In the last two issues we’ve looked at the way specific diet and lifestyle choices can boost your immunity in the cold winter months, when the chances of going down with a cold, flu or infection increase significantly. This month we’ll take a look at how taking your sunglasses off, keeping your feet warm, giving your skin a brush and avoiding passive smoking can all boost your immunity.

Take your sunglasses off

Even on cloudy days when the sun seems hidden, a daily dose of natural daylight provides you with a mood-boosting shot of vitamin D, an essential vitamin for healthy bones, a strong and hardy immune system and a good night’s sleep.

 

Make sure you get at least 20–30 minutes of natural daylight every day, preferably without your sunglasses, glasses or contact lenses in, because you get most of your vitamin D from sunlight through your eyes. If you are away somewhere where it is very warm, then go out and get the sun exposure (without sunscreen) in the cooler part of the day. And when you’re outside remember to breathe deeply. This helps the lymphatic system to move your protective immune cells around the body.

 

Good dietary sources of vitamin D are eggs and oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, and tuna. But by far, the best source of vitamin D is through sun exposure. When your skin is exposed to ultraviolet light, your body starts to manufacture vitamin D.

 

Of course, the idea of sun exposure runs against the current popular anti-ageing theory that you should completely avoid sunlight to reduce your risk of premature wrinkling of the skin and skin caner. But sun exposure is not only good, it’s essential. As mentioned in a previous issue of Natural News it is now known to be an important factor in prevention of breast cancer and also heart disease.  But sun exposure is also important for children. In parts of Northern England rickets has reappeared because children aren’t playing outside in the sunshine enough. Rickets is caused by vitamin D deficiency.

 

Keep your feet warm

To give yourself the best chance of keeping healthy when it’s cold, wrap up before you go out, remembering to keep your hands, head, nose and –  especially – your feet warm and cosy.

 

Folklore suggests that chilling the surface of the body through wet clothes, feet and hair causes common cold or flu symptoms to develop. But past research has dismissed the relationship between chilling and viral infection as having no scientific basis. In 2005, however, researchers from Cardiff University – with the aid of bowls of ice water and people’s feet – appear to have shown that this is one piece of folklore that may indeed be true: being chilly really can encourage a cold to develop.

 

We get more winter illnesses in Britain than in any other country in Europe. The reason for this may be that we under-dress. Researchers visiting European cities found that when the temperature drops, people put on hats, scarves, gloves and anoraks. We don’t. We stand around shivering waiting for buses and trains, and that is really bad news. When you shiver, your core temperature has dropped so much that your body believes it’s an emergency. The blood gets much thicker, which causes heart attacks and strokes, and the immune system is weakened, so you pick up bugs more easily.

 

It’s important to point out that although exposure to cold and damp weather may hamper the immune function of the respiratory system, if there is no exposure to a virus, then it’s virtually impossible to get a cold. However, if you are cold and damp and come into contact with a virus, your risk of catching an infection is higher. So to give yourself the best chance of keeping healthy when it’s cold outside, wrap up warm. And put on a couple of extra socks. According to the Common Cold Research Centre, cold feet lower the effectiveness of the immune system and enable viruses to flourish. It might also be a good idea to wear a pair of socks to bed, as research also shows that warm feet increase your chances of a good night’s sleep.

 

Give your skin a brush

Dry skin brushing is another way to stimulate your lymphatic system and boost your immunity.

 

Your lymphatic system is a network of tiny fluid vessels throughout your body that transport toxins, bacteria, viruses and dead cells to lymph nodes. It’s the job of your lymph nodes to break down, deactivate and purify these waste products so they are more easily handled by the organs of elimination, the liver and kidneys. A milky white fluid called lymph carries impurities and waste away from the tissues, and passes through gland-like structures spaced throughout the lymphatic system that act as filtering valves. The lymph does not circulate in the same way as the blood does, so its movement depends largely on the squeezing effect of muscle contractions. That’s why exercise is so great for stimulating lymph flow.

 

When your lymph isn’t circulating efficiently, you’re more likely to succumb to infection and feel unwell. You’re also more likely to have dark circles under your eyes, puffiness and a pale complexion (all signs of a sluggish lymphatic system). Exercise is the most effective way to stimulate the passage of lymph through the nodes, but it can also be stimulated through dry skin brushing.

 

The skin is your body’s largest organ and when it functions efficiently, it eliminates two pounds of waste products daily, so its ability to excrete toxins is crucial. When the skin ceases to function properly, an increased burden is placed on the lymphatic system and other excretory organs. Dry skin brushing removes the top layer of skin, which helps the skin excrete toxins and other acids in the body.

 

The technique for dry skin brushing is simple. With a long-handled, firm, natural bristle bath brush, beginning at the soles of the feet and working your way up the legs, torso, back, hands and arms (in a circular motion and always toward the heart), brush away the dry, top layer of dead skin.

 

Daily dry skin brushing for 2–4 minutes is easy to fit into your morning grooming regime. It’s a great opportunity to remove dead skin cells, help remove toxins excreted by the skin, and boost your immunity by improving blood and lymphatic circulation.

 

Don’t let smoke get into your eyes

If you smoke, you need to quit – and if you don’t smoke, avoid smoky areas. Everyone is aware of the potential catastrophic impact on health of smoking. It is better not to start at all, but the sooner a smoker quits the better.

 

Because the damage caused by smoking is cumulative, the longer a person smokes the greater the risk of developing a smoking-related disease, such as lung cancer or heart disease. Quitting not only saves money, but also has added health benefits. Within one year of quitting, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker, and within ten years, the risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker. In Britain, about 120,000 people a year die through smoking – that’s more than 300 every day.

 

If you don’t smoke, the dangers of passive smoking, or spending time in areas where people smoke, are also well documented. Passive smokers also have an increased risk of lung cancer and poor health, so protect your immunity, health and well-being and stay away from smoky areas.

 

If there’s a smoker in your house, do one of two things: try to get them to quit or have them smoke outside the house. If you are continually exposed to second-hand smoke take additional vitamin C in supplement form as smoke causes excessive amounts of immune-boosting vitamin C to be eliminated from your body. Your health depends on it. (see Vitamin C Plus on the Resources Page).

This month’s case study is 40 year old ‘Suzanne’ who came to the Clinic for a New Year detox!

For the past year I had generally been feeling lethargic, my skin was dull, I felt bloated a lot of the time and I was gaining weight. I knew my diet could be better but never really got around to changing it. I worked long hours and often got home late so the last thing I wanted to do was prepare time consuming meals. A colleague at work had recently been to see a nutritionist at the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic who changed her diet and she was like a new person! I decided that a New Year meant a new me and I was the only person who could make the changes. I was fed up never feeling 100% healthy so I picked up the phone and booked my first appointment.

 

I spoke to a very helpful receptionist at the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic who explained how the clinic works and what I could expect from my first consultation. She sent a comprehensive questionnaire for me to complete and return for the nutritionist to review before meeting me.  I felt like a hypochondriac as I was going through underlining symptoms that I frequently suffered with – lack of energy, lack lustre skin, irritability, mood swings and bloating. It sounded like I was falling apart!

 

I met with the nutritionist 2 weeks later and she went through my questionnaire with me. It was very reassuring to see that she had already been through my questionnaire before meeting with me. We both agreed that the main purpose of my consultation was to generally improve my diet and I suppose give me an MOT! She explained that by addressing one key area, it can have an overall positive impact on all health aspects.   

 

The nutritionist was quite concerned by the quantity of caffeine and sugar I was consuming and the lack of fresh foods. I knew my caffeine intake had increased over the years because as my work load became heavier and I became more fatigued, the caffeine would help me through the day! The sugary biscuits and chocolate had become a daily ‘fix’ which I suppose I was addicted to. I did eat a lot of packaged foods due to lack of time. Because I was putting on weight I was choosing the low calorie/fat range of meals because I thought this was healthy. The nutritionist explained that these ‘so called’ healthy foods are in fact not at all healthy because they contain unnatural ingredients like artificial sweeteners and additives. She recommended that I try to cook from the raw ingredients as much as possible but fully appreciated the pressures of modern day living. If I was to buy packaged food like jars of curry ‘ sauce’ or soups to always read the ingredients. She said that if there were ingredients which were unidentifiable then I shouldn’t eat it! One thing that really made sense was try to think about how we evolved as a human being and this was to eat fresh, unadulterated foods – not processed foods with artificial ingredients.

 

She explained that fresh, healthy food doesn’t have to be time consuming. There are always short cuts and she gave me lots of helpful tips so I could incorporate these changes easily into my lifestyle.  

 

The nutritionist asked me to try and avoid sugar until my next appointment and reduce my coffee intake. I thought this would be incredibly hard, but after the first couple of days adjusting, it was easier than I imagined. I used some lovely herbal teas and a great coffee substitute which did in fact taste quite similar to the real thing! I snacked on oatcakes and hummus and organic dried fruit and nuts. She even gave me a simple recipe for homemade fruit and nut bars which were so easy and tasted amazing! I was eating more soups and salads with fish and beans for lunch and similar for the evening. It was so easy to put peppers, courgettes, onions and garlic into a roasting dish with olive oil and stick some salmon on top to cook in the oven. This took me the same time as it did to wait for a packaged meal to cook and it was so much cheaper, plus tasted nicer!  

  

The nutritionist explained that it’s not just about our diet when we think about detoxing – we also need to think about the products we use on our body and in our homes because many of the ingredients are highly toxic. She recommended an excellent range of natural skincare products from shampoo and body moisturiser to natural makeup. All of these natural products had been approved by Dr Marilyn Glenville.

 

I suppose I never really thought about the impact of makeup and certainly not household products on my health. The nutritionist told me about parabens (preservatives) and sodium lauryl sulphate (foaming agent) which have been linked to cancer. She explained that deodorant containing aluminium has specifically been linked to breast cancer which really worried me because I had a strong family history. The nutritionist recommended I use a natural deodorant stone which contained no harsh chemicals or perfumes and was potassium based. I was a little nervous about using this but I must say it worked as well as my usual roll on deodorant. The rose oil for my face was particularly nourishing and had a wonderful natural scent.

 

I had a follow up consultation in 8 weeks so the nutritionist could see how I was getting on with my new eating plan and new products. I told her that within a week of starring on the programme I was feeling less bloated, particularly from around my face which a lot of people commented on and by the 4^th week, my skin felt brighter and the dark circles under my eyes were fading. I had definitely lost weight without even trying and I actually had managed to give up coffee altogether which I never imagined would be possible! I had so much more energy and this helped me to feel more motivated to prepare and cook lovely meals. I can’t believe how I lived on packaged foods for so long!

 

I was won over by the natural skin and homecare products and bought some of the gift packs for my friends. I’m definitely converted and would never go back to using anything with harsh chemicals. It has definitely taught me to read labels – not just on food but on what I’m using on my skin and in the house.

 

I am so pleased that I decided to book the consultation. I usually suffer with the ‘January blues’ and dread the first few months and now I feel motivated and ready for the year ahead. My colleagues and friends have noticed such a difference in me too. Thank you so much to my nutritionist and all the team at The Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinic for their help and support and for changing not just my health but my attitude and awareness.

 

Marilyn’s Comment

 

Suzanne has come on such a long way from when she first came to the clinic. Her diet had gone from containing highly processed foods, lots of caffeine and sugar and very little fresh foods. She now eats well and enjoys it and feels the health benefits by doing so. This is such a rewarding story because unless she had taken the initiative to book the appointment she would probably still be feeling sluggish, demotivated and have dull skin. Suzanne is now a different person, not just in her health but in her attitude to what she puts in her body and on her body!

 

 

If you would like to find out more about our clinics and the products mentioned, then please see the Resources Page.

 

Most of us know that eating foods rich in bone building calcium, magnesium etc and getting plenty of bone building exercise are essential for keeping osteoporosis at bay. But did you know that stress management may be just as important?

Studies show that stress can be bad for your bones. This is because when you are stressed your body goes into overdrive and the stress hormone adrenaline is released to help you deal with the stress by either fighting or running away. The problem is this hormone should only be released during life threatening situations but the stresses many women face today, such as juggling home and work, or getting stuck in a traffic jam are demanding and irritating but not life threatening. Our bodies, however, can’t tell the difference between different kinds of stresses and as many of us lead stressful lives adrenaline is pumped out on a daily or hourly basis. Our bodies think our lives are in danger and put us in stress mode, ready to fight or run.

 

If this situation continues for too long the adrenal glands which pump out our adrenaline get exhausted. This is bad news for osteoporosis prevention on two counts. First, because the adrenal glands produce osteoporosis fighting oestrogen when our bodies reach the menopause and the ovaries no longer produce this hormone and second because when you are stressed your energy is diverted away from digestion which means that your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to keep your bones strong. If you are worried about your stress levels then you can take the Adrenal Stress Test.  It is an easy test to do because you collect four samples of saliva over the course of a day which are then sent to the lab and analysed for your levels of cortisol which is the main stress hormone along with adrenaline.  This test will show you how stressed you and what you need to do about it.  You can then re-test the levels three months later and see the difference (see the Resources Page for information on how to order this test).

 

So to protect your bones and your sanity try the following stress management technique when you feel the temperature rising:

 

Slow it down. Inhale for five seconds and then exhale for five seconds. Do this for about two minutes. Alternatively you could take five minutes every hour to shut down and think of nothing but your perfect situation. This could be a dream holiday or simply thinking about doing nothing at all. You’ll be surprised at how effectively this can lower stress levels. Day dreaming is a natural stress busting technique.