Keeping a Healthy Dad During the Fall

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Our SingleDad Tool Box Health Advisor, Dr. Kelly Austin, N.D. gives us her best advice on keeping Dads healthy this fall.

Getting your children back to school often means exposure to a whole new set of colds and flu. Children come home with runny noses, coughs, sneezes…and it isn’t long before we as parents are sharing in the misery. The only problem is, as adults it can hit us harder and last longer. One of the best ways to treat cold and flu is to boost immunity and strengthen the body’s defenses as early in the year as possible, to prevent the cycle of cold-catching from grabbing on to your family.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine, sees the common cold and flu as an invasion to the body by external pathogens. Strengthening the qi (or energy) of the body builds resistance to cold and flu.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) teaches that there is no such thing as perfect health, symptoms are distinct indicators of how exactly the body is out of balance. Everyone has a natural tendency to tilt that balance off into a particular direction. It is the way your body first starts to show you that things need to be fixed through rest or proper diet and exercise. For some it might be their stomach—they constantly struggle with irregular bowels, foods irritate their sensitive systems, and when they get upset, a stomachache or lack of appetite is immediate. Others it may be their lungs—they are constantly battling allergies, asthma, and the common cold. The list can go on. TCM works with you to help you identify these tendencies, bring balance back to your system, and ultimately prevent future occurrence.

Traditional Chinese Medicine divides the year into five specific seasons, which correspond to the five elements. These elements also correspond to various parts of the body. Autumn corresponds to the Metal element, which rules the Lungs. This is why individuals with constitutionally weakened Lungs can find themselves constantly fighting illness from September to December. The Lungs are easily affected by fleeting events, and are the body’s first line of attack from external influences. By using acupuncture, food and herbal therapy, and exercise to strengthen the Lungs, resistance to illness is strengthened.

Commonly found foods and herbs are useful in both preventing and treating cold and flu. They can easily be incorporated into the diets of both you and your children.

Here are some ideas to keep both kids and parents healthy and happy this autumn:

1) Dark green and orange/yellow fruits and vegetables: Apricot, pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, mustard greens, chard, kale, and spinach. These vegetables are high in bioflavinoids, which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-allergenic properties. They also help the body to fight bacteria and viruses.

2) Avoid dairy and sugar. These increase the formation of mucous and phlegm in the body, so it can make symptoms of colds and flu much worse. It also can aggravate conditions such as allergies, asthma, sinus problems, and digestive disorders.

3) Garlic. Garlic inhibits the cold virus and other viruses, promotes sweating and increases circulation, and has anti-bacterial properties. A simple home remedy for the very early stages of cold and flu, when fatigue and body aches are just starting to set in, is to boil a few cloves of garlic, 2-3 slices of ginger, and green onion in water to make a tea. Drink while still hot, wrap yourself in blankets and take a nap. This tea had a diaphoretic effect and so you can expect to sweat. This can help to push out external pathogens and prevent to symptoms of cold and flu from progressing further. Make sure that you continue to rest and drink plenty of fluids.

4) Herbal Tea: Tea benefits the constitution, improves digestion, and relieves thirst. Rose hips are a very high source of vitamin C. If during the beginning stages of the cold or flu the symptom of fever is more predominant, use cooling herbs such as peppermint or chamomile tea. If chills are more predominant, try ginger tea. Adding honey moistens the lungs, and can help with dry cough or sore throat.

5) Pears and persimmons: Pears benefit the lungs, clear heat and phlegm, moisten the lungs and throat, and quench thirst. Baking pears with a small amount of honey is a great dessert that kids will love, and can strengthen the Lungs and moistens a dry cough or throat. Persimmons cool and moisten the lungs, and resolve phlegm.

6) Walnuts: Walnuts moisten the lungs and can help relieve coughing and wheezing, especially when chills are predominant.

Small changes in diet can have a profound impact on the health of you and your family. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can also play a large role in the treatment of colds and flu, especially when recurring illness seems to be a problem. For more information on ways that Traditional Oriental Medicine can help you and your family, contact your local acupuncturist.

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

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Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”