By giving your body a boost at this time of year, you will not only give yourself a fighting chance at staying well and fighting illness, you will also reduce the load of medications that ventually get thrown out - leaching dangerous chemicals into our environment.
With so many adults and now children reaching for medications at the first sign of ill health, our bodies are no longer given the chance to ultilise their higher intelligence to fight and heal us on our behalf. Boosting your immune system at this time of year, not only increases your immunity's number of strong white cells, it also helps to eliminate any deadwood that may be dragging your body down.
By tucking into the following 8 Nutrients, you will surely eliminate the days spent feeling under the weather this winter.
1. Vitamin C - Vitamin C increases the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, while lowering blood pressure. Found best in citrus, melons, cabbage, tomatoes, guavas and berries
2. Zinc - increases killer cells that fight against cancer and helps white cells release more antibodies. Found best in raw nuts, oysters, sardines, beef, oats and grains.
3. Vitamin E - stimulates the production of natural killer cells, those that seek out and destroy germs and cancer cells. Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria. Found best in wheatgerm, wholegrains, raw nuts, pumpkin & sunflower seeds and eggs.
4. Bioflavonoids - aids the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental pollutants. Bioflavenoids protect the cell membranes against the pollutants trying to attach to them. Also lessens risk of cardiovascular disease. Found best in buckwheat, fresh fruits & vegies, strawberries, prunes, cherries and apricots.
5. Selenium - increases natural killer cells and mobilises cancer-fighting cells. Found best in tuna, red snapper, prawns, whole grains, vegies, brown rice, egg yolks, cottage cheese, chicken (white meat), sunflower seeds, garlic, Brazil nuts, and lamb chops.
6. Carotenoids (Beta-carotene/Vitamin A) - increases the number of infection-fighting cells, natural killer cells and helper cells, a powerful antioxidant that mops up excess free radicals that accelerate aging. Also reduces risk of cardiovascular disease. Best found in parsely, liver, spinach, watercress, tomatoes broccoli, sweet potato.
7. Sulfur - is a powerful immune booster that stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white cells, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production. Can also act as an antioxidant that reduces the build-up of free radicals in the bloodstream. Best found in garlic, pumpkin, onions, turnips, watercress, kale, radish and fish
8. Omega 3's - act as immune boosters by increasing the activity of phagocytes, the white blood cells that eat up bacteria. Essential fatty acids also protect the body against damage from over-reactions to infection. Best found in salmon, tuna, mackeral and flaxseeds (linseed).
***Footnote: The safest way to dispose of unwanted medications is to return them to your local pharmacy for disposal. For smaller amounts. simply mixing with cat litter or coffee and throwing into a bin is sufficient. Although flushing old medicines may seem convenient, the consequences can often cause long term damage to our waterways. ***
Until next time,
GC x
