Yesterday a young man emailed a question about diet and recurring Staph infections. His first infection was 8 months ago. Fortunately, the antibiotics he took stopped his infection. He also began to eat better too: more foods that support the immune system, less foods that weaken it. But lately, he’s been eating the same old diet again, including cola, lots of red meat, alcohol and hardly any fruits or vegetables. In other words, he slipped back into the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), which really is not helpful when it comes to recurring infections.
He’d been doing well until his diet slipped, and just last month he went to get a culture test and found he had another Staph infection. He’s pretty upset and wants to make these infections go away for good. In his email, he asked “how long do I have to keep up with these diet changes to fully eradicate the Staph from my system”.
The answer I gave him is the same answer I always give about diet and nutrition, but with a twist…
Health is a habit, not an event
The modern media, our healthcare system and clever drug marketing have convinced us to expect quick-fix solutions for our health problems. We’ve been conditioned to see our health in an oversimplified, black and white way. You hear it all the time from doctors and drug commercials: “If you have health problem X, then take drug Y to feel better”.
This black and white approach to health has its pros and cons. It’s a good approach if you have a traumatic injury, like a broken arm. It’s also a good approach to ease your symptoms and bring some short term relief. But this approach fails miserably with chronic health problems like recurring infections. Short term relief is great, but it never fixes the underlying cause of the infection, so the infection just comes back again later.
Just like a dirty house draws ants, if your body is out of balance, you’re literally attracting infections and other chronic diseases to you. Making your body resistant to infections is not an event – it’s an ongoing process. That process involves eating foods that support your immune system and avoiding foods that tear it down is the key. It’s a long-term choice that helps keeps your body in balance and naturally repels infections.
Food for thought
Unfortunately, most people don’t want to hear this. Most people are looking for a pill, remedy or technique to make their infection go away quick and easy. They’re looking for all the answers in something outside themselves.
What people fail to see is that the most important “remedy” of all is actually inside their own bodies.
Your body has an amazing ability to heal and fight off infections. The food you eat can help your body do its job better, or it can weaken your defenses and slow down the healing process. Despite what most doctors and drug companies tell you, what you eat is probably the biggest determinant of your health. While there are other important factors, your diet is probably the biggest – and it’s the factor you have the most control over.
Here’s a reassuring twist. Once your infection is gone and your body is in balance and your immune system strong, you very likely can handle some soda, alcohol and dessert with no problem. I know I indulge in desserts (probably more than I should) and I still don’t have any recurring infections anymore. The key is moderation and balance. A diet full of nutritious, immune-boosting foods can out-balance the occasional processed food in most cases. The interesting thing is, once you clean up your diet, those old foods probably won’t even taste good to you any more.
A little perspective
Please keep in mind that treatments are still very important and necessary. If you’re struggling with an infection, then you need short term help. Whether it’s an antibiotic or a natural remedy (my favorite), the first order of business is to get your infection under control. Treatments are simply not an all-in-one solution to your problem in the long-term. To keep that infection from coming back takes a long-term commitment to your immune system and addressing the root cause of the recurring infections.
To your very best health,
Michelle
Microbiologist and Natural Health Expert
Author of the Natural MRSA and Staph Treatment and Prevention Guidebook MRSA Secrets Revealed
