Colds and Flu

By John Douillard, DC, PhD

Avoid the Flu and Colds This Season

In nature, at summer's end the leaves will invariably turn red and fall off the trees. In Ayurveda, this is an expression of the accumulated summer's heat rising up into the leaves and turning them, first red, and then dry.

In the same way the heat accumulates in. nature, it also accumulates inside of us. As the leaves dry out and fall, there are also accumulated impurities that build up in our bodies, which can predispose us to a cold or flu. Because of this accumulated heat you may notice your skin and sinuses drying out in September. Perhaps you battle with allergies or an end of summer cold.

When the sinuses dry out, the mucous membranes get irritated and produce mucus as a natural protective or allergic response. Allergies are often fought with drying agents like ephedra or antihistamines, which will dry up the mucus and remove the symptoms for a time. The cause of mucus however, is too much dryness which is only provoked by many of the drying therapies.

As the cold and dryness of winter set in, the deeper mucous membranes in the bronchioles and lungs dry out along with the sinuses, making you much more susceptible to a cold and flu.

Two things must happen to avoid this situation and avoid fall allergies and winter colds. First, the sinuses must be kept from getting too dry, and second, the heat in the body must be kept at bay with cooling summer foods and herbs from the beginning to the end of summer. When fruits like apples, pears and pomegranates come into season this fall, consume them heartily as they are harvested in the fall for the purpose of cooling the blood and providing the fiber to cleanse the colon.

In nature many of the immune stimulating and blood purifying bitter herbs are harvested in the fall also. The deer therefore will chew on the berberine-rich rhizomes of plants like Oregon grape and goldenseal to cool and clean the hot summer blood, while stimulating the immune systems for the winter months to come.

It might be difficult for some of us to eat so close to the harvest of nature. As a society we have lost much of our natural connection to nature that was very much a part of American life before we stopped growing our own food.

I believe strongly that it is a lifestyle in harmony with the cycles of nature that will provide the most protection for us against stress and the vast array of new and exotic diseases that have been recently discovered.In Ayurveda, it is understood that as the seasons change so must we. At the end of each season impurities specific to that season, build up and need to be cleansed. At the end of summer, the blood, liver and skin need to be cleansed.

Ayurveda recommends seasonal cleansing called panchakarma (five actions of purification.) They last three, five or seven days and are so luxurious that they were once reserved for the Kings and Queens of ancient times. The goal of panchakarma is to cleanse, rejuvenate and directly address the degenerative effects of stress on our bodies. These treatments were designed to access the nervous system, remove the stress and toxicity, and replace it with an experience of silence. It attempts to establish an internal hub of calm much like the eye of a hurricane, the bigger the eye, the more powerful the winds, and the more productive we can be.

Have a great Fall and Winter!

Further Information

http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=43