I keep getting sick!!!

[Emily]

In the last 4 months I have had strep throat, 3 urinary tract infections (vomiting, achy body), and I now have possibly a cold. (sore throat, achy muscles, congested)

I've been vegan for 3 years, I am 18/f and I have always had a weak immune system since I was young. I got sick less often when I became vegan but it seems that is turning around. My diet hasn't changed that I'm aware of.

I don't have a perfect healthy diet but I think it's alright. I drink soymilk everyday, bread, fruits and veggies, nuts, TVP, fake "meats" occasionally.

What can I do to boost my immune system? I hate being sick all the time! Thanks =o)

Emily \\\ ||| ///
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[Dancer]

Certainly your immune system can be bolstered by healthy diet and vitamins...but your body sounds to be in a weakened mode. Has it been part of your history to suffer chronic infection when overly stressed? I have had great success with natural, plant based herbal medicine. You could explore the powerful and wholesome Maitake Mushroom (powder form) among many. After 3 tries with traditional antibiotics, this herbal remedy finally rid me of a bronchial infection last winter. I am not in the medical profession, but have learned to research above and beyond traditional medicine.

Of course, you want to be proactive and seek to understand why your system is so overly stressed. In the meanwhile, try adding tempeh, rice milk and brown rice to your diet for alternative food bases.

Take care of yourself!

[capersmama]

Echinacea and Goldenseal tincture 3-4 times a day for a week should help boost your immune system. (Dont take if you have ragweed allergies)
Dont forget to DRINK PLENTY of water..if the body isnt adequatly hydrated..it cant rid itself of the problem.
I hope you get to feeling better soon!

[alexis]

i take Echinacea with Vitamin C and Zinc try and see if you can get the kind that doesn't contain gelatin, i can't so i break the capsules pen and take the powder, it's a compromise but i can't find any form of echinacea than this...and eat alot alot of veggies and fruit and drink tons of water...herbal teas are also good...

[wanderlust]

I take echinacea at the earliest symptoms of a cold or virus and recommend it. I tend to use the liquid drops over the tablets as these get into the system quicker. Also a good multivitamin should help. I also recommend a fresh juice of orange, carrot and ginger to give you some 'zing'. If you do continue to feel ill though do see a medical practitioner or someone just to make sure that there is nothing more serious going on.:)

[sarahrose]

Get more vitamin C than the RDA!! Take 1,000mg a day, which is about 20 times the RDA. I do this and literally never get sick. The RDA was made to stop deficiency like scurvy, but it has nothing to do with optimum health. Also, take plenty of vitamin E, or an antioxidant formula, which can be expensive, but is worth it. I buy 500mg of childrens chewable C, it is easier to take than pills.

[annie7]

too much C (excessive amounts) can actually cause some diareah. Boost your "C" in small increments until you know what your system actually needs, because the rest will be flushed right out.

[sarahrose]

Annie7, Yes, that is true, but 1000mg is usually not enough to cause diarrhea. It can sometimes be different for different people though, but I have never had a problem with that, and the benefits I get are great! Thanks for the concern though :)

[annie7]

What brand of chewable do you buy? I stopped getting them for my daughter because I couldn't find one that didn't contain gelatin. I just load her up on soy milk and stuff that I know contains the right vitamins, but sometimes when we run late I feel guilty rushing her out the door without that "insurance" when she only wanted jelly toast, and water!

[sarahrose]

Annie7, for my daughter, I use a brand called Natural Factors for Vitamin C, it tasts really good to kids,and to me-it's the kind I use too. For her multi, I use Twin Lab animal friends, which is really high quality and surprisingly inexpensive. Both are vegan. I also give her a calcium chewable (also vegan) because she does not really like to drink soymilk (she loves tofu though) for that, I use Nutrition Now calcium soft chews, which is vegan, but contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil. I coulden't find a vegan calcium that did not have any hydrogenated oil. Do you know of any that I haven't seen?

[annie7]

I sure don't. But, thanks for the info on the other! Could you hear me scribbling furiously as I'm running out the door to the healthfood store?

[alexis]

I used to take up to 5000mg of Vit C a day to help with my sinusitis but nothing went wrong..i just chewed alot more vit C than usual....

[vegma]

My son loves plain soy yogurt (Silk has a ton of calcium in it) mixed with orange juice. We buy calcium-fortified oj, so I'm pretty confident he's getting enough calcium. Now if I could just get him to eat some veggies!! But that's another thread:o

[Kristine]

During the wintertime when everybody has got stuffed nose, sore throat and flu is sneaking around I rely on vit C, herbal teas, green tea and - garlic. It's a bit 'risky' because of the specific aroma, but if you consume it in moderate amounts - in salads (or just one teaspoon with chopped garlic washed down with a cup of water) and if you (and everybody who live together with you) do not eat it directly before going out and talking to people, then the risk is controled :)
Garlic is a very good tool to repair and maintain your immune system, and it's effective even in small amounts, i.e. one small clove a day.

[alexis]

does cooked garlic help? Cos if it does i will add more garlic into my stir fries and eat more roasted garlic...the monsoon season's here and we're all falling sick from the weather changes and there's dengue fever to contend with as well because water gets trapped and the weather i hot and humid when it's not pouring...can'r decide which is worse, frigid winters or tropical monsoon seasons....

[Kristine]

I don't know whether cooked garlic is anti-bacterial or not. I'm sure that raw is.
The garlic toasts are yammy - toast some bread and brush it with a raw garlic clove.
My health salad is - chopped garlic+hacked avocado+lots of spice herbs (my favorites are dills and spring oniouns) + bread toasts.

[sophie]

I chomp on raw garlic every day and don't worry if people think I smell!:p I heard that chewing fresh parsley afterwards can help remove the smell.But iff I smell garlic on someone's breath, I just think "yay! another garlic lover!!"

[annie7]

You can really find out who your true friends are!

[sophie]

..yes, plus I'm not sure I trust people who don't love garlic.....

[annie7]

You mean there could be people who don't love garlic?:eek:

[sarahrose]

I put minced garlic in my sandwiches- it does'nt make you smell, but you still get the benefits! But, I only add one clove- not sure what would happen with more. Oh, and cooking does destroy alot of the nutrients in garlic. Better to eat it raw if possible- you can even buy empty veg gel caps and fill them with fresh minced garlic- that way if you don't like garlic, or can't eat it raw, you can just take it like a pill. Here's an interesting garlic fact- about a month ago my brother put about a pound or more of garlic in his juicer and took a shot of it- like a small glass full- and passed out, then threw up. I guess it was some heavy stuff! Who needs alcohol, right?

[sophie]

Sarahrose- that is crazy! I guess if you think about how potent just one clove is, a whole glass would pack a punch. But that's kind of disturbing!

[annie7]

What would make it do that?

[sarahrose]

No idea! It was probably just too intense.

[alexis]

wow, he sure had guts, i won't touch garlic juice for my life, sometimes i feel a little ill just smelling the scent of raw garlic being chopped.