boosting your immune system

                   October is almost over, the days are getting shorter and colder, the trees are showing shades of yellow, orange and red. Soon their limbs will be naked. Winter is approaching fast. The flu season is upon us. This is the time to boost our immune system and prepare to confront the cold and dark months ahead.

                    Winter can be fun and enjoyable indoors and outdoors. We have to prepare our body and mind. We'll begin with some important tips and follow up with a basic description of our immune system and how does it work.

•     This is a time to become more introspective, to rest and meditate. At the same time it is important to continue being physically active. Exercise is as important as good eating habits.      

•     Warm and hearty soups, whole grains and roasted nuts, winter green vegetables fortify the kidneys. 

•      Salty and bitter foods cool the exterior of your body, a cool surface will help you to endure the cold and bring body heat deeper.

•       Pungent flavors among other things provide protection against mucus conditions as the common cold.

•       Bitter flavors also are helpful for inflammations and infections.

           We'll give some examples of foods according to their flavors.

•        Pungent flavors: cayenne, scallion, garlic and chamomile, excellent to stimulate sweating during the common cold. Ginger and cinnamon are hot pungent flavors  excellent for overcoming coldness, these herbs are warming for a long spa of time, on the other hand cayenne and other peppers are very warm but after half an hour or so their effect is reversed and become cooling.
•       When you come home feeling cold after being out in the rain or snow a cup of ginger tea with honey will warm you up. Also very effective for chills.
•        Pungent foods: cabbage,turnip, radish, consumption of these foods raw will maximize their benefits but they are still excellent slightly cooked. 
•        Hot peppers and  chillies protect the lungs, better if raw. Smokers should take advantage of their benefits. 

•       Salty foods:  Salt, miso, seaweed, soy sauce, millet.
•       Salt is a controversial substance, nowadays presented in very refined, denatured  manner like sugar, pastas and pastries. we'll present a detailed analysis of salt in the next chapter.    

•       Bitter foods: lettuce, watercress,asparagus, celery, oats, quinoa, amaranth 

•       Bitter herbs: burdock root, horsetail and chaparral.