Timothy A Mast: Articles
Flu Season
Flu Season

June 17th 2008 - Here it is the time of year when Flu shots are being promoted right and left. I find it quite amazing as we live in a society that seems to be afraid of getting sick. Usually when one gets sick it is because that person does not want to slow down, rest and allow the body to be healthy. If one is always running, with or without caffeine, sooner or later, the body's immune system will be compromised. So, what do we do? We continue to go until the body has no choice but to "break down."

We as people in the USA, are given many things to keep us from being sick, or to treat us when we are sick.

Example--antibiotics. When one has a bacterial infection (antibiotics do not affect viruses), one is often given antibiotics to deal with that infection. Well, those antibiotics kill both one's good bacteria and bad bacteria. Doctors are now realizing this and are encouraging their patients to eat yogurt to help replenish their positive bacteria strains. The positive bacteria helps your intestines to function properly.

Another thing that often occurs in our society that is anti-germ is "overkill." Soaps in particular almost always have some sort of anti-bacterial component now to them. It is good to wash one's hands. We know this because it is often our hands that spread various bugs and illnesses to other people, not our breath. But, some of us live in such clean environments that our immune system does not have much to engage it. Thus the immune system become less active. Then people who live insuch sterile environments go out and are exposed to germs not normally around them. What happens? They often can get sick as their bodies are no longer used to engaging the immune system.

The body is amazing and adapts to its environment. Another way to see this fact is to look at someone who uses chapstick or lotion all the time. The body adapts to that, and if the person stops using the chapstick or lotion, the lips will crack and the skin will get dry, until the body restores its natural processes.

So, what to do about the immune system when it is getting colder? Anything that is proactive such as massage, craniosacral therapy, lymphatic drainage, colon hydrotherapy, breathing deeply, meditating, will assist your body in fighting off invaders. One can take certain herbs. I think one that is particularly helpful when starting to get a cold is liquid echinacea. Of course there are your antioxidants--Vitamin A, C (needs to be in high doses of ester C), D ,E and others, like those found in blueberries and pomegranates. One can also drink more water. That is helpful too, and most Americans are chronically dehydrated and do not even know it.

So, do something proactive for your body so that you do not need to take something that may compromise your immune system's normal functioning.


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Timothy A Mast
1406 Falcon Dr
Louisville, KY 40213
United States
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