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Food Fighters

Feeling ill? Before you pop that pill, it might be worth taking a look in your larder. Consultant dietitian Sarah Keogh advises which foods can help you fight off illness and other conditions

We are made from the food that we eat so it is no surprise that many common ailments can be treated with food. What we eat decides how healthy our immune system will be and how well our body is able to deal with day-to-day toxins, infections and bacteria. For many common problems a change in what we eat can reduce, if not remove, the problem. Following some general healthy eating guidelines is always a good place to start but there are times when some extra help is needed. See some food solutions to some common problems below:

We are made from the food that we eat so it is no surprise that many common ailments can be treated with food. What we eat decides how healthy our immune system will be and how well our body is able to deal with day-to-day toxins, infections and bacteria. For many common problems a change in what we eat can reduce, if not remove, the problem. Following some general healthy eating guidelines is always a good place to start but there are times when some extra help is needed. See some food solutions to some common problems below:

Colds

Most people catch at least one cold every year, but how you look after it can determine how long you will have to suffer. A cold is always a sign that you’ve been doing too much – which is why so many people catch them around Christmas. The first and best cure for a cold is rest, but failing that there are a few foods that can help.

Hot lemon drinks – made with real lemon. Add the juice of half a lemon to a cup of hot water with a spoonful of honey. Lemon is a natural decongestant as well as a source of vitamin C, and honey has an antiseptic effect that can give your immune system a helping hand.

Fish – not a traditional cold cure, but fish is rich in zinc, which is known to be very useful in boosting your immune system and helping to fight colds.

Garlic – not a people-friendly cure, but garlic is a natural anti-viral and since colds are caused by viruses, this is the way to go. If you are feeling brave, chewing a whole clove of garlic is very effective. For those with a lower pain threshold, add garlic to soups, stews and salad dressings. Garlic supplements may also be useful.

Onions – This vegetable contains a substance that triggers your body to produce ‘killer’ cells. These killer cells literally swallow invading viruses and bacteria, and so help to protect you from developing colds in the first place as well as helping you to get over them faster. Add onions to soups and casseroles or try roasting an onion in its skin in the oven.

Dry Skin

While a good moisturiser can really help dry skin, it is worth looking at what you are feeding your skin in the first place.

Essential oils – Dry skin is usually a sign that you are missing out on some essential fats like gamma linolenic acid and omega-3 fats. Gamma linolenic acid or GLA is found in evening primrose oil. GLA’s job is to hold water in the skin, and a defect in GLA metabolism is a major cause of eczema. Even if your problem is simply dry skin, rather than eczema, GLA can help.

Try a supplement of evening primrose or starflower oil everyday. It does take six weeks to three months to start seeing an effect, so don’t give up if your problem isn’t solved overnight.

Omega-3 Fats – These essential fats are also needed for healthy skin. You can find them in oil-rich fish like salmon, trout, mackerel and herring as well as nuts and seeds like linseeds, walnuts and almonds. Try to eat oil-rich fish at least once a week, but more often if possible.

A hearty bowl of lentil soup and 100% wholemeal bread contains high fibre for better breath.

Bad breath and body odour

These can be quite distressing problems and many people spend a fortune on mouth washes, deodorants and trips to the dentist to try to sort out the problem. Did you know that constipation is a major cause of bad breath and body odour? People often think that if they go to the toilet regularly they are not constipated, but actually, you can be very constipated even if you go everyday. How do you know if you are constipated? Ideally you should go to the bathroom everyday, what you pass should look like a cracked sausage, be soft and should come out with no effort. If you find yourself straining to go to the toilet or if you produce lots of small hard pieces, even if you go everyday, then you have constipation.

Why does constipation lead to bad breath? – Basically, your bowel is your body’s waste pipe. When your body wants to get rid of waste or toxins it looks to the bowel to take on the bulk of the work. If the bowel isn’t clearing out the way it should, the body has to look for other ways to get rid of waste. Your lungs and your skin are two less well-known ways for the body to get rid of waste. Being constipated means your body starts to push toxins and waste through your skin and lungs, leading to problems like bad breath and body odour.

The solution? – A high-fibre diet. This involves more than just a bowl of porridge everyday – although that is a great place to start. You need a high fibre cereal everyday and you need wholegrain bread, brown rice, wholegrain pasta or jacket potatoes at lunch and at dinner. You need at least three pieces of fruit everyday and you should eat vegetables at lunch and at dinner. Add some seeds like linseeds or sunflower seeds to cereals for an extra fibre boost and go for beans as often as you can - kidney beans, chickpeas and baked beans are all excellent sources of fibre. Do remember to increase the amount of water you drink when you increase your fibre – you need about 1.8 litres everyday.

Yoghurt may help to balance the bacteria in your stomach which can cause over-production of stomach acid.

Heartburn

A surprisingly large number of Irish people suffer from heartburn and indigestion. Heartburn is a burning sensation which occurs when acid from your stomach is moved up into your throat and burns the delicate lining. Heartburn has lots of causes. A physical problem like a hiatus hernia weakens the barrier that keeps acid in your stomach and it is best to discuss this problem with your GP. Another cause is over-production of acid by your stomach. However, quite a bit of heartburn is down to over-eating and to eating the wrong foods.

Avoid certain foods – If you suffer from heartburn it is worth avoiding certain foods for a few weeks. Tomatoes, chocolate, coffee, strong tea and cola drinks may make your stomach produce more acid, so avoiding these for a while can help to settle the problem. Alcohol is also worth avoiding as it irritates the lining of your throat and stomach and can lead to excess acid. Beer is the worst offender but any alcohol will upset the stomach. Taking a probiotic drink may help to balance the bacteria in your stomach which can cause over-production of stomach acid. Take one every day but avoid hot drinks for about twenty minutes afterwards. Milk and yoghurt naturally raise the pH of the stomach and are quite soothing. Try some live yoghurt or a glass of milk when you have symptoms.

Eat less – One of the most important things to do if you suffer form heartburn is to stop overfilling your stomach. You should never be ‘full’ at the end of a meal as it makes it difficult for your stomach to break down your food. Don’t feel that you have to clear your plate. Stop eating as soon as you start to feel even a little bit full – you’ll be surprised at how much this will help. Finally, a lot of heartburn may indicate a more serious problem, so always get yourself checked out by your GP if it lasts more than two weeks.

Getting it right

Giving your body the right building materials means that your body can work with you to help deal with common problems. However, not everything can be solved with food and some problems do need medical advice. If you have a persistent problem do consult your GP.

This information has been reproduced with kind permission of Zahra Publishing, publishers of Easy Health. www.easyhealth.ie