How to Catch a Cold
Would you like to feel yucky for a few days, or even a few
weeks? Would you like to miss out on summer fun and be stuck
indoors hugging a box of tissues instead?
Well, our naturopathic medicine experts at
National University of Health Sciences has compiled a list of seven
tips that, while not guaranteed, will greatly increase your chances
of catching a cold or flu virus.
The following actions on your part will put you in the best
position to catch a cold or other nasty virus:
1.) Drink up that sugary
soda pop!
Did you know that by drinking just
two cans of soda pop, you can decrease your immune function for up
to five hours? This is true of all sugars, including excess
fruit juices, processed grains and junk foods. If you want to keep
your immune system in tip-top shape, it's better to stick with
healthier beverage choices such as water, green or herbal teas, and
eat whole fresh fruit instead of drinking juice beverages.
2.) Burn the midnight
oil
Who needs sleep? You do. But
if you want to catch a virus, you should know that sleep
deprivation lowers your immune function. You need at least
six hours of sleep per night to keep adequate function, and seven
or eight is even better.
3.) Heap on the
stress
Stress, especially chronic stress,
increases cortisol secretion and suppresses the immune system. When
you are stressed you're also more likely to make poor lifestyle
choices and poor health choices.
4.) Stay on the
couch
If you are trying to catch a virus,
be warned that exercise directly stimulates immune activation.
Healthy exercise also promotes better sleep and stress
management. Exercise is especially effective when done on a
regular basis at moderate levels of activity. Keep that couch
warm, however, if you want to catch a cold.
5.) Ignore Your
Surroundings
Many factors in our immediate
environment, such as allergens or foods we may be sensitive to, as
well as environmental toxins, decrease the body's ability to deal
with immune stressors - like exposure to a virus. To help
your immune system stave off new viral infections, it helps to
reduce outside stressors such as allergens or toxic chemicals in
our food, personal or household products. Outside factors can also
include germs you pick up from everyday activities, so if you never
wash your hands, you'll do better at catching colds!
6.) Skip the
Yogurt
A large percentage of our immune
activity occurs in our gastro-intestinal tract. To keep it healthy,
we need the right balance of good flora, or beneficial bacteria, in
our digestive system. Eating naturally fermented foods, such
as yogurt, kimchee, or natural sauerkraut, can restore balance in
our gut. You can also take a high quality probiotic to
restore good digestive bacteria.
7.) Overlook Fruits and
Vegetables
A diet high in bioflavonoids,
vitamin C, zinc, all support healthy immune function.
Coincidentally, the best source of these nutrients is a diet high
in fresh fruits and vegetables. Seeds, beans and whole grains are
also part of a healthy diet and important sources of vitamins,
minerals and fiber.
While the above tips are written tongue-in-cheek, knowing what
helps and hurts your immune system can help you stave off routine
viral infections. If you seem to catch every bug that goes around,
you can use the above checklist to see what you may be doing in
your life to make it easy for those germs to overwhelm your immune
defenses.
If you'd like help learning how to incorporate healthier
lifestyle habits, or learn how nutritional or natural botanical
supplements can help strengthen your immune response, you can make
an appointment with an expert in naturopathic medicine at an NUHS Whole Health
Center.
