20 Oct Tis the Sneezon – Supporting the Immune System through Autumn
tis the sneezon to be snotty
I’m car-less at the moment. This is a personal disaster on many levels. I get stranded at houses and need frequent rescuing. I’m relying on the kindness of friends and family to give me lifts making me feel like an inconvenient teenager. But worst of all, I’m back on public transport. I say ‘back’ because for 5 years I was a London dweller and train timetables, tube maps and standing in peoples armpits were part of my daily routine. I didn’t mind, I was in my 20s, I had other things to worry about such as how i was going to afford yet another new dress from Oliver Bonas. But I haven’t been on public transport in 18 months and I’m all out of practice.
As I sit on the Clapham Junction platform freezing my pants off thinking how do people do this I become very aware of the coughing and sneezing around me. It’s October, the season of the cold. This kind of makes sense when you look at traditional Chinese medicine. Autumn is the metal element, the organs for metal are lungs and the large intestine. 50% of the immune system is in the gut so autumn hits and we all get ill. But here’s the thing. Colds don’t invade us, we invite them in. Germs can only inhabit a favourable environment – acidic cells, depleted immune systems, stressed bodies. So how can we support ourselves. Vitamin C is a great starter for 10 and needs to be a good quality natural formulation, none of this chewy orange artificial ones. I recommend Rosehips by Higher Nature.
Echinacea is great for keeping healthy but it’s function is to create more of the same so not to be taken when ill.
Vitamin A helps the body stay moist so when you have a sore throat or chesty cough this will really help support the lungs. One of my favourite products is Defence Maintenance by Natures Sunshine. This blend of vitamin C, vitamin A and zinc makes an ideal blend for a healthy immune system.
And finally a little diet recommendation, eat lots of garlic and onions which act as a natural anti-viral keeping the bugs (and most family members) away. Not great if you’re begging for a lift to the station though.
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