Sudbury Living - September 2007 - (Page 25)

Slow down fast! you’re moving too W Fall is a busy time of year but the body’s clock is naturally slowing down. Nancy Rebellato, doctor of naturopathic medicine, has advice on how to stay healthy during cold and flu season. BY WENDY BIRD hen it comes to preventing and treating colds and flus, it’s important to go back to the basics in health care. Taking an overall, holistic view of your health is key, according to Nancy Rebellato, a doctor of naturopathic medicine in Greater Sudbury. Paying attention to what you eat, how you feel, what you do and think are all important pieces of the puzzle that makes up good health. “The fall is usually a very busy time for people, when really it is a time that we should be slowing down,” she said. “When the temperature gets lower and there is less light, we should pay attention to our environmental cues and try to follow the seasons.” Unfortunately most of us don’t. When we begin to feel sluggish and tired, we brush it off, drink another coffee or pop or eat a piece of sugar-laden pastry. We continue to work long hours through the fall and winter months, burning up our precious stores of energy and the very nutrients we need to help fend off all those nasty germs and viruses that threaten to reveal themselves as nagging coughs, body aches and congestion. Rebellato offers up several other tips for preventing colds and flus: “People need to program more rest time into their schedule, not just more sleep time,” she said. “The blood in our body changes composition in the fall to prepare for winter. The body needs to be still for this to happen.” That’s why it’s important to spend some time at home nurturing yourself and encouraging your loved ones to do the same. People of Chinese descent sometimes make a batch of “change of season” soup — a warm and comforting brew that includes Chinese tonic herbs. Most people often find the classic chicken soup (made using the broth from chicken bones) to be a restorative dish that hydrates them and provides them with good nutrition. Use flavourings such as garlic, ginger or cinnamon in your cooking — all of which warm and invigorate the body as it naturally goes into this more dormant season. Garlic is also a potent antibiotic and helps to boost the immune system. Have a glass of wine — red wine, specifically. Fall 2007 Sudbury Living Rest Good nutrition 25

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Sudbury Living - September 2007
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Sudbury Living - September 2007

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