We are now in what is commonly termed cold and flu 'season' with our doctors and nurses recommending flu jabs to prevent always unpleasant and unfortunately also potentially fatal bouts of the flu. The recommendations are targeted mostly at those of us in higher risk categories and such advice should of course be heeded. However, for the rest of us in non-high risk categories and in reasonable good health there is another way of strengthening your immune system to be more resistant to new strains of the common cold and flu viruses.

Anyone who receives acupuncture regularly for general health will be able to tell you how their overall health has mysteriously improved and in particular how seasonal colds and flus have tended to disappear.

So why would this be? Let's say you have been attending an acupuncturist for lower back pain and have continued with preventative treatment for some weeks. Then you find that perhaps that nagging cold you have had for some time has suddenly vanished!

The reason for this is that acupuncture tends to be holistic in nature and will rebalance your energy system generally regardless of what your presenting condition to the practitioner is. Now how can acupuncture do this? Well, one of the ways is through the general stimulation of your bodies immune system. If you imagine that each needle introduced into your skin during treatment is treated as an 'invader' which needs to be repelled, then every acupuncture treatment, regardless of the specific health goal will have this effect of stimulating your immune system into action and helping to prevent relatively benign viruses such as the common cold from taking hold and gaining the upper hand.

Regular acupuncture treatments at intervals of month or every six weeks or so can be very beneficial in helping you to beat the flu season and is certainly something to consider if you are prone to more than the usual number of colds and flus. If you are at risk and are going for your flu jab, acupuncture will of course help your body to assimilate the introduction of the vaccine into your system as there is always a very slight risk of developing some of the symptoms of the condition that a vaccine is intended to prevent.

Take care, wrap up well and don't be afraid to contact us with any questions or comments at info@therpayandyoga.com

*If you have a medical issue please consult with a medical professional. This blog is informational only and is not intended for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Thinking about detoxing after the holiday spurge? Many people are and some people have even completed their first detox of 2011 by now!

If you are new to detoxing here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Be prepared.
Make sure to have in the house anything you need for the detox before you start. Supply of fresh fruit, juices etc if your detox is a juice detox

2. Keep it simple

Only detox what you need to. You may not need to go on an elaborate full scale detox. If it is too severe and you don't see it through it is only likely to discourage you. Maybe all you need is an alcohol or sugar detox, so prepare for this and set a reasonable time limiit. A few days may be enough to already give you the boost you need.

3. Set reachable goals.

As above, keep it short, sharp and effective. A detox is meant to make you feel good, not to be a punishment for you.

4. Plan to repeat your mini-detox at regular intervals so that they become an easy and pleasurable part of your routine. This way toxins won't have such a chance to build up in your system and subsequent detoxes won't seem so severe.

5. Expect some side effects such as feeling a bit fatigued, headaches (if you are detoxing from caffeine), etc and be prepared to get plenty of rest and to drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins from your system.

Detoxing is really simple when you put your mind to it. You don't need to buy lots of books, equipment or exotic herbs and supplements unless you have very specific detox goals in mind.

Best of luck and happy detoxing in 2011!

If you have a medical issue please consult with a medical professional. This blog is informational only and is not intended for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for professional medical advice.