In the view of modern science, viruses are not living things. They are only parts of diseased material that can remain in a dormant state, perhaps indefinitely, until they find a suitable living host. When the human body is in a state of optimum health and its immune system is functioning properly, its cells are an impenetrable fortress to even the most feared virus.
There are some simple dietary considerations that should be taken into account in the common sense prevention of the flu. The main preventative against flu is Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is not accumulated in the body, therefore, it is necessary to replenish the body’s supply of this vitamin daily. Do this by taking a supplement containing rose hips, a form of Vitamin C that is superior to inexpensive ascorbic acid. Include plenty of citrus fruits in your diet and you will go far to prevent the flu.
Add garlic to your diet. If you can tolerate it, it is best consumed in its raw form. Garlic is a particularly potent antiviral. Take one raw garlic clove per day. Crush the clove to release the active constituent, allicin, and swallow the garlic clover whole with water. You can also purchase garlic gelatin capsules at most pharmacies and health food stores.
Eat more onions. If you can’t tolerate them raw, try them in soups and other dishes. In “Heal Your Life with Home Remedies and Herbs,” Hanna Kroeger recommends a soup made of yellow onions as a remedy for the flu. “Cut one large yellow onion in small pieces; cover with two quarts water; simmer for one half hour. Strain and add honey to taste. Drink two cups every two hours until flu is gone.
Avoid processed food. It is an unfortunate fact that a lot of the food on the market to day has poor nutritional value, eating it not only deprives your body of the nutrition you should be receiving by eating healthy food, but it makes your system work harder, actually depleting its resources. Avoid frozen dinners and artificial sweeteners as much as possible. If you must sweeten your food try to use only raw, unprocessed sugar or honey. Choose sea salt over table salt. Avoid foods that contain monosodium glutemate, artificial flavors and food colorings. All of these things work to impair your immune system.
These common sense guidelines bear repetition if only to provide a counter to programming that the average American receives through advertising with regard to what is healthy and nutritional. Generally speaking, healthy snacks do not come in brightly colored boxes and baggies with clever brand names. They do, however, come from the produce section of your local grocery or farmer’s market.
References:
Kroeger, Hanna. Heal Your Life with Home Remedies and Herbs. Hay House, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, 1981, P. 182.
