forever young naturally lifestyle

Yoga practitioners find immunity is lowered when we become overtired. Passive postures are beneficial: practice passive twists and backbends, Supta virasana, Supta baddha konasana, relaxation and breathing exercises. When you feel less tired, support all your body systems by practicing any of the other yoga postures in this book or by going to a yoga class and keeping mobile and strong.

Drink down a shot of probiotic bacteria daily in a yogurt drink: a Swedish study shows that this can cut incidence of sick days.

Chicken soup speeds recovery from cold symptoms such as sneezing and coughs.

roasted chicken carcass

2 pints (1 liter) chicken stock

bouquet garni

carrot, roughly chopped

onion, peeled and quartered

celery stick, roughly chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

handful fresh parsley, chopped
Cut away breast meat from carcass and reserve. Place carcass in heavy pan and cover with stock. Add bouquet garni, carrot, onion, and celery, and simmer covered for one hour. Remove carcass and herbs and strain. Add breast meat, season and cook for a further 15 minutes. Stir in chopped parsley just before serving.

Vitamin C seems to work best as a preventative for days of physical exertion outdoors in cold weather, suggests one study. To power wound healing, artery health, and collagen production as well as immunity, include several food sources in your diet daily. Choose from kiwi, mango, papaya, melon, blackcurrants, strawberries, raspberries, citrus fruit, tomatoes, and rosehip tea.

Sip green tea daily for its powerfully antioxidant effects. Studies suggest it promotes immunity and can help ward off colds.

In a room vaporizer, add 3–4 drops essential oil of tea tree to destroy circulating airborne germs.

Add chopped fresh cilantro to salads and salsas, curries and grills. They have an antibacterial action shown in trials to be effective even against the food poisoning bug Salmonella choleraesuis.

Viruses are most often picked up by touching infected surfaces (doorknobs, computer mouse, telephone), then transferred to the mouth, nose, or eyes. To reduce your risk, wash your hands frequently during the day, and especially before eating.

Add 15 drops of essential oil of lavender to half a cup of water, then decant into a spray-pump bottle. Spritz surfaces to eliminate bugs and bacteria twice a day.

Happy people not only tend to be less susceptible to illness; when they do succumb, they recover more speedily. Think positively to enhance your immune function, zap stress, and keep yourself independent in later life.