Flues are the darndest things. Who’s got the time?! So fine, I’ll leak the cure for the flu. Your scientists had enough time to try to figure it out.
At press-time, they still haven’t agreed on what it is exactly, so to get us all on the same page, allow me to demonstrate exactly what a flue is (see image below).
The function of a flue is to vent toxic waste - a byproduct of burned fuel. If your flue is neglected or clogged, your house becomes uninhabitable. A metaphor, yes?
The Chimney was originally called a Flue, meaning, 'To vent".Has your flue ever breeched its cool set-for-comfort equilibrium, and opened it's vents to full capacity? It happens when you need to discharge a large quantity of toxic waste stat. You might know it more intimately as sweating, rashes, coughing, bowel movements, vomiting, fever, muscle soreness, rapid breathing and fatigue. It’s unpleasant, but next time you're down for the count, consider the fantastic job that your brilliantly designed flue is doing.
Yay, (snffff) go flue (bleugh!). Ooaahhh (moan) so grateful ...
And people buy pharmaceutical drugs to shut it down. Well, I shouldn’t need to spell out what happens to one’s home when a flue is drugged into paralysis.
Know how to maintain your house and your flue wont be forced into the uncomfortable situation of evacuating critical amounts of waste urgently.
Under Stress? Adjust your lifestyle. Stress knocks the legs from under your immune system. Eat less, rest more. Fast for a day on water, juices or broth; so when your flue is compromised it can still get the job done.
Change of season? Know that your flue is under pressure re-setting your inner environment to harmonise with changes outside. With a warm change, your flu will need to off-load stored mucous (ama) fast. From a cool change, your body risks getting cold if its unable to store ama rapidly. Eat seasonally appropriate foods. Warming foods in winter, cooling foods in summer. Be mindful of your dosha.
Big Event? Consuming an excess amount of food (or alcohol) will send your flu into overdrive. For example, there is always a spike in flues after Thanksgiving.
A healthy flue requires daily maintenance
H2O: Drink a lot of fluids. It's the major transport system used by your flue.
R&R: Take hot baths. Add Epsom salts for extra kick.
Massage: Use sesame oil if you feel chilled. A foot massage using this oil works wonders.
Rest: Adjust your down-time to meet the daily demands of life. Don't rule out the power of the moon's phases. Waxing moons radiate more energy than waning moons.
Exercise and meditate: Exercise offers the flue a load of energy and efficiency. It's equally important to return to the still point. In this over-active modern life, stopping is the new black.
Eat minimally: My new mantra. All disease begins in the gut ~ Hippocrates. Over-eating is the single greatest cause of everything that we don't want in life (using subjective license here). Give.your.body.a.break.
The infographics you see every change-of-season suggests that kick-starting your flue is as easy as warming your core. Use herbs, and cleanse with ultra-green, kick-in-the-pants leafy vegetables and superfoods. Light soups won't tax an over-worked flue.
No need to memorise flu remedies. In principle, they're the same: think warming spices, and ease off the intake of anything complicated. You wont starve to death if you let your body's digestive system rest for a couple of days.
Friend request your Flue. It's not what your flue can do for youe, it's what youe can do for your flue.