For the love of all that is good and holy stop with the frggin’ news reports on swine flu.

Plain old seasonal flu kills thousands ever year. And Swine Flu (or H1N1) is no more severe so far as I can tell.

The Alberta Health website (http://www.health.alberta.ca/) states that the symptoms of  H1N1 are no worse than a regular flu. You should only see a doctor (emergency room) if you have trouble breathing or experience a high fever. I would say that that would be reasonable for any friggin’ sickness!

The website also says that the number of RECORDED H1N1 cases so far has been 314.  There have been 13 deaths and as far as the news goes, those have only been recorded in people with underlying problems (think asthma).

If you can do math, that is a death rate of 4%. And if you consider the fact that the symptoms are NO MORE SEVERE than regular flu there is a great chance that you or someone you know may have had H1N1 without having any knowledge of it. That means the death ratio may be closer to 2%.  See here: http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-info/influenza-H1N1-cases.html

Does that sound like something to be freaking out about and blamming our governments over? Every day there is a new scandal regarding shortages or some Hockey Team getting while “the children” go without.

This has been SO overblown. Everyone thinks that if you get Swine Flu that you’ll die. The truth is that 96% -98% of you will power through it just like any other flu.

Let’s get some perspective people!

I don’t friggin’ care if you still want a vaccine. Personally I’d take my chances with H1N1. But please stop avting like this is the plague!

Oh my god!

I had talked about microwaves in the past but for the love of mercy I can’t find that post today. So I’ll just add a new one.

Is microwaved food safe? I never thought it was but this article is the cherry on the top of my sundae of pompous right-ness! Ha ha ha.

You can read the article for yourself: http://www.alive.com/153a1a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=449

I can see how confusing it is when you get thrown all sorts of gargle at you. Everyone has ideas about how to get this mineral or vitamins or how to combine foods to get the best phytonutrient absorption. For Pete’s sake, just relax!

Here are what I think are the most basic of health principles.

1. The closer the food is to it’s original form the more healthy it is for you. When you eat whole foods you give your body the maximum nourishment available. Even eating more raw food will help you reap the total benefits of the food you eat. Heat can often times kill or deactivate enzymes in our food.

The bottom line is: when you are adequately nourished you will consume less and maintain a healthier weight. So make your meals from scratch and stop eating out of a can or a box!

2. Artificial sweeteners etc. do not stop you from losing weight. Studies show that artificial sweeteners actually cause weight gain. When you eat garbage like diet pops you are assaulting your digestive system and that affects how your metabolism works. You will gain weight and could cause damage to your body. There have been studies that show that when rodents are exposed to artificial sweeteners they develop tumours and have babies with birth defects.

You can read the article and view the comments on my artificial sweeteners article for starters.

3. Try to eat less sugar (even natural sources of sugars (not including fruit)). Sugar suppresses your immune system and makes you more likely to get sick. It also affects your mood in a negative way. You’ll be happier without that box of chocolate chip cookies. Trust me.

Cut out all forms of sugar for a week or two and you’ll be able to eliminate the craving. If you choose to do that just be aware that there is sugar in all  sorts of items you wouldn’t automatically think of…like bread for instance.

4. Watch your portion sizes. Meat is one of the items that is often over eaten. I am quite serious when I say that meat will kill you. You would be better off switching to plant sources of protein. These help fight disease instead of encouraging it’s growth and will help keep your digestive system more regular and healthy. Try to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. These are your disease fighters! Plus they keep you regular and that is a major component to good health.

5. Make better choices by reading labels. Let’s say you really want a salty treat. Potato chips are out. See my post on MSG. You can substitute with some tortilla chips (I choose one that uses organic corn because I try to avoid GMO when I can) and some homemade or organic store bought salsa or guacamole. I really try to advocate for making your own food but certified organic can be almost as good since they can not use chemical preservative etc. When it’s organic it has to be food! You can’t have organic chemicals.

Just find a better alternative to your craving. An organic dark chocolate bar instead of a Snickers, a cup of fruit juice instead of pop.

6. Get some fresh air and sunshine. This will make you happier and therefore healthier.

7. Try to use less chemicals in your home.  I have been cleaning with lemon juice, baking soda, vinegar and cream of tartar for over a month now and it works just as well. If you clean with vinegar though, make sure you air out the room before you have company over. The smell does linger a bit. But it’s still better than that stinging Windex smell to me.

But most importantly, just enjoy your food. Don’t get frustrated that you don’t know which salad to eat. Just take it one day at a time.

We all want good immune systems. Sometimes we tell ourselves that we are sick because of our genetics or blame it on the season. It’s true that flu season can bring down even the healthiest but what about those of us who are chronically sick with back to back colds, flus, allergies etc.? Is there anything that we can do to boost our immune system?

 

YES!

 

Here are the worst offenders for a deppressed immune system:

1. Diet

2. Lack of sunshine

3. Lack of exercise

4. Lack of sleep or too much sleep

5. Mental Atitude or stress

 

1. Diet:

 

 

It’s my opinion that diet is the most important of these. Your diet can affect your health, immunity, energy levels, weight, skin condition and much, much more. The major offenders are refined foods (white sugar, white flour and white rice (especially minute rice) and processed foods. Avoid sugary cereals, cakes and cookies, candies, pop, white bread, chips, processed meats and cheeses, meals that you heat up in microwaves and in your ovens. Making your meals from scratch with wholesome ingredients is always healthier. Use garlic and onions in your cooking. These really help to boost immunity. You can always try Maitake and Shiitake mushrooms in your soups and stir-frys.

 

The changes can be relatively simple. You can substitute brown rice or Basmati rice instead of white rice. They’ll take longer to cook but so what? Your body’s health if worth the extra effort. Use rolled oats instead of quick oats, whole grain (or whole wheat) bread instead of white, use whole grain pastas or brown rice vermicelli instead of the white options and buy frozen or fresh fruits instead of canned (which can have additives or even sugar added). These are just some of the changes you can make in your diet to boost your immunity and, therefore, your overall health.

 

Not only will these small changes keep your immune system stronger, they will help you lose weight. These foods are foods that have a low glycemic index, which means that they take longer for your body to convert to sugar (or energy) and that leaves your body feeling fuller longer.

 

Once you get sick there are adjustments you can make to help your body recuperate faster. Avoid all the “food offenders,” stay warm, drink lots of water, get lots of sleep and reduce any other stressors to allow your body to focus on healing. A little fresh air and sunshine will be beneficial as well.

 

If you have a cold, more specifically a cough, you should avoid foods that increase mucous secretions until you feel better. These include milk, potatoes, bananas, oatmeal, etc. If it coats your throat, it will make you cough! Once you have taken these offenders out of your diet you need to cut out the foods that weaken your immune system. Broths and teas are a great beverage option for getting better. These warm fluids will be soothing to your throat and are healthier options! Warm water with lemon can also be satisfying.

 

2. Lack of sunshine:

 

 

Sunshine is important because it gives our bodies Vitamin D and plays a major role in keeping your mood elevated (which is important in keeping immunity up). We’ve all heard of Cabin Fever. It’s the exact same principle. We are designed for sunshine and socializing. Also, to get sunshine you usually have to get fresh air too and fresh air can help rejuvenate you within minutes. Spending a whole day outside will exhaust you and guarantee a great night’s sleep.

 

Getting sunshine seems difficult at times (especially in the winter). But try these little tips next time you head out:

·         Park far away from the store/restaurant so you have to walk in the semi-fresh air and sunshine for a bit.

·         Go to the Farmer’s Market for tomatoes. You’ll get fresh tomatoes, fresh air, sunshine and a bit of socialization.

·         Ride your bike to work on sunny days.

·         Walk to your mail box (unless it’s on your porch).

·         Garden, do yard work, go for a walk.

 

3. Lack of exercise:

 

 

Exercise is one of those things that we aren’t usually keen on doing but is very important in maintaining a health body. It helps to pump blood to your body at a faster rate and this increases cell regeneration (causing a younger, healthier body). A well oxygenated body is a healthy body. Exercise also helps to keeps your weight in check and it will also lift your spirits and make you feel much more energetic.

 

There is a requirement for balance here as well. Exercising too much will cause a stress response in the body and can weaken your immunity. It can even cause weight gain. I think that an hour of exercise a day should be sufficient. Some good ways to stay committed to exercising are to have a buddy who will exercise with you, joining a class that will keep you accountable to going or joining some kind of a group. Making friends in those places can also encourage you to keep going. The Running Room has a numerous groups of runners with different experience levels that meet every week to run. The most important thing is finding an activity that you enjoy. Running, walking, rock climbing, dancing, aerobics, swimming, yoga or pilates, rollerblading, paintballing, skateboarding, cycling, cross-country skiing, whatever! Be creative. If you enjoy it then find a way to do it.

 

4. Lack of sleep or too much sleep:

 

 

Sleep is vital to a healthy body. I am a strong believer that NO ONE fits into a certain mould. There are no specific formulas for health. Some people need more sleep and some need less.

 

If you don’t get enough sleep your body is unable to recuperate from the day. When you sleep is when your brain rests and your body repairs itself from the day’s stresses. It is crucial that your body gets this down time. It creates too much stress on your cardio-vascular system to give your body so little rest.

 

I think that anything between six to eight hours of sleep is appropriate (on average). The recommended time is eight but I think some people will just need more. And I think the healthiest of all is establishing a routine. How I wish I had one again! When you have a routine (In bed by 11pm and up by 6am), your body becomes accustomed to this pattern and your quality of sleep will be improved. 

 

Too much sleep has been linked to health problems. BBC News states that there is a link between too much sleep and earlier death. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1820996.stm 

 

How do you know if you have had too much sleep? If you have slept from more than eight hours and are still feeling tired then you are getting too much sleep. Sleeping in until noon, is unhealthy.

See also: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/09/24/sleep-study.html

 

 

5. Mental Atitude or stress:

 

Stress plays a major part on our health. It can raise our blood pressure, increase weight gain and cause a host of other medical problems. You need to identify the stressors in your life. Is it work? Family? Food?

 

Once you have discovered what is causing the bulk of the stress in your life you need to work towards changing that. Maybe it’s working less hours at work, getting a new job, getting out of the house more often, giving up the second vehicle to save on finances, cutting out some trying relationships, stuff like that. The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier offers some good recommendations for evaluating the balance in your life between complimentary stress (exercise), uncomplimentary stress (work related, food related) and production stress (necessary (like working extra hard to finish a project at work)).

 

Your health requires you to take care of yourself.

 

Attitude can also make a big difference. Happy people are healthy people. Things like sunshine, diet and exercise can help us to be happier and therefore healthier. If you are suffering from a case of blues that even sunshine can’t fix then you may want to get a bit of help from Mother Earth.

 

When I was pregnant with my second son I suffered from depression. I started taking supplements of St. John’s Wort and it worked like a charm. St. John’s Wort has NO attributed symptoms and is safe for almost everyone. The only problem with St. John’s Wort is that if can de-activate some of the drugs you are taking (this is also true of grapefruit). So if you are on any other prescription drugs that are necessary for your health you will want to talk to your doctor before starting to take St. John’s Wort. Also, if you are on the Birth Control pill, you probably do not want to risk de-activating that.

 

Otherwise there are ways to get happy. Make some friends if you don’t have many. You can join a yoga class or something else you find interesting. Go out for dinner. Have a walk in the park. Listen to your favorite music. Be goofy! I like putting on silly music and dancing like an idiot in my living room with my boys. It puts us all in a better mood. Laugh. Even fake laughing leads to real laughing and it lifts your spirits. The cliché things like bubble baths are fine too. Just enjoy life and try to remember that a good job, a loving spouse, a nice house or whatever you think you need to be happy doesn’t actually make you happy. YOU have to RESOLVE to be happy. Happiness is an internal thing and it won’t matter if you have nothing or everything if you are in the right frame of mind.

 

Now, go out there, have a good day and be healthy!