Did you know that when you have a viral infection of any kind, you can support your body by eating less or even fasting?

There are a few very good reasons for this:

• Digestion take approximately 10% of our body’s energy intake, and diverts a lot of blood flow and (dare I say it) Qi towards the gut. If you can free up that energy you will have more energy available for the immune system.
• Restricting protein is the most important thing. Because viruses essentially hijack your cell’s replication pathways and get your own body to replicate their virus cells, much of the protein you eat will be diverted to increasing virus cells in your body!
• Fasting boosts responsive immune function generally

In traditional medicine systems, tonic herbs are avoided during acute illness. The rationale for this is that the building, strengthening and holding energetics of tonic herbs are off point when your body is trying to flush, clear and release. It’s also thought that you can accidentally strengthen the illness instead of your own body.

I love how this ancient insight maps closely to what we know about virus replication and protein.

This means that immune strengthening herbs like astragalus, reishi and siberian ginseng are out of bounds if you are actually sick!

As is chicken soup, a steak, lamb stew or other high-density protein

What?!!? No Chicken Soup????

Broth is supremely wonderful to nourish you when you are sick. But avoid the meat in the soup until you have turned the corner with your illness and the virus is not replicating with vigour.

To summarise – when someone has a cold, flu or covid they should:

• Avoid protein
• Eat small amounts of light foods like fruit, dry toast and broth
• Avoid tonic herbs like reishi, astragalus, siberian ginseng
• Use lymphatic and diaphoretic herbs like yarrow, echinacea, elderflower & hyssop

Try this next time you have a virus and see what happens!