Stop Feeding The Freeloading House Guest: Aka The Common Cold

    I thought I should do a post this week with some very practical information since so many people seem to be sick lately.  That said,  this post is about the food you eat and how it affects the common cold.  Food is powerful.  We all know that when you feed a stray dog, you have a friend for life. Or people will go to great lengths just for free food.  It could be the worst food ever but "hey it was free."  Maybe some of you have even had an experience with a house guest that overstayed their welcome because you just feed them so well.  Did you know that is exactly what happens when you get a cold?  The common cold is also a living organism and it loves to be fed too! Have you or anyone you known ever had a cold for weeks and weeks and weeks and you just can't seem to shake it?  That's because you gave it a free place to stay and fed it all the food it loves- why should it leave?  You have provided the perfect atmosphere for it to hang out for as long as it wanted while you trudge along miserable unable to figure out why you aren't getting better.  The more you feed it what it likes the longer it is going to freeload off of you.  This blog post is going to help you identify what type of cold you have, what foods to eat, and what foods not to eat to get rid of your cold much quicker.

    According to Chinese Medicine there are two types of the common cold: Wind-Cold and Wind-Heat   and how you and treat( (fed) both of these are very different.  

Wind-Cold                                  
Wind-cold generally sets in first and last only 1-3 days. It starts with body aches especially in the neck and  shoulders, headache, scratchy throat, fever and chills but chills are more prevalent, nasal discharge that is clear and a cough.
 

Eat This (warm in nature foods)          

ginger, garlic, onions, black tea ,      
cinnamon, slightly cooked easily      
digested foods like rice,                  
vegetables, soups, grains, and          
noodles.Ginger tea (ginger, honey    
and lemon) is an excellent to warm
the body when wind -cold sets in.

Not That (cold in nature foods)      

Avoid cold beverages, green teas,     
ice cream or frozen treats, dairy, cold         
sandwiches, most meats because    
they are hard to digest, some            
organic chicken and eggs is ok         
in moderation,  raw fruits and                      
vegetables are also cold and            
should only be eaten in moderation.

Wind-Heat
Transforms from wind-cold and goes deeper into the body so it can last several days to several weeks. Symptoms include more fever than chills, the primary symptom is sore throat, sweating, irritability, thirsty, and there may be a cough and yellow nasal discharge.

Eat This      

Neutral and bland foods are best for wind-heat. 

Basically the same simple foods that you would

eat with a wind-cold but  with out the spice. Which

means easily digested foods like oatmeal, soups,

rice, steamed vegetables, noodles, etc. Peppermint

and Chrysanthemum tea with honey is excellent 

at clearing heat and soothing a sore throat.

Not That 

(AVOID THESE FOODS LIKE THE PLAUGE!!)

Wind-heat loves hot and spicy which are 

exactly the foods you should avoid.  Onions,
cinnamon, scallions, shallots,

garlic, beef, peppers, spicy foods, fried foods,

coffee, alcohol, smoking (adds heat to the body),

greasy foods,  and dairy (produces more phlegm).
Sugar, especially white sugar, is a cold's best friend
and your worst enemy!

    If you are like me every meal starts with garlic and onion and when you are sick with wind-heat they seem innocent enough, but believe me if you can avoid these for a day or two you will really be doing yourself a favor. Heck, even if you don't believe me just pay attention to how you feel when you are sick and you consume something off of the list of foods to avoid.  You will notice your symptoms instantly getting worse. The freeloaders are feasting, having a party in your house, laughing and thanking you for the good stuff.  It really is that simple.

   Whether you are dealing with wind-cold or wind-heat, light food intake is best. Why keep feeding the freeloader?  Fasting while only drinking the appropriate tea and water can also do wonders by forcing a cold out quickly but I only suggest fasting if you are experienced and comfortable with this practice.  Otherwise just eating as little and simply as possible is really the best thing you can do. Add drinking tea and lots of water and you can get over that cold in no time. And for that sweet tooth try sweets that are made with honey, maple, or agave rather than sugar. Also, in either case of wind-cold or wind heat avoiding dairy is best.  If you have any phlegm or nasal discharge dairy will only make matters worse. Trust me on this one! If you are willing to give up a few of your regular habits for a day or two you will be amazed at how quickly you can get over what otherwise might take weeks to leave. 

Introduction

  Welcome to my blog!  Maybe some of you are visiting this site because you know me and are familiar with who I am and what I am about.  While others might be visiting the sight because the idea of Slow and Flow is intriguing to you and you want to find out more. Whatever the case may be I am thrilled and honored to have you. My name is Marnie and I have created Slow and Flow as a means of exploring and teaching the art and science of slowing down and flowing with the currents of life.  As a yoga instructor, licensed Acupuncturist, soon to be certified yoga therapist, and recovering stress junkie I have learned a thing or two about the effects that an overly hectic stressed out life-style can have on a person.  I have also learned a thing or two about how to replace that stress with peace,  love, and contentment.

   Sounds pretty awesome right? Well the one thing I know for sure is that those are just pretty sounding words until you are the one to have actual personal experiences with peace, with love, and with contentment.  Without personal experience, you will never know what the truth of these words really means.  Without actual experience, it is only a story line lived out by other people.  My goal is to share with you all I know and continue to learn about slowing down and finding the flow in life.  This means moving beyond the storyline and into the experience.

   It is my belief that stress is the root cause of most dis-ease, illness, and overall discontent in the world. We have all this technology but where is the happiness?  There are so many ways to stay connected but what has happened to authentic connections?  We have all kinds of gadgets to "make life easier" but where is the ease?  True happiness, connection, and ease can never be attained from the outside world but can only be cultivated from within. Here's the kicker, in order for that to happen one needs to slow down, be quiet, and experience stillness.  Ultimately this is a major part of the journey that will lead to getting to know your Highest Self.

    So what is Slow and Flow and what does it mean to you?  Slow and Flow is balance. It is yin and yang. It is learning to find balance in all things. Maybe you are like many people who only have two speeds, high- gear and off.   Don't worry, if you don't want to slow down or don't know how to slow down life has a way of doing that for you.  An injury, illness, accident, or breakdown are really just the bodies ways of coming back to balance.  Sounds crazy, but those are ways of self regulating.  Both slowness and activity, or flow, are needed for balance in life.  Creating balance in your life can either be a conscious effort or be left to consequence. Maybe you like the adventures of being tossed around by the rough currents of an undirected life. Or maybe you choose another way. Either way the choice is yours. I once went white water rafting and they told us if we got thrown out of the boat to throw or feet out in front of us, sit back, keep your head above water,  relax in the life jacket and go with the flow of the river. Once past the rapids we got to jump out of the boat and do exactly that in calmer waters.  Either in calm or rough waters the action was the same.  It was a great experience.  In the calm or rough waters of life, being in balance means that you have learned to sit back, throw your feet up, keep your head above water and relax in the life jacket that has been cultivated by making a choice of investing in you- how you eat, your daily practices, and attitude.

    I intend to use this blog as a means of going into more detail of how to slow down, why to slow down, what happens to us when we do slow down, what happens to us when we get stuck, and how to get your life, health, body, spirit and mind back into it's natural flow.  Restorative, yin and slow flow yoga forms are where I am going to start.  Over the next few weeks I will go into greater detail about each of these forms and how they can benefit you.  From there I will also expand into other aspects of yoga including, but not limited to, the eight limbs of yoga, the Spiritual Science of Yoga, foundations, methods and techniques, diet, and  really all things yoga.  Add some Traditional Chinese Medicine wisdom, a handful of recipes, plenty of photos, a hint of humor and voila there's my blog. Welcome and enjoy!