Common Cold

"A bad Flu is in the town" and so I also got flu", is the lame excuse given by everyone when they get cold and fever. The reality is that not everyone gets the cold and fever even though everyone are exposed to these viruses and bacteria. Those immunity is low at that time get cold or any type of infection. In a place if there are people who are all having low immunity and also moving and interacting with others they may spread the organisms, causing an infection to spread.

This is why Ayurveda focuses on building an individual's immunity to prevent infections. Unlike the modern notion that vitamin rich food is equal to immunity, Ayurveda is wholistic. This means that immunity does not depend alone with eating nutrient rich food, but on the status of the mind which inturn affects the body's metabolic and physiology. 

Status of the mind affects breathing and breathing inturn affects the  Lymphatic circulation. Lymphatic circulation is the channel through which the immune cells navigate apart from blood circulation and patrols not only invading micro-organisms but also body's own cancer cells.

Stress affects the lymphatic circulation and so the immunity goes down. Colds with running nose and fever indicates down-immunity due to stress. Usually we have noticed people prone to colds when they are doing things mostly time bound manner, through which they stress. Usually some one breaks down with a cold after they had completed their time bound task whether at work or at home.

       There are several means to reduce this type of incidence of getting cold. In our experience doing every day detoxification reduces colds to a considerable extant. At stressful work keeping attention on breath and doing deep relaxing breaths during work works a lot better.

    Pancha Bhoota we suggest to cleanse the liver and change to whole food eating habits, walking and relaxing, through which reduce attacks of common colds  can be noticed. We suggest to do these changes for a few months  and get back to us to inform us about your experience. If you do not see substantial changes then please write to us for an individualized treatment for you.

Immediate remedy for cold

          Turmeric in milk.

The best medicine: To a tea cup full of milk, add one teaspoon of organically grown turmeric (we have tested the efficacy), half teaspoon of coriander seed powder, quarter teaspoon of cumin seeds powder, quarter teaspoon of black pepper powder, big pinch of cardamom seed powder and big pinch of cinnamon powder. Boil this well and then drink it luke warm.

Prevention:

Earth Therapy: 

Reduce the intake of sweets because sugar depresses the immune system.
We have known this for decades. It was only in the 1970's that researchers found out that vitamin C was needed by white blood cells so that they could phagocytize viruses and bacteria. White blood cells require a 50 times higher concentration inside the cell as outside so they have to accumulate vitamin C. We know that glucose and vitamin C have similar chemical structures, so what happens when the sugar levels go up? They compete for one another upon entering the cells. And the thing that mediates the entry of glucose into the cells is the same thing that mediates the entry of vitamin C into the cells. If there is more glucose around, there is going to be less vitamin C allowed into the cell. It doesn't take much: a blood sugar value of 120 reduces the phagocytic index by 75%. So when you eat sugar, think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl. For more details please using click here.

Pharmacy: Liver is the pharmacy store of the body that produces all anti-biotics and medicines that the body need. So keeping the liver healthy is the best way to boost immunity. Eating everyday liver tonics like "Chyawanaprash" is very good.

Parasites and Immunity: Parasites living in our intestines are attacked by our immune cells. But parasites wants to make our intestines their home. In order to overcome the attack of our immune cells, parasites spit out a toxin which weakens our immune system. By weakening our immune system the parasites can survive in our body.

This is why in India, every month for children and once in six months for adults, anti-parasites medications are given. This will kills the parasites and boosts immunity. The best anti-parasite medication is the neem-turmeric combination. Equal quantity of Neem leaves and Turmeric root is ground to paste and swallowed on a saturday morning and food is taken until apetitte resumes (may be 4 to 5 hours). Doing this parasites cleansing ensures good immunity from all infectious diseases and cancer.  

Neem oil: Drinking one teaspoon of neem oil everyday night for 10 to 15 days (use filler to directly squeeze the oil in the throat and not on tongue and so you wont feel the bitterness).  Neem oil kills the parasites in the intestines and increases our body's immunity.

Liver Cleansing:

                Cleansing the liver with Castor oil and Gallnut (cleansing)  once every two months (one time castor oil , next time gall-nut cleansing) is good.

       Fiber-rich foods helps liver and helps to throw out fat-soluble garbage out of the system. We recommend using fiber rich whole grains like brown rice (remember to soak in water and cook), whole rye flakes (33% fiber compared to 20% fiber in oats), whole wheat flakes (28%), barley flakes (26%). Millets like Ragi rich in fiber. In all ancient traditions, people ate different types of grains and millets  many of the readers might be unaware of the names.  These millets give different nourishment that help prevent many diseases like cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer etc.  millet, kodo-millet.

Breakfast
Use seven different whole grains for seven days. One can use in the form of pan-cakes (Dosai) or steamed cakes (Idli's), or porridge (oozhu) or cracked-uppuma type (See recipes in Sakthi kitchen).

1. Corn cracked-steamed (uppuma) or pan cake.
2. Barley flakes or pan cake.
3. Amaranth Uppuma.
4. Rye flakes or pan cake.
5. Quinoa flakes or Uppuma.
6. Finger Millet  pan cake or porridge.
7. Buckwheat  uppuma or pan cake.

Asian Type
1. Fox Millet  pan cake or porridge.
2. Barley flakes or pan cake
3. Buckwheat  uppuma or pan cake.
4. Little Millet  pan cake or porridge.
5. Italian Millet  uppuma or pan cake.
6. Banyard Millet  porridge or pan cake.
7. Amaranth  uppuma or pan cake.
No refined cereal drinks like Horlicks, Boost, complain should be used. These products are malted sugars and immeidately increase blood glucose levels.  Instead fruit juices fresh can be used.

See recipes in sakthi kitchen.

Cooking oil should be only unrefined sesame oil/olive oil or any other unrefined oils.

Liver -Tonic Chutneys:

      Every day eat the following chutneys. One per day. seven days seven chutneys and then repeat them again. All leaves  should be raw and not heat sauted. But you can add coconut, red pepper, or black sesame seeds or
split peas dal and salt to make it tasty.

1. Coriander leaves chutney
2. Phyllanthus Niruri leaves chutney
3. Bringraj  leaves chutney
4. Curry leaves chutney
5. Coriander leaves chutney
6. Mint leaves chutney
7. Moringa leaves  chutney or use Aloe Vera leaves.

Click here to see some model Chutney Recipes  that you can modify to make the above chutneys. You can eat this chutney with pasta, bread or with rice.

If you feel the chutney is bitter, then you can make it thick and make it as a small marble and swallow it with water. Make them small balls so that you do not choke yourself.

Drink these fresh juices, one a day and repeat the seven every week. It is
easy. Just cut and put in blender with little water and dates if needed ,
blend and drink. Dates increases Iron.

1. Beet root and apple or carrot
2. pumpkin juice
3. Pine-apple juice (Swallow or eat one teaspoon of turmeric powder immediately before or after drinking this juice).
4. Aloe vera juice with carrot or plain.
5. papaya juice
6. Pine-apple juice (Swallow or eat one teaspoon of turmeric powder immediately before or after drinking this juice).
7. Pomegrante juice.

No bottled or canned. it should be made fresh and not filter it. Clear juices are free from fiber and so drink all juices with the pulp.

Triphala Powder - Strengthen Liver: Everyday night take one teaspoon of Triphala powder in 50 ml of hot water. (Please Click here  to find the link to buy this herb).

 Water Therapy :   We generally recommend doing Water Therapy  to cleanse the intestines and liver so that the root cause of lipoma is removed. Drink 1.5 liters of water first in the morning, using mild amount of flavors like ginger, cumin seeds, mint leaves, cardamom, coriander seeds, Sarsparilla root powder, hibiscus flowers etc)  for better results.

Fire Therapy:  Less walking causes poor stool (bowel) movements and  that also contributes to constipation. Avoid being  sedentary (more hours of sitting before computers or resting). Walk twice in the morning and evening.

Yoga is very good especially Surya Namaskar given in fire section. It helps in good lymphatic circulation.

Walking is the most important to increase lymphatic circulation. Do Pancha Bhoota walking with breath awareness.