Curing the Common Cold

The first time I got a sinus infection after a common cold I was in college. And I was miserable. Imagine not being able to taste anything for two weeks. Imagine eating for no other reason but your body is hungry and needs food. Imagine everything tasting the same - the only excitement...texture. I was miserable.

After a few more of these sinus infections I knew something had to change. Antibiotics have never been my first response to illness (or second, or third for that matter). So I began researching and I discovered that if I eliminated sugar, root vegetables, gluten and dairy, the sinus infection would go away on its own. However, it still took some time and the infections continued to return following certain colds.

Since eating raw most of these foods are no longer a part of my diet. And for the first time in a long time, I came out of this cold feeling great. No stuffed nose. No headaches. I could taste every bite.

If you find that you feel clogged, have diarrhea, flatulence, bloating, skin problems and/or headaches it may be a sign of gluten sensitivity or lactose intolerance.

It is now estimated that 1% of the population is gluten intolerant and 1 in 7 have some form of gluten sensitivity. Gluten, if you don't know, is found in all forms of wheat, rye, barley, triticale and oats. Most Americans consume large quantities of wheat in some form. The more gluten-type foods we eat, the fewer vegetables and fruits a person tends to eat.

As we age we produce less lactase (the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose found in dairy) and our body is therefore, less able to process dairy foods.

And sugar, well...it's just not the best thing for us.

The more raw foods a person eats, the less gluten, dairy and sugar a person will consume. Processed foods contain large quantities of sugar and almost always gluten and/or dairy. So if your body needs a break, even if you don't normally eat a lot of raw foods, try cutting out the common culprits at least for a little while.

I cannot tell you what a difference it has made for me. Ah...the joy of taste!