With Winter now upon us, it is absolutely vital that we take measures to boost our immune system and help our bodies ward off colds and flu. In this article, I share some of my top, easy to implement tips for avoiding infections this Winter.

 Tips for avoiding infections this winter

Improve Gut Health.

70% of our immune system is located in our gut, so it makes sense to support digestion. Probiotics and a diet low in sugar and refined carbohydrates are important factors in optimizing our immune system. Staying away from sugary comfort foods during winter can be difficult, however important during this time.

Vitamin D

It’s no co-incidence that as our exposure to the sun diminishes during winter, our susceptibility to infections increases. Much research has shown how important Vitamin D is for immune health. Optimizing your vitamin D levels with greater than a 1000iu per day is essential.

Garlic

Raw or aged garlic extracts have a wonderful traditional use in preventing infections. Over the last decade, many studies have confirmed its immune potentiating activity. Add it to your food or try the aged Kyolic garlic extract

Zinc and Vit C

There are a range of nutrients that have a positive impact on the immune system, none more important than Vitamin C and Zinc. If your Vitamin C and Zinc are low, the immune cells become sluggish and don’t activate efficiently leaving your very susceptible to an infection.

Activity/sleep/Good food/Stress

While we know how important nutrition is in the prevention of infections, all this good work counts for zero if your lifestyle doesn’t support good health. Quality sleep, regular activity, good stress management and a clean low sugar diet are critical for optimal immune function. By not paying attention to these elements will ultimately result in sub-optimal health and poor immune function.

Tips for fighting an infection this winter

The latest results from the Australian Psychological Society Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey revealed that 26 percent of Australians suffer from symptoms of moderate to severe depression, the prevalence having increased significantly since their inaugural survey performed five years earlier. As such, updated clinical guidelines from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry couldn’t have come at a more welcomed time. Excitingly, these guidelines which are touted as providing the most up-to-date evidence available internationally for the treatment of mood disorders, included positive recommendations for six complementary therapies. Specifically, they concluded:

• Omega-3 fatty acids may alleviate depressive symptoms in milder cases of major depression and bipolar depression when used alongside prescription medication.

• N-acetyl cysteine appears to have some symptom reduction efficacy in bipolar depression at a dose of 1.0 g twice daily, and possibly in major depression.

• St John’s Wort demonstrates similar efficacy to SSRIs in mild to moderate-major depression.

• Folate (including 5-methyltetrahydrofolate), S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) and zinc may assist with depressive symptoms when used as an adjunct to prescription medications.

Whilst the benefits described are relatively modest, this is a positive step to facilitate an allied relationship between Natural Healthcare Practitioners and mental health specialists such as Psychologists and Psychiatrists to gain greater traction in helping our patients to turn their frown upside down.

Thought that swapping your daily can of cola for a freshly made, store-bought ‘juice’ was a step in the right direction?

This infographic will open your eyes to just how much sugar is lurking in your  favourite beverage.

 

http://www.healthyfoodguide.com.au/blogs/sarah/2014/october/08/how-much-sugar-drink

 

Are you:

•  Tired for no reason?
•  Having trouble getting up in the morning, even after a good night sleep?
•  Depending on coffee to keep you going?
•  Feeling run down, stressed or overwhelmed?
•  Dragging yourself through each day?
•  Craving salty or sweet snacks?
•  Struggling to keep up with life’s daily demands?
•  Unable to bounce back from stress or illness?
•  Not having fun anymore?
•  Experiencing decreased sex drive?
•  Simply too tired to enjoy life?
•  You feel more awake, alert and energetic after 6PM than you do all day.

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions you may be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue.

What Is Adrenal Fatigue?

Adrenal fatigue is a collection of signs and symptoms, known as a syndrome, that results when the adrenal glands function below the necessary level. Most commonly associated with intense or prolonged stress, it can also arise during or after acute or chronic infections, especially respiratory infections such as influenza, bronchitis or pneumonia. As the name suggests, its paramount symptom is fatigue that is not relieved by sleep but it is not a readily identifiable entity like measles or a growth on the end of your finger. You may look and act relatively normal with adrenal fatigue and may not have any obvious signs of physical illness, yet you live with a general sense of unwellness, tiredness or “gray” feelings. People experiencing adrenal fatigue often have to use coffee, soft drinks and other stimulants to get going in the morning and to prop themselves up during the day.

“A simple Saliva Hormone test assessing both Cortisol and DHEA will provide valuable information about adrenal gland function, and importantly, is adrenal fatigue the cause of your lack of energy  ”

 

According to the World Health Organization, depression is a worldwide problem that affects an estimated 350 million people. Not only that, depressive disorders are among the most common psychiatric problems in people who have coronary artery disease (CAD)—the most common type of heart disease.

 

It’s such a concern that the American Heart Association has been urged to elevate depression to the status of “official risk factor for adverse medical outcomes” in patients with heart disease. And it’s not just heart patients who are at risk of negative outcomes due to depression. Studies have also found higher risk of illness and death among physically healthy people who develop depression.

Given all this, a recent study published in December 2015 aimed to assess whether depression and/or anxiety raise the risk of all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events in participants with and without CAD.

The researchers followed 2,390 patients at the Montreal Heart Institute for 8.8 years. The patients underwent testing for CAD and psychiatric assessments, and had data collected on other risk factors for disease (smoking, presence of high cholesterol or diabetes, use of medications, body mass index, etc.).

During the observation period, 721 people had at least one major cardiac event, and 165 died—48 percent of deaths were due to cancer, while 32 percent were due to cardiac causes.

Participants who suffered from depressive disorder at the start of the study were more than three times more likely to die compared to patients who had no history of depression. However, there was no link between anxiety disorders and mortality among people with or without CAD.

When results were examined based on CAD status, they revealed a link between depression and all-cause mortality only in those who did not have CAD. Among participants without CAD, those who had depression were four times more likely to die than non-depressed participants. In contrast, patients who had CAD and depression were not at an increased risk of mortality compared to non-depressed counterparts.

 

What could explain these findings?

According to the researchers, CAD patients often are involved in extensive treatment programs that focus on both physical and mental health. So depression can be treated before it worsens or turns into a bigger concern.

In contrast, unlike CAD patients, physically healthy patients who suffer from depression usually are not under the constant care and supervision of a medical team. Decreased motivation and lack of desire to take care of oneself are hallmark symptoms of depression, and these behaviors can lead to dangerous lifestyle choices (smoking, excessive drinking, poor diet and physical inactivity).

These habits, as you know, dramatically raise the risk of serious, and potentially deadly, diseases, including obesity, cancer and CAD. The researchers also noted that depression may cause physiological changes (inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, to name a few) that elevate risk of fatal diseases.

As for the lack of connection between CAD and anxiety, the researchers explain that people with anxiety are actually less likely to engage in risky behaviors that can lead to early demise (such as smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, refusal to comply with medical treatments or regimens, etc.). Interestingly, anxiety sufferers tend to be proactive and vigilant when it comes to taking care of themselves, possibly because they are hypersensitive to even small bodily changes. As a result, they may seek out medical treatment more often and follow through with doctor’s orders.

Natural Depression Treatments

Whether or not you currently have heart problems, one thing is clear: Depression is not to be taken lightly. It is a serious condition that should not be swept under the rug or “dulled” with smoking, excessive drinking, binge eating or other destructive behaviors.

Up to 75 percent of people with depression start using some type of antidepressant, the most common of which are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). But more and more research is showing that these drugs are barely effective in the vast majority of users. One study reported, “Meta-analyses of FDA trials suggest that antidepressants are only marginally efficacious compared to placebos and document profound publication bias that inflates their apparent efficacy.”

Even worse, antidepressants carry a lot of risk. All of these drugs have “black box” labels warning patients that the drugs may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and young adults. Other serious side effects include (ironically) worsening depression, anxiety, panic attacks, irritability and hostility, as well as physical symptoms such as insomnia, nausea, dizziness and diarrhea.

Given the risks versus benefits, if you are dealing with depression, antidepressants should be your last resort. The first thing you need to do is seek out a psychologist or therapist experienced in treating mood disorders. Research indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy are two very effective options.

If you and/or your medical team find you need additional help, before turning to antidepressants, consider trying herbs or nutrients that elevate mood naturally. Some that are backed by solid research include St. John’s wort, SAM-e, omega-3 fatty acids and folic acid.