According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), children be get over six colds per year in various degrees. Young children under the age of six which have developing immune systems are more likely to develop a cold.
Preventing Colds
Giving a good healthy diet and pure water is the first defense against colds and allergies. Having a good nights sleep and getting enough daily exercise is also equally important. A recommended diet includes whole foods, fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.
Cold Self Treatments
If a child has a cold, it is important for the to eat lightly until it has subsided. This will allow their body to focus on healing instead of heavy digesting. Wisely chosen foods such as chicken soup and other nutritious meals are the best medicine. Here are some additional food recommendations:
Steamed vegetables
Herbal teas
Ginger, onions and garlic
Lemon and honey in warm water
Mint flavored teas
Certain foods may actually make a cold worse and prolong wellness. For example, sugar depresses the immune system and may keep white blood cells from fighting infection. Remember, orange juice and other juices are high in sugar and should be avoided. Switching to teas and water is a better alternative.
Milk encourages the buildup of mucous, so it’s best to avoid dairy during the healing process. If they must have milk, consider soy or rice milk.
Cold Remedies
Medical doctor James Balch, co-author of Prescription for Natural Healing recommends the following herbs to counter a cold:
Echinacea
Lomatium
Elderberry
Hydrotherapy
Hot baths, showers and breathing in steam imbued with lavender oil can soothe coughs and help children fall asleep. Adding eucalyptus or peppermint can relieve congestion. Finally, remember the age-old tradition moms have used for centuries; for sore throats, gargle with salt water.
About the author:
Dr. Lauri Grossman writes for various holistic publications.
What can I do to stop these allergies or sinus problems?
I have allergies most of the year, but it is rare for me to get sinus problems. But my sinuses are suddenly get’s really bad. They come and go and its been happening for a week. I feel I have a scratch in my throat and I have to sneeze frequently. My air filter was changed already for nearly a week and I vacuumed my house the other day. What can I do to stop scratching the throat and the feeling of sneezing?
Best Answer:
One solution is a sinus rinse (made by NeilMed). I swear by it! Can be a bit hard for someone who has allergies all the time, but sounds like it might help. It’s about $10 and can be purchased at most durg stores nationwide. They come with premixed salt solution packets. You mix a packet with distilled water that is pre-heated (microwave for 15-20 seconds) in the sinus rinse bottle. Squeeze the bottle in each side of the nose a few times. It really helps wash out the pollen, dust and other allergens which can lead to inflamation of the sinus cavaties.
I used to have the worst allergies, but since I started getting allergy shots for the 40+ things I’m allergic too and my allergy doctor started my using the sinus rinse product, my symptoms have been much less. My allergy doctor convinced me to start using it because he said that hundreds on his patients swear by it.
Allergies and chemical sensitivities are a symptom of a compromised immune system.
The overgrowth of Candida in the body may be the precursor of immune dysfunction causing all sorts of diseases and food allergies, pollen, and multiple chemical sensitivity. Antibiotics, sugar and carbohydrates refined to help create and grow this problem.
Candida lives in balance with beneficial bacteria in the colon. The colon is vital for absorption of nutrients and elimination of toxins and one of its main contributions is the ability to break down the foods we eat. It is the first line of immune defense.
Foods are broken down in the colon with the help of enzymes, yeasts and bacteria that live there, but help keep the colon healthy.
Antibiotics killing germs, but also kill the good bacteria in the colon. This results in less bacteria creating an imbalance, allowing Candida (yeast), to master. Candida continues to grow out of balance by too much sugar in the diet, in the case of refined sugar or high glycemic carbohydrates like fruit, carrot or bread.
My theory is that Candida overgrowth in the colon starts interfering with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients, resulting in less than optimal functioning of organs and the immune system. In addition, a malfunction of the colon is unable to eliminate toxins and snowballs and commitment.
Adding beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and fiber to the diet are very helpful. Food crops such as kefir, cultured vegetables and drinks are very effective delivery of beneficial bacteria in the colon intact. Introduction to the good bacteria of the food grown not only replaces the colon, but the fermentation / Cultivation process of improving nutrition in food, and predigests, providing super nutrition, which is very useful especially when the intestine is healing.
Eliminating sugar and high glycemic carbohydrates is crucial and will help starve the Candida.
(Note on sugar: One way that doctors can identify cancer cells is by the amount of glucose consumed by a cell. Apparently, cancer cells also require more sugar!)
Chemical sensitivity also develops when the immune system is not working properly. Examples of reactions can be serious fragrances, petrochemical products, pollution, processed fabrics and condoms along with many other chemicals in our environment.
Air purifiers have been made with a carbon filter and zeolite coconut shell can provide a great relief and create a less reactive in the house.
The elimination of chemical household cleaners, pesticides, garden chemicals and products for body care and replacing them with alternatives healthier is extremely useful and easy to do.
But remember, with proper nutrition, the body can heal itself, to resist disease and defend against toxins more easier. Pharmaceutical products and air purifiers can provide relief but not solve the problem.
Rebuilding the body’s immune system can produce lasting results.
Recipe for the creation of health:
Focusing on the creation of health.
Start with the colon. Add fiber to your diet, cut processed foods, sugar, carbohydrates and high glycemic index. Do not use artificial sweetener … use of Stevia in place. Stevia is an herbal supplement that is very sweet, it works well as a sugar substitute and is actually health promoting.
Drink plenty of water, clean water standard. The water is so effective in removing toxins from the body, clearing the sinuses, and rinsed to remove cellular debris. This is a wonderful energy booster. Other liquids are not for water. A cup of coffee in the outcome of the need for more water, because caffeine is a diuretic and lowers the body’s water reserves. The hunger pains may actually be the body’s need for water. The water helps eliminate body fat and promote tissue lean body.
For additional assistance in allergy season, 8 to 10 glasses of water each day will be useful to reduce inflammation in the sinuses, prevention of headaches and thinning of mucus.
Eat plenty of vegetables grown, kefir, probiotics and drink fluids every day to support health colon, rebalancing the yeast overgrowth and support the immune system. (Candida can live in the sinuses, along with other parts of the body, interfering with their growth.)
Remove soy (can suppress thyroid function) and cook with coconut oil. The coconut oil and coconut milk is the fat-parasitic, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal agents. It is compatible with the thyroid, Candida fighting immune system and increases the system.
Daily intake of cod liver oil, which is soy-free or synthetic ingredients, helps keep certain hormones in the body that are a factor in controlling allergic reactions.
Try to eat only organic foods. Fats such as butter, contain vitamin A, which is very useful for the respiratory system.
About the Author: Beverly Hartsfield lives in the Portland, OR area. Beverly went through her own health journey and now helps other people improve their health and quality of life. Over the course of her journey, she learned some powerful guidelines, for creating health, that she loves to share. www.earthincommon.com
Hay fever sufferers and those prone to hives, take heed: You could be rushed to the emergency room someday for an allergic reaction to a food you eat. You need to be prepared.
Foods you may be allergic to include flaxseed, pepperoni, apples, and cant juice. In the past, when a person with allergies was hurried to the hospital suffering with severe symptoms, nobody ever knew why. No one could explain the sudden, dangerous allergic emergency.
Finally, a few observant doctors made the connection between allergies like hay fever and food allergies. Certain people can have a reaction to a food that sends their everyday allergies into overdrive.
For instance, one little boy regularly reacted to the sun by breaking out ii small hives. But twice, he began wheezing, his throat started closing, and he had to be rushed to the emergency room. On both occasions, the boy had eaten a pepperoni pizza before going outside. The nitrates in the pepperoni had made ht usual minor allergic reaction to the sun much, much worse.
In Europe, almost three out of four people who have hay fever also have allergies to fruits and vegetables. Allergies to apples are so common that a researcher in the Netherlands looked for a way to make them edible. He sliced some apples microwaved them for one minute, and fed them to people with apple allergies Eight out of 10 had no allergic reaction at all.
Apparently, you can be mildly allergic to raw apples but not allergic at all the cooked apples. It’s really true that you can enjoy applesauce and apple pie whet you can’t enjoy a raw apple.
If you have allergies, you should watch yourself for allergic reactions to food especially to flaxseed, pepperoni, apples, and carrot juice. If you do have to make an emergency trip to the hospital or to your doctor, be prepared to tell the people in charge what you’ve been eating. It’s important that you figure out what your food triggers are so you can avoid them.
Sulfites are used as an preservative in just about every wine and heavily processed meat product throughout the world and can cause mild to serious allergic reactions. Sulfites are also used as sanitizing agents and food color preservatives. Sulfites are also suspected to be a carcinogen when heavy consumed but there is still much testing to be done.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that 1 percent of people the United States have a sensitivity to sulfites and up to 5% of these people are considered to be “sulfite allergic.”
Many people who either know they have a sulfite allergy or just wish to avoid sulfite containing products because of their potential health consequences do not fully know how widely used it really is. Like many food related allergens, avoidance is the best strategy to preventing allergic reactions.
Here is a list of the top 15 products which can contain sulfites in addition to wine and processed meats:
Canned fruits and vegetables
Condiments
Dressings
Dried fruit
Grapes (fresh) – safe in some countries
Ketchup
Lemon juice/concentrate
Lime juice/concentrate
Mushrooms (canned or frozen)
Pickled foods
Pickles
Potatoes (dehydrated, frozen french fries, dehydrated, mashed, peeled, pre-cut)
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), children be get over six colds per year in various degrees. Young children under the age of six which have developing immune systems are more likely to develop a cold.
What can I do to stop these allergies or sinus problems?
Allergies and chemical sensitivities are a symptom of a compromised immune system.
Severe or Fatal Food Allergy: Are you at risk?
Sulfites are used as an preservative in just about every wine and heavily processed meat product throughout the world and can cause mild to serious allergic reactions. Sulfites are also used as sanitizing agents and food color preservatives. Sulfites are also suspected to be a carcinogen when heavy consumed but there is still much testing to be done.