Candida Recovery Self-Care Tips to Dodge Colds and the Flu

Candida Recovery is a wholistic affair.

Your friends at Candida Support would like to offer you some self-care ideas to help avoid those bad winter bugs! We are committed to your vibrant good health.

Here in the Midwest the weather is turning crisper, the leaves are turning colors and beginning to fall, we are getting a little more rain, a little more chill – and a significant uptick in colds and flu!

In this post we’ll talk about some adjustments to make as the seasons change, and in our next post we will offer you some nutritional support to keep you healthy.

Good Health Starts In Your Gut

Did you know that the seat of the immune system is . . . the gut? That’s right, research has shown that the condition of our micro-biome (the environment of intestinal flora) has a direct effect on our ability to resist disease!

So if you have an overgrowth of fungal Candida yeast, the best place to start is with our Candida-balancing products.

To Be Healthier in the Winter, Eat Different Foods

Several schools of traditional medicine—like India's Ayurveda, Japanese Macrobiotics, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, for example—believe that what we eat should change with the seasons. When you think about it, that makes sense. In hot weather, you crave more cold, fresh foods, like fresh fruit, yogurt, smoothies, cold meats and sandwiches. In the colder months, you are probably more drawn to heartier soups and stews, warm meats, and mashed potatoes.

So, as the weather becomes cooler, Ayurveda encourages generally heavier and spicier meals (especially warming spices, like chilies, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger). Macrobiotic practitioners prefer cooked, rather than raw, vegetables; and warm, rather than cold, drinks. Traditional Chinese Medicine recommends eating healthy* “white” foods: like cauliflower, almonds, potatoes, turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, apple, pear, rice, oats, sesame seeds, onion and garlic to strengthen the lungs! (*Note: white sugar and white flour are NOT recommended, despite their color!)

Natural Foods are Natural Remedies

Here are a few natural foods that offer powerful healing properties:

Onions and garlic are antimicrobial, antibiotic and antiviral, so use them freely in those nice, warm meals!

Elderberry syrup has long been a traditional preventative and remedy for colds and flu. St. John’s Wort contains antiviral properties (and may help some people cope with mild depression brought on by darker days). Echinacea, astragalus and licorice root are other herbs often used to prevent illness. Work with an herbal healer or carefully research these herbs and stick to recommended dosages.

Ginger is also antiviral. A wonderful warm drink to enjoy, especially if you have become chilled or feel like you are coming down with a virus, is ginger tea. Add a dozen slices (the thickness of a nickel) of fresh ginger root to about a quart of boiling water. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drink warm. You can add a tiny amount of honey, agave nectar or maple syrup, if tolerated, or mix with warm lemonade. This brew will keep for several days in the refrigerator and can be reheated as needed.

Dress for the Weather

This sounds self-evident, but how many times during the rapidly changing temperatures of autumn have you found yourself without that extra, needed layer? Keep a hat and scarf, a lightweight fleece jacket or packable down vest in your car, along with an umbrella, and you should be ready for whatever the day throws your way.

As someone who perpetually suffered from cold feet from late September through April, I was overjoyed a few years ago to discover wool socks! They have come a long way from the rag socks sported by Paul Bunyan types and come in varying weights, colors and designs. Wool is antibacterial and dries quickly, unlike cotton socks, which can stay wet for hours, giving you a good chill.

Another trick for cold feet: shake a bit of cayenne pepper into each of your socks before putting them on. The active ingredient in cayenne is capsicum, which stimulates blood flow, therefore, warmth. Works like a charm. (Just be sure to wash your hands well before rubbing your eyes!)

Please use these tips to keep yourself cozy and healthy throughout the winter months.

In our next post, we will share some supplements that we've found helpful and which can help you boost your immune system!