Fit for winter

STEPHEN LEWIS speaks to acupuncturist Hugh MacPherson, about one option, while below local healers make their own suggestions.

IT IS common for people to have difficulty making the transition from one season to another, says Hugh MacPherson. In China, people traditionally used to visit an acupuncturist four times a year, at the change of each season, to help them make the adjustment. At this time of year, the air generally begins to get damp. It can be an especially difficult time for those whose bodies find it difficult coping with winter, such as people with weak lungs or asthma sufferers.

Hugh, who runs the York Clinic for Complementary Medicine in Tadcaster Road, says that acupuncture is very good at boosting the immune system, helping your body to fight off infections, coughs and colds.

People tend to come to him with specific problems, Hugh admits, but acupuncture can be great for giving a "whole body MOT". Where it really beats orthodox medicine for complaints such as coughs and colds, however, is in its ability to help prevent you developing them, he says.

"The trouble with orthodox medicine is that it is good at dealing with things when the lungs have already gone wrong. But what it can't do is boost the natural immunity of the body. You have things like the flu jab for a specific virus, rather than boosting the whole body immunity."

Now is the ideal time to go to an acupuncturist if you want to improve your body's natural defences against winter coughs and colds. He or she will concentrate on points that deal with the lungs, as well as those that boost the immune system.

A good example of the latter are the 'three miles of leg' points, Hugh says - so-called because of the revitalising effect they have, so that even the weariest of people can walk an extra three miles.

Tests have shown, Hugh says, that stimulating the 'three miles of leg' points can improve the effectiveness of white bloods cells, one of the key components of your body's natural defences. So as well as being able to walk miles, you'll be able to fight off the flu as well.

Acupuncture is just one way of naturally boosting your body's own defences. Here, some of York's other leading complementary practitioners outline some other alternatives.

THE HOMEOPATH

Rowena Field treats patients at the Healing Clinic in Fulford Cross, York

Homeopaths tend to believe that one or two colds a year are no bad thing. However, recurrent colds or ones that drag on for a long time are a different matter.

There are two main approaches with homeopathy - either to strengthen the immune system by taking what's called a constitutional remedy which really necessitates seeking the help of a professional homeopath, or to treat the cold at the time it happens - and this is something you can do safely yourself. These remedies are frequently used to treat colds and flu:

Aconite - very useful in the first stages of a cold which has come on suddenly especially as the result of getting chilled.

Allium Cepa - an all-purpose cold remedy if you have a very runny nose with burning discharge and runny eyes.

Arsenicum - The cold often starts in the nose which has a thin, watery discharge. You sneeze a lot and feel chilly and restless. You often feel thirsty but like to take only sips of water at a time.

Bryonia - The symptoms are slow to develop but will often tend up with the cold going on your chest producing a dry, painful cough.

Ferrum Phos - a good catch-all remedy when the flu has got right into your bones, which ache. You feel very thirsty and feel better for sweating.

Gelsemium - shakiness and shivering are characteristic of a flu that can be treated with Gelsemium. You feel very tired and weak, your muscles feel heavy and you often have a headache.

Having decided on a remedy the next decision is how often to take it. For colds and flu this is fairly straightforward and will depend on the potency or strength of the remedy. A 6c is best taken four times a day, a 30c twice a day. As with all homeopathic remedies it is helpful to avoid having anything to eat or drink for 10 minutes before and after taking the remedy to give your body a good chance to really absorb the remedy.

THE NUTRITIONAL THERAPIST

Azizah Clayton is a freelance lecturer/trainer in Bioenergetic Medicine and Nutritional Therapist. She can be contacted on 01904 425850 or at

azizahclayton@aol.com

The primary job of the immune system (IS) is to protect the body against disease, infections and development of cancer. The IS consists of a collection of cells which seek out to destroy bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, precancerous cells, cancer cells and other foreign invaders.

Recurrent and/or chronic infections - even very mild colds - are signs of a weakened IS and they can produce a repetitive cycle. A weakened IS leads to infections; infection causes damage to the IS which further weakens resistance.

Nutrient deficiency is the most frequent cause of a depressed immune function and combined with a stressful lifestyle and a chemically laden environment these factors go a long way to explain poor IS.

Optimal immune function requires a healthy diet that:

is rich in whole natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, seeds and nuts;

is low in refined sugars;

is low in saturated fats and high in natural fats;

contains adequate but not excessive amounts of protein;

includes five to six glasses of filtered water a day.

There are dietary factors that depress immune function, such as excess sugar consumption, allergenic foods, high cholesterol levels in the blood, excess damaged fats and lack of natural fats, and dietary factors that enhance immune function. These include all essential nutrients, antioxidants and phytonutrients such as carotenes, lycopenes and flavonoids.

Nutritional supplements

Just because you can buy nutritional supplements over the counter does not mean it is safe in all circumstances; always seek advice from your physician or qualified therapist before you embark on a programme of nutritional supplements.

Immune System Boosters & Enhancers:

Antioxidants - vitamins A, C, E; minerals selenium & zinc; alpha lipoic acid and coQ 10.

Herbs - garlic, aloe vera, devil's claw, mushrooms extracts (shittake, maitake, reishi, PSK (corialus versicolor), mistletoe, astralagus, pau d'arco, the ginsengs, liquorice

Phytochemicals - saffron, ginger, tumeric, cumin, clove, green tea, lycopene, quercetin, resveratrol, broccoli sprout extract.

Infection fighters:

Echinacea, goldenseal, olive leaf extract, oil of oregano, tea tree oil, grape seed extract.

Immune modulators - bioactive whey protein, transfer factors, colostrum-derived products (lectoferrin), plant glucans, phytosterols.

THE MEDICAL HERBALIST

Donald Purves is a consulting medical herbalist who sees patients at the Healing Clinic in Fulford Cross, York. Echinacea, cold and flu tea and magic tea are all available there

To catch cold, the tissues have to be in a poor state of health and tone.

Your respiratory system's primary defence is not the immune system but maintaining a correct state of the tissues by eating healthy regular meals based on wholefoods, managing your activity and rest, and trying to ensure good air quality at home, in the street, on the bus, and at work (if you can't avoid pollution, campaign for better air quality!)

If you have recurring infections despite all this, you may boost your immune system with Echinacea tincture, 20 drops three times a day.

There is no time limit to use, but ensure you use an organic and cultivated product, because wild Echinacea is being picked into extinction.

Alternatively, visit a medical herbalist who will make up a tailor made herbal medicine for you based on your whole body's response assessed by a comprehensive confidential consultation.

Treating Colds and Flu

Fever is a vital response of the body to throw off pathogenic influences. It speeds up metabolism, encouraging elimination of toxins and infecting organisms; generating heat which discourages respiratory infections which prefer it cool. A neckerchief round a sore throat will sometimes nip colds in the bud.

Cold and flu tea, consisting of yarrow, elder and peppermint, is a good standby. It will relieve symptoms and aid swift recovery

Herbal Treatment of Fevers

A "Magic tea" of marshmallow leaves, peppermint leaves, linden flowers and elder flowers supports the digestion and encourages sweating. Sweating reduces the fever but also excretes toxins to help eliminate pathogenic influences.

Hopi Ear Candles

Acupuncturist June Tranmer uses Hopi Ear Candles with some of her patients at the Healing Clinic in Fulford Cross, York.

Hopi ear candles are not so much a candle, more a tube made of pure cotton soaked in a healing mixture of beeswax, sage, camomile and other herbs and then dried and rolled. They have been regularly used by both Northern and Southern American native peoples and people of the Siberian prairies and Asia.

The candles work by warming the air in the outer canal, and with the 'chimney effect' through the tube create a vibration of air in the ear canal, imparting a feeling of expansion, warmth and relaxation.

This is soothing and helpful for: headaches, earaches, hayfever, ear noise (tinnitus), sinus problems, stress and nervousness, improving the sense of smell and freeing the breathing.

Used on a regular basis, the candles can contribute to maintaining good health and preventing colds and ear and sinus problems.

They are perfectly safe if used according to the instructions, and the following contraindications are observed: not to be used if there is a perforated eardrum, or if grommets are inserted.

Contact the York Clinic in Tadcaster Road on 01904 709688. The Healing Clinic in Fulford Cross, York, is on 01904 679868.

Updated: 10:07 Monday, November 04, 2002