Featured Article: Boosting Immunity for the Flu Season
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So in addition to chilling out, here are a few suggestions to keep the flu and other season colds at bay:
Most of these reminders are niyamas within Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Practicing saucha or purity creates cleanliness in the body and mind. This will allow our body to work optimally to fight any invading bacteria. A clean and uncluttered environment will be beneficial as well. When sickness is in the air try to stay home more often to avoid exposure but also give yourself some stress-free quality time. While at home stock up with healthy goodies and make some home cooked meals. The following recipe is easy and healthy. The miso paste is sold in natural food stores. A cup of miso soup provides an abundant amount of valuable minerals, fat and protein (even more if you add tofu). It also contains healthy bacteria, such as lactobacilli helping to promote healthy digestion. Warm foods are easier on the system, allowing the body to direct its energy where it is needed most.
Lightly sauté the vegetables in oil, then add 6 cups of water to the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes. Dissolve the miso in a cup of hot water and add to the pan 5 minutes before the end of the cooking. Do not boil the soup once the miso has been added to avoid killing the healthy bacteria (Tierra, 1998, p.64). Feel free to add any seasonal veggies and seaweed for additional nutrients. Share with loved ones and stay positive! References ~Alisha Welch is a yoga teacher and a student at Clayton College of Natural Health pursuing a master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition |
Since the arrival of the new H1N1 flu virus, the fear of getting sick has increased drastically. This added stress is exactly what we need to avoid in order to keep our immunity up. The anxiety actually weakens the immune system, so in a sense we can bring it on ourselves. The media has drawn attention to the worse cases; the majority of people are not dying or getting severely ill.