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Strengthening Our Immunity Through Our Body, Mind and Soup In The Wake of The SARS Crisis

Shen Xin

Nobody has expected the end of the US-Iraq war would be followed by a greater war against virus.

Recently in Taiwan, healthcare workers from two hospitals contracted SARS virus and the hospitals were closed as a result. With the virus mutating rapidly and its actual cause yet to be traced, the unknown future has caused anxiety among many people. They begin to wonder: “Would I be the next SARS victim?”

In this time of fear, other than wearing mask to reduce the risk of being infected in public places, is there anything else that we can do?

US medical institutes mentioned that SARS virus could not kill all the immunity cells in a healthy person. The stronger the immunity, the lower is the chance of being infected. Hence, by increasing one’s immunity and strengthening the relevant organs, we can lower the risk of being infected. To boost immunity, one has to start from the body, mind and soul.

FOOD

  • Drink a cup (250cc to 300cc) of high-energy soup or fresh fruits and vegetables juice every morning. Eating food rich in vitamin C will help to activate cells.
  • Soak 10 slices of Fenguang Shen (粉光参) in hot water for more than 30 minutes and drink it. This is good for our windpipe.
  • Replenish our bodies with friendly bacteria to enable our colon, small intestines and digestive tract fight viruses and produce natural antibiotics, lactic acid and acetic acid.
  • To strengthen our lungs, mix one big spoon (about 30g) of Huangxing powder (黄杏粉) must be 100% pure, in 200cc of boiled water and drink it.
  • Wash clean and dry the skin of carrots, shred it, place it in a glass container and soak it in molasses. Drink it after two days. This is good for our lungs.
  • Drink vegetables Wuxing soup (五行汤)(organic, frozen and dehydrated) daily to replenish microorganism, minerals and natural vitamins, etc.
  • Eat more of brown rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, kelp and miso.
  • The consumption of quality chloroplasma is good for our lungs. It is a good source of chlorophyll which will strengthen our immunity.
  • Boil loquat leaves in water and drink it to strengthen the lungs.
  • Crush one comfrey leaf and add it to the high-energy soup, or use dried comfrey to make tea, this is good for our airways.

EXERCISE

  • Take deep breaths in the forest.
  • Walk barefooted in the forest to discharge static electricity.
  • Gently hit the upper portion of our chest, the center part where the bones protrude, a hundred times. Do it a few times every day.
  • Wutai Mountain Qigong: warming of feet and massaging of Yongquan acupuncture point.

Warming of feet: Use hot water to warm the feet every night before going to sleep. In the beginning, when the water is too hot, slowly touch the water with your feet. When the feet are used to the temperature, soak the whole feet in the water. Move your feet out of the water when the water is about to turn cold. Air-dry your feet instead of drying them with towel.

Massaging of Yongquan: Yongquan refers to the acupuncture point at the center of the sole of your foot. After warming your feet and have them air-dried, sit upright on a chair, bed or stool that is as high as your knees. Relax the whole body, lift up your left leg (right leg for ladies), place your left calf on your right thigh, your foot should face outside and the toes facing the front. Use your left hand to support the left ankle, then use your right palm to massage the center of the sole on your left foot. Rub 1,500 times (approximately 15 minutes). After you have finished rubbing, put down your left leg. Repeat the procedure with your right foot. It will take 30 minutes for both feet. Go to sleep after this. Dr. Stainler stressed that our lungs and our kidneys are closely related, breathing problems arise from our kidneys. We can strengthen the function of our kidneys by warming and massaging our feet.

SLEEP

Sleep at 10pm every day, for the period from 11pm to 1am is the best time when our cells start their repairing work. Even if you are suffering from insomnia, you should lie on the bed and relax your body.

OTHERS

  • Remedy for pneumonia: Crush one large clove of garlic until paste-like, add in coconut oil or Vaselin. Apply cooking oil on the soles of your feet, spread the garlic paste on your feet, put on your socks and leave them on throughout the night.
  • Rinse your mouth with Effective Microorganism (EM): Add 10cc of EM to 200cc of clean water, rinse your mouth with it and then spit it out. This would help get rid of the unwanted substances in our lungs.
  • Before going to public places, spray Wild May Tea Tree Oil onto hair and face. Tea tree essence oil (water) of this quality is the best natural anti-bacterial liquid. Australian natives and army treat it as a remedy for all diseases and carry it with them wherever they go.
  • Spray tea tree water in your house occasionally.
  • Every night, put five to six drops of tea tree essence oil in the bathtub half-filled with water and soak in it.
  • Take four pieces of small and weak magnets or rubber magnetic strips which can adhere to the surface of the fridge door (diameter not more than a quarter inch), find out the north point of the magnet using a compass. With the north side facing downward, stick the magnets on the soft parts in between our thumbs and index fingers, and also on the Yongquan points under our feet. You can then create a safe electromagnetism boundary for yourself, without letting in other energies. Do not leave the magnets on for one whole day, remove them after 12 hours and take a few hours break.

MIND

Nowadays, people would more or less feel nervous and frightened. Nervousness and anxiety will cause the antibacterial substance in our saliva to decrease greatly. Our saliva is one of the barriers that prevent viruses from entering our airways and into our bodies. Hence, we have to turn our negative attitudes and emotions into positive ones. This is one important way of boosting our immunity.

The following methods can help strengthen our energy:

  • Praying
  • Pray to God, Bodhisattvas, Heaven that this crisis will be over soon.
  • Pray that SARS virus will mutate into a kind of bacteria that is useful to human.
  • Reciting sutras/mantras: Buddhists can recite mantras; Christians can sing hymns and Catholics recite the rosary.
  • Practicing the “Joyful Thought”: Try to recall people, happenings or things which have brought you great happiness, so that you can immerse in the feelings of happiness. Even if you cannot recall, you can pretend to smile and that you are thinking of happy things. Eventually you will laugh naturally and become lighthearted.
  • Being thankful all the time: Use a magnifying glass to look at the good points of the people, happenings and things around you. Look at the bad points through a blurred glass. Replace anger with thankfulness.
  • To assist instead of criticizing: Instead of cursing the darkness, lend a helping hand to light a lamp in the darkness.
  • Reviving the good feelings of our five senses: Look blessedly at a grass, a tree, a person, a cloud. Listen to the sound of wind, chirping of birds, smell the flowers and enjoy the gentle breeze.
  • Endless love is the best immunity: Use any suitable method to show love for others, be it donating money, volunteering your time and effort or even a warm and caring look.

External Detoxification: Unburdening The Total Toxic Load On Your Body

Tina Wellman, Ph.D.

The most famous book in the world states “my people perish for lack of knowledge.” We are the recipients of chemical intoxication through our careless use of chemicals at home and at work. We are often deluded into thinking we are gaining ground on eradicating germ warfare and bug infestation through our excessive use of antibacterial soaps, germicides and chemicals. But do we really consider the impact our excessive exposure is wreaking on our health and longevity? Do we know how our actions contribute to the onset of diseases, and predispose our cells to mutate through our own unhealthy “health” practices? Everything we use, everything we eat, everything we subject our bodies to in our immediate environment affects our total state of health.

We can begin cleaning up our immediate environment by checking our own backyard first. When a child spills something, they are taught to clean up their mess. Neglecting to clean up messes manifests in bigger spills and bigger messes. These bigger “spills” have gone through a pseudo metamorphosis in our adult years, gaining new ground as oil spills, toxic dump sites, and waterways polluted by products from detergents, chemicals, and sewage from our negligent habits. Do we ever seriously consider the effect of our individual health habits, their effect on the greater environment and the resulting effects this will have on the health of future generations? We often forget our daily practices have long-term effects that ripple through the years leaving positive or negative effects or others to battle.

The most practical place to begin external detoxification is “naturally” in the home, a place of refuge, a site for recharging, relaxing, and resting. You may also consider the home to be a place of safety for your health and healing until you find your level of home health hazards to be an unexpected surprise. Yet, statistics suggest the proportion of indoor to outdoor pollutants is increasing, a fact worth considering since our greatest exposures may be found within the confines of our own home. Symptoms ranging from a common headache to the flu can be associated with day-to-day products used to clean our furniture, bathrooms, detergents used to wash clothing, air fresheners to keep those lavatories smelling “sweet”.

The simplest way to identify household toxins is to categorize your house. That is, take each room separately and analyse its contents for potential “toxicity”. This process allows one to conduct your own home study, learn the offending substances, and replace them with safer products to minimize your health risk. You can also learn to distinguish just how safe you are in your own home, or whether you are ingredients that are a recipe for disaster, according to consumer advocate Debra Lynn Dadd (1) who notes that your “houses or apartment could be full of everyday products made from materials and substances that cause cancer, birth defects, and changes in genetic structure, and that weaken the immune system, leaving your body vulnerable to many kinds of diseases and infections.”

For example, take a bathroom which houses multiple toiletries including shaving cream, perfume, toothpaste and mouthwash (commonly fluoridated), aerosol hair spray, shampoos, cosmetics and hair care products, bubble bath, toilet bowl and glass cleaners, deodorants, fluoridated dental products, feminine hygiene douches and bleached sanitary pads – note the number of chemicals in this room alone. You could fill a shopping list with them. Detoxifying a bathroom would include replacing toiletries with simple items that may not require your medicine cabinet be filled to the brim but stocked with simple natural products that often have multiple uses.

Here is a potential plan: Toothpaste is a homemade recipe combining redmond salt and clay put in an old glass spice jar. For flavour you can add a few drops of clove or sage or mint oil (such as you find in toothpaste). Additionally, a “natural” mouthwash is available at health stores, or you might consider using a “cleanser” made with grapefruit seed extract due to its anti-microbial effect. One to two drops along with your toothpaste and your mouth feels quite refreshed and sparkling clean. Rinsing with an anti-microbial such as tea tree oil is another option. Tea tree flavoured dental floss and toothpicks are readily available at health stores.

Aluminium free deodorants using herbs or grapefruit seed extract makes a delightful deodorant or antiseptic spray for scratches, rashes, and bites. As a deodorant grapefruit seed extract works quite well – it kills the source of the odour, namely the bacteria.

Unbleached dioxin free toilet tissue is widely available as are organic cotton ear swabs, balls and make up pads. Natural shampoos and conditioners are available in a wide variety of scents (calendula, rosemary, etc.) or you can buy a plain Castille soap and mix in your own favourite essential oils. Natural hair care products that address all hair types are now widely distributed.

How about enjoying a luxurious natural bath with chlorine free water using a shower filter? Fill the tub and add your favourite organic essential oil (i.e., lavender, rose, bergamot, etc.), some redmond bath salts, light a few beeswax (as opposed to paraffin) candles, turn on the nebulizer with your favourite aromatherapy oil combination, and drift off into a relaxing healthy rejuvenating hydrotherapy session. Depending on one’s odour sensitivity health stores stock a variety of incense aromas that can also be added for ambiance and fragrance.

There you have in a nutshell – the natural bathroom. Who needs air freshens with all these wonderful scents available? It is worth noting with the increased incidence of MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) one should always consider individual tolerance and sensitivity to fragrances of any kind.

No need to work like a mule to clean the bathroom – 20 “mule” team borax to the rescue, an ole stand by for deodorizing and disinfecting the commode – pour in a half cup, swish a few times, leave in the bowl overnight, and flush in the morning. White vinegar and water diluted 50/50 is a great overall countertop and floor cleaner. Try Bon-Ami (the old kind made with feldspar is available directly from the company) for tough jobs when scrubbing the tub and sink.

Another cleaning alternative is a low-odour degreaser (AFM) diluted with water according to directions. A mister composed of purified water and essential oil (i.e., lavender, tea tree, etc.) is a superb air freshener. A few drops of lavender or eucalyptus directly into the toilet bowl, a drop or two on the inside of the toilet tissue, and a few muslin filled bags of lavender or rose petals from your organic garden or herb shop should accommodate the most discriminating fragrance connoisseur. While you’re at it put a few drops of an essential oil on an organic makeup pad or ball and slip it into your bathroom drawers – you’ll be pleasantly surprised next time you open the drawer and find a pleasant aroma.

You may also wish to keep a book on aromatherapy handy to read in the bathtub or in the famous “lavatory” room to browse for your favourite essential oils. Specifically look for antiseptic, germicidal, fungicidal, and virucidal properties of oils that keep these “toxins” from proliferating. A combination of several oils can go a long way to “detoxify” and clean your bathroom and keep you safe.

The laundry room is yet another toxic time bomb loaded to the gills with phosphate detergents, caustic chemicals including bleach, spot removers, and fabric softeners. One German based natural laundry care manufacturer notes that all cleaners are surfactant-based cleaners including most environmental cleaners (as opposed to soap based), the consequences of which manifest by way of polluting the environment some 50 times more than soap-based products. Additionally, the use of the word “biodegradable” has been “misused” since by definition, it only means the detergent will cease to foam at some point and has little to do with environmental impact. Equally as concerning are the suspected carcinogenic compounds (byproducts) yielded by surfactant-based detergents.

As we race for the “cure” (pardon the pun) to clean up the environment, keep in mind water treatment plants are unable to break down many of the toxic chemicals that find their ultimate home in our oceans and lakes – so much for sparkling spring water! Aside from polluting our waterways, environmental consequences include decimating fish, vegetation, and microorganisms.

Detoxifying the laundry room minimizes the waste and destruction incurred by unhealthy practices employing the excessive use of chemicals for “cleaning”. Therefore, your laundry room shopping list should include laundry “soap”, a safer bleaching agent such as sodium percarbonate, a water softening agent such as zeolite (a mineral rock which deserves a page of its own to describe its many uses), and a chemical free spot remover.

Another alternative to consider are laundry “discs” which operate by releasing electrons that reduce the water’s surface tension when agitated during the wash cycle. Many users of these discs note their clothes seem brighter and last longer. For those with chemical sensitivities this method offers a viable alternative to the fragrances and potential allergens found in soaps and detergents. An average disc lasts 500-700 washings! Some advocates of the discs combine it with a papaya enzyme-based spot remover for added cleansing.

When using soap-based laundry products one can also “supplement” with such disinfectants as grapefruit seed extract (20 drops per load), eucalyptus oil (especially helpful for mites), and tea tree oil. Instead of fabric softener try a few drops of your favourite essential oil (i.e., lavender) on a hanky or sock and toss it in the dryer – you’ll be delighted with the aroma emitted when you open the door.

Other helpful spot removers and cleaners to stock up on include white vinegar, baking soda, club soda, fresh lemons (the juice works wonders on many types of stains), salt, and corn-starch (if you want to make homemade spray starch). Salt and vinegar often work effectively for removing perspiration stains. The type of stain (grease, wine, blood, chewing gum, meat broth, tea, etc.) dictates which natural cleaner works best.

Lastly a common question relates to alternatives to dry cleaning. At minimum consider hanging your clothes in the air for an hour or two to at least “vent” the fumes from the perchloroethylene used in conventional dry cleaners. Additionally, consider looking for a “wet cleaners” in your area that provides professional solvent-free cleaning. This system uses cleaning methods that claim to generate “no” hazardous waste. Garments are pre-sorted by fabric type since the washer/dryer cycles are pre-programmed and controlled by microprocessors. Wascomat, the world’s largest professional laundry equipment manufacturer produces one of these systems which they note has been developed in cooperation with the EPA, the EPA in Canada, and with the Hohenstein and Krefield Textile Research Institute in Germany. Authorized dealers offer these “green cleaners” as an alternative to dry cleaning. Toxic overload directly affects the results and “maintenance” of any health restoration program by creating more burdens than our bodies can tolerate.

By saturating ourselves with chemical burdens we sabotage the mechanism by which healing takes place. For any health regimen to succeed, we must limit our exposure to chemicals in our immediate environment. In our endeavours for health and longevity, let us remember we are individually and collectively responsible for the quality controls that tip the scales in either direction.

To your good health!