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titleHow the experts dodge a cold

subject date15-03-2021

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caption51 photography Bauersyndication. com. au / corBis / Getty imaGes How the experts DODGE A COLD “FIGHT OFF AN INFECTION WITH ANDROGRAPHIS” “As soon as you feel a cold or fl u coming on take some andrographis, an Indian herb that’s a powerful immune stimulant. Make sure the supplement you choose contains andrographolide, which will ensure that it’s an active, eff ective product, and stick to the dose that’s recommended on the bottle or advised by your practitioner because every supplement is diff erent. Vitamin C is another eff ective immunity booster. Take smaller 250-500mg doses a few times a day if you feel like you might have caught something, rather than taking a huge dose in one hit, which the body won’t be able to store and absorb. You’ll know you’re taking too much if you start to experience diarrhoea.” goodhealth. can’t face catching another cold this winter? Here, the experts tell Karen Fittall how they avoid getting sick when cold and fl u season strikes “AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE WHEN YOU’RE IN PUBLIC” “When someone with a cold sneezes, droplets containing the virus travel as far as a metre, which means that a whole variety of surfaces around them become contaminated. All it takes is for you to come along, touch that surface and then touch your face, and you risk catching something because viruses infect through what we call the mucosal membranes, the soft linings of the mouth, nose and even the eyes. You don’t need to become paranoid about not touching things, but when I’m in a public place, I do try to avoid touching my face – which is something we all do more often than we think. Getting a fl u shot is also a great way to protect against the fl u. It’s too late in the season now, but make sure you consider it next autumn.” LEAH HECHTMAN President of the National Herbalists Association of Australia DR RAYMOND CHAN Microbiologist and spokesperson for the Royal College of

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caption52 “WRAP UP WARM WITH A SCARF TO BALANCE YOUR QI” “Chinese medicine is all about balancing the fl ow of the body’s energy – or qi – to maintain wellness, and protecting the body from extremes of temperature and weather is what helps to maintain that balanced qi fl ow. So in winter, wear a scarf around your neck and throat to protect against an invasion of cold ‘pathogens’. You should also feed your body with warm, nourishing foods and drinks to keep it warm, and to promote a strong immune system. And think about visiting an acupuncturist who will be able to identify and work on the acupuncture points that boost and support the specifi c types of qi that increase the body’s resistance to external pathogens.” “BE GENEROUS WITH THE ECHINACEA AND GARLIC CAPSULES” “Some complementary and alternative medicines lack consistent evidence to prove their eff ectiveness at helping to prevent catching a cold or fl u, but others, like garlic and echinacea, are well supported scientifi cally. A 2007 review study of whether echinacea has preventative properties found that it can slash the risk of catching a cold by as much as 55 per cent, as well as decreasing a cold’s duration, if you catch one, by 1.4 days. Likewise, taking garlic regularly for three months has been shown to signifi cantly reduce the incidence of colds. So I suggest taking one garlic capsule a day – make sure it contains 180mg of allicin – and 300mg of echinacea, three times a day.” “USE FOOD AND EXERCISE TO STAY HEALTHY” “I try and keep colds at bay during winter using fresh, healthy food rather than looking to pills and potions. Bump up your zinc intake by eating plenty of lean red meat, fi sh and poultry as well as wholegrain cereals, reduced-fat dairy foods and diff erent types of nuts. And get as much colour into your diet as possible by eating a variety of fruit and vegies that are high in vitamin C, like citrus fruit, capsicum and bro

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caption53 “WASH YOUR HANDS REGULARLY” “Cold and fl u viruses are spread from person to person, so make sure you wash your hands regularly. By doing that, either with soap and water or using an alcoholic hand rub, you’ll help kill the bacteria and viruses that you’ve touched before they have the chance to infect you. And to avoid catching your child’s bug, teach them how to prevent any respiratory viruses that they have from being aerosolised – or in other words, sprayed into the air. Kids naturally tend to shed large volumes of respiratory viruses when they cough or sneeze, so make sure they know how to use tissues when they’re sick, and that they understand the importance of washing their hands well afterwards.” DR CHRISTOPHER BLYTH Infectious diseases physician and spokesperson for the Infl uenza Specialist Group MIM BEIM Naturopath “WHIP UP A BATCH OF IMMUNE-BOOSTING TEA” “Mix a handful of fresh thyme, a 2cm piece of ginger, grated, the juice of one lemon, the rind of half a lemon and a dash of honey with hot water and drink it regularly. Thyme is a lovely herb that’s really benefi cial for the respiratory tract, lungs and throat. And ginger not only has antibacterial properties, it’s also really warming, which helps prop up the immune system. It’s also important to keep your fl uids up when you feel like you’re coming down with something, and this tea is a nice alternative to plain water. But don’t wait too long to start brewing and sipping – the time to strike is the fi rst moment you feel a tickle in your throat or like your energy levels are dropping.” gm0813flup053 - 53 2013-06-18T14:49:16+10:00