Immunity | Ask the Ayurveda Expert

Asthma    Cold    Mucus    Post Nasal Drip    Yeast Infection    Avoid the Flu    Canker Sores

Question

Every holiday season, I tend to fall victim to bugs going around. What can I do to prevent this? --S.N., Massachusetts

Answer

Holiday time also means the dreaded "flu season" in many parts of the USA, especially areas with colder climates. Something about this time of year appears to make people more susceptible to bugs, though some do manage to stay healthy regardless. According to ayurveda, sickness primarily results from an imbalance in your physiology that may be compromising your natural immunity. People who stay healthy have a strong immune system and a strong digestion/metabolism. A Shleshaka Kapha imbalance results in a buildup of moisture and phlegm in the lungs. When ama (internal toxins) also builds up in the channels of the respiratory system because of a weak digestion and combines with the aggravated Shleshaka Kapha, the result is Shleshma, a type of toxic substance that makes your lungs and respiratory system vulnerable to bugs and infections.

Dietary and lifestyle tips

• Protect yourself from extreme temperatures, both too hot and too cold.
• Avoid iced beverages, because they weaken the digestion.
• Eat pure fresh foods to provide maximum nutrition to the body. Preservative-laced foods and leftovers tax the digestion and are devoid of prana or life-energy.
• Take Flu Season Defense as a prevent measure and to bolster your natural immunity starting 45 days before the onset of the season is best.
• Protection Plus--Respiratory also provides excellentoverall support for the lungs and the respiratory system.

Please note: This ayurvedic information is education. It does not replace medical advice or treatments.