Fitness | Fitness Training Tips

A friend of mine told me about her fourth sinus infection of the year. She suffers from common symptoms that include runny nose, nasal congestion, thick drainage, head congestion, headache, swelling, occasional tooth pain, fatigue, and fever. She was getting so tired of going to the doctor. I recommended she read a 2005 article by Dr. Joseph Mercola about how fungus being the cause of many sinus infections. This is a summary of that article:

Each year, approximately 37 million Americans suffer from sinus infections. In 1999, the Mayo Clinic conducted a research program that revealed most cases of chronic sinusitis are immune disorders that are caused by fungus. The research revealed that 96% of the patients who were studied had large quantities of fungi in their nasal mucus.

How can you make your body become less hospitable to fungus? There are a few things we can control to create an inhospitable environment for fungus to thrive.

1.                  Fungus feeds on sugar. Reduce or eliminate sugar and grains (which break down to sugar in your body).

2.                  Consume cod liver oil or fish oil every day. Omega-3 fats, DHA, and EPA help the immune system.

3.                  Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which is an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. Be careful, though. Some coconut oils are made from dried coconuts, which may have been contaminated with mycotoxins.

4.                  Avoid these top ten foods listed by Dr. David Holland that are contaminated with mycotoxins:

a.      Alcohol – alcohol is the mycotoxin of brewer’s yeast among others.

b.      Corn – corn is universally contamined with fumonisin and other fungal toxins.

c.      Wheat – wheat is often contaminated with mycotoxins.

d.      Barley – barley is susceptible to contamination.

e.      Sugar (sugar cane and sugar beets) – fungi need carbohydrates to thrive.

f.        Sorghum – this is used in a variety of grain-based products and alcohol.

g.      Peanuts – a 1993 study showed that 24 different fungi are found in peanuts after they have been sterilized.

h.      Rye – what applies to wheat, applies to rye.

i.        Cottonseed  - often contaminated

j.         Hard cheeses – if you see mold, there’s a mycotoxin there.

Exercise! Exercise causes the sinuses to expand and stimulates air circulation and mucus to move through your sinuses.

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