Treatment for Influenza with Diet

Influenza, like all other acute diseases, is a natural attempt at self-cleaning and if rightly treated in a natural way, immense good can ensue so far as the future health of the patient is concerned.



In acute stages of influenza, the patient should abstrin from all solid foods and only drink fruit and vegetable juices diluted with water on 50:50 basis for first three to five days, depending on the severity of the disease. The juice fast should be continued till the temperature comes down to normal. The warm water enema 1,liould be taken daily during this period to cleanse the bowels.

Diet for Influenza:

After fever subsides, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for two or three days. In this regimen, the patient should take three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such as apples; pears, grapes, oranges, pineapple, peaches and melons lit five-hourly intervals. Bananas or dried, stewed or tinned fruits, however, should not be taken. No other foodstuff should be added to the fruit meals; otherwise the value of the treatment will be lost. This may be followed by a further two or three days of fruits and milk diet. Thereafter, the patient may adopt a well-balanced diet consisting of seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits.

Spices and condiments and pickles, which make food more palatable and lead to overeating, must be avoided. Lemon juice may be used in salad dressing. Alcohol, tobacco, strong tea and coffee, highly seasoned meats, over boiled milk, pulses, potatao, rice cheese, refined, processed, stale and tinned foods should all be avoided.

Home Remedies for Influenza:

Certain home remedies have been found beneficial in the treatment of influenza. The most important of these is the use of long pepper. Half a teaspoon of the powder of long pepper with two spoons of honey and half a teaspoon of juice of ginger should be taken thrice a day. This will help greatly if taken in the initial stages of the disease. It is especially useful in avoiding complications, which follow the onset of the disease, namely, the involvement of the larynx and the bronchial tube.

Another excellent remedy for influenza is the green leaves of basil or holi basil plant. About one gram of these leaves should be boiled along with some ginger in half a litre of water till about half the water is left.



This decoction should be taken as tea. It gives immediate relief.

Garlic and turmeric are other effective food medicines for influenza. Garlic is useful as a general antiseptic and should be given as much as the patient can bear. Garlic juice may also be sucked up the nose. A teaspoon of turmeric powder should be mixed in a cup of warm milk and taken three times in a day. It will prevent complications arising from influenza and also activate the liver, which becomes sluggish during the attack.

Ginger is an excellent remedy for influenza. A teaspoon of the fresh ginger juice mixed with a cup of fenugreek (fenugreek seeds) decoction and honey to taste is an excellent diaphoratic mixture, which increases sweating to reduce fever in influenza.

Onion is another effective remedy for influenza. Equal amounts of onion juice and honey should be mixed and three or four teaspoons of this mixture should be taken daily in the treatment of this disease.

During the course of fever, the natural way of reducing temperature is by means of cold packs. It is advisable to apply a body pack several times a day, with one to the throat in case of a sore throat.
The pack is made by wringing out a sheet or other large square piece of linen material in cold water, wrapping it right round the body and legs of the patient and then covering completely with a blanket. In case of the throat pack, the line~ may be covered with a piece of flannel. The packs can be kept for an hour or so. The body should he sponged .with tepid water after removing the pack.

TREATMENT CHART FOR INFLUENZA

A- DIET

I Fast on raw juices for three to five days. Take a glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice, diluted with water on 50:50 basis, every two hours. Use warm-water enema daily during this period.

II. An all fruit diet for three days after fever subsides. Take three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits at five hourly intervals.

III. Fruit and milk diet for further three days.

IV. Thereafter, adopt a well-balanced diet, as follows:-

1. Upon arising: A glass of lukewarm water with half a freshly-squeezed lime and a teaspoon of honey.

2. Breakfast: Fresh fruit, a glass of milk, sweetened with honey and some seeds or nuts.

3. Lunch: A bowl of freshly-prepared steamed vegetables, two or three whole wheat wheat tortilla and a glass of butter milk.

4. Mid-afternoon: A glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice.

5. Dinner: A good-sized raw vegetable salad and sprouts, with lime juice dressing, followed by a hot course, if desired,

AVOID: Tea, coffee, alcohol, sugar, white flour and products de from them, refined foods, fried foods, flesh foods, condiments and pickles, tobacco and smoking.

Especially Beneficial: Garlic, turmeric, onion, ginger, grapefruit, carrot and spinach juices, finger millet and basil (holi basil) leaves.

B - OTHER MEASURES

1. Wet body pack several times a day during fever, sponging with the tepid water after the pack.

2. Bed rest till recovery.