, and other preventable immune challenges.
- Echinacea enhances performance if you are suffering from a chronic depressed immune system.
- Planning on traveling on a commercial airplane? Then load up on ECHINACEA a week before flying and a week after arrival.
- HOW TO USE IT? Tincture form is my first recommendation. You can also make a tea out of it and drink it.
- HOW MUCH TO USE? Nature’s pharmacy is safe to use fairly aggressively, especially if you feel the onset of possible immune challenge symptoms. Most people do not use enough. Use 2-3 droppers every few hours for 3-5 days until symptoms clear.
3. Stay Hydrated!
- Our immune system is highly dependent on the nutrients in our blood stream, and our blood stream is made mostly of water! If we don’t have enough water, we cannot properly transport nutrients to each organ system. Staying well hydrated is also very important for detoxification pathways, increasing lymphatic draining and making sure we are clearing out any foreign invaders and other waste materials.
- I recommend drinking a minimum of half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need to drink at least 75 ounces of water daily. Now, if you are super active – you may need more water.
-Best types of water: Reverse Osmosis & Distilled. Stay away from tap water. Most bottled water is tap water.
4. Reduce Stress & Anxiety
When we experience such stress –our body responds by sending defense signals to the endocrine system, which then triggers the release of various hormones designed to prepare the body for an emergency. In doing that, the hormones, particularly cortisol, also depresses the immune system.
Healthy Ways to Handle Stress:
- Use prayer and meditation (even 3 minutes per day).
-Engage in regular movement (walking, hiking, dancing, etc.)
-Finding a counselor, trusted friend or therapy group to talk about your stresses and identify possible ways to manage them.
- Turn off the television (especially the news!)
-Stay present in the moment.
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