Easter and your Immune System

As Easter and the long-weekend quickly approaches, I thought I'd share a couple of ideas on how to stay healthy this holiday.

When I think of Easter I think of chocolate and huge family dinners. To some people it's a religious weekend, to others, it isn't. The common denominator, however, is over-eating! I'd like to discuss one type of food that's especially harmful to your health and immune system: SIMPLE SUGARS.

Simple sugars come in various forms. Candies and chocolate are one. A large proportion of our population receives most of their sugars daily from sweetened drinks (like pop and fruit juices loaded with sugar). Finally, simple sugars are the main component of all refined carbohydrates (such as white bread, pasta, and pastries).

Sugar wreaks havoc on your body in many ways. Sugar:
- Decreases your immune system up to 75%! It impairs your defenses against infectious disease.
- Leads to obesity and elevated cholesterol levels. These lead to chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease.
- Leads to premature aging
- Feeds cancer cells
- Causes a number of problems in your gastro-intestinal system and nervous systems (such as mood disturbances)
- The list goes on and on....

So, my advice for this Easter is try to stay away from sugar. Sure, have a few pieces of dark chocolate, but please don't go overboard. Your body will thank you.

Also, with such an amazing weather forcast on Friday and Saturday, try to get outside enjoy the sun. The sun makes vitamin D which is essential for your immune system. There is so much research on vitamin D I will make another post about it soon. This article today from the Globe and Mail proves how essential vitamin D is to prevent the flu. The sun is a great free source of vitamin D, but remember that it can burn you. Moderate amounts of exposure are definitely good for both your body and soul.

Have a wonderful weekend. Yours in health,
Sarah Oulahen, HBHSc, ND.