Nicole del Cardayre | Staff Writer | A pain on the side of your throat.
As minuscule as this pain may seem, it has the possibility, within only a matter of days, to create one of the most common illnesses, a cold.
When it comes to sickness, there are many common misconceptions between what is healthy for oneself and what is hurting them.
Fruits and vegetables have natural sugars that are good for your body and provide it with fuel. Unfortunately, foods with high sugar content such as oreos and ice cream contain refined processed sugars that no longer provide your body with long lasting energy.
When one becomes ill, their immune system begins to fight the bacteria or virus, because of the stress that the immune system is already experiencing, the immune system then is further suppressed.
Glucose is a common component of foods that is consumed daily in many different forms. According to Donna Deforbes, a writer for Eco-Mothering, glucose competes with Vitamin C in human’s bodies which will result in a weakened immune system. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that repairs connective tissues and acts as an antioxidant.
Vitamin C can be found in many citrus fruits or green vegetables such as bell peppers, oranges, broccoli and cucumbers.
Most plants and animals are able to produce their own Vitamin C by converting metabolized glucose. However, humans do not have this same capability, because our bodies cannot process glucose as efficiently. According to the Huffington Post, when one feels themselves beginning to fall ill, all refined and processed sugars must become off limits.
“Sugar is really bad for you in general; whenever I eat it I can feel it weakening my immune system. I believe that natural foods like fruits and vegetables have significant vitamins that will boost your metabolism,” said junior Shelby Young. It is a scientific myth that dairy has the power to create an excessive amount of mucus or worsen your cold conditions. However, recent studies conducted by scientists suggest that only a certain type of milk will cause respiratory inflammation.
In a study produced by Medical Hypotheses, specific breeds of cows produce milk that contains a certain protein called beta-CM-7. This protein has been proven to stimulate the mucus glands in one's digestive tract.
“As I am a huge milk drinker myself, knowing that milk could possibly worsen my cold conditions is shocking,” said junior Matthew Matias.
When your body is fighting a cold, there is already an overproduction of mucus. By consuming the beta-CM-7 protein during this time of vulnerability, you are creating more stress for your immune system.
Not all types of milk need to be avoided during a time of sickness, however the ones with the beta-CM-7 protein have been scientifically proven to thicken one’s mucus. Along with eating healthy and staying clear of dairy, a very important aspect to staying healthy is getting the right amount of sleep.
According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the average teenager needs exactly nine and a half hours of sleep, however, the average amount of sleep a teenager gets every night is around seven hours. Sleep has a pretty basic role when it comes to general health. While sleeping, one’s blood vessels and heart are being repaired. Optimal growth time for the human body occurs when one is sleeping.
“I make sure to get a lot of sleep as sleep is important for your growth. Freshman year I got really sick and even developed mono. My doctor said it was partly due to my lack of sleep,” said Young.
According to Eric J. Olson M.D, an author for the Mayo Clinic, sleep impacts how fast one can recover and how well they can fight off viruses. During sleep, cytokines are released which help induce sleep as well as fight off infections or take down inflammation. Little to no sleep will decrease the amount of these proteins released into one’s body and allow diseases and sicknesses to suppress one’s immune system. According to the website todayifoundout.com, people become far more susceptible to Illnesses during the fall and winter. Author Scott explains that certain viruses can become more stable during the fall or winter due to the decrease in temperature. Also the cold weather suppresses people’s immune systems as they are not maintaining homeostasis. “If I feel myself beginning to develop a cold I’ll try to keep warm and not do anything crazy that will cause me to use too much energy,” said senior Gia Stavros.