Healthy Eating To Boost (CD4) The Immune System

For the past three years, during my hiatus from blogging, I have been discovering food that boosts health. Foods that will strengthen the body's immunity to illnesses, viruses, and the likes. During my research, I have discovered and (probably proved) tested some foods that do strengthen the immune system. These foods that I am going to write about have been consumed by yours truly on a regular basis. 

• Mushrooms - these edible fungi have been a  personal favorite of mine. The three varieties have been a regular in most of the dishes I have been cooking... These are: Shitake (fresh and dried), Button (fresh, white or brown), Portobello (fresh). Of the three, Shitake mushrooms are well known to have the most health benefits and is also well known around the world as an immune system booster. You can have buy it in stores either dried or fresh. However, among the three, Portobello is the tastiest and most delicious. 
• Salmon - is labelled as one of the few super foods available. It's tasty, you can have it raw or cooked, and it has essential fish oils. 
• Turmeric - this spice is a regular on my (almost) everyday rice. It is known to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
• Milk - Drinking milk after a meal can hinder the digestive system to absorb fat, and has a lot of protein and calcium too!
• Eggs - Eating two eggs a day is considered safe. Eggs are packed with protein and other nutrients. Eating eggs on a regular basis also makes the liver produce less cholesterol because of the eggs cholesterol content, therefore, controlling the body's cholesterol in the process. More on the the relationship of cholesterol, liver, and the body in my future articles. 
• Wine - I have been drinking win on a regular basis. I am already okay to drink alcohol regularly, but on moderate amounts and two hours after or before drinking my ARVs. I drink white most of the time lately as I have been eating fish a lot. I still have red wine, that I drink sometimes before I sleep. 
• Yakult - This Asian native drink contains bacteria that regulates our digestive system. It is made of milk, with yogurt like taste. Having a healthy digestive system is important for nutrient absorption. No matter how healthy and nutrient-packed the food is, it's useless unless your stomach and intestines can digest and absorb whatever is needed to be absorbed.  
• Oats - Cholesterol fighter and fiber provider. Need I say more?

Well, those are just some of the regular food I eat, and I always pair them with great music playing in the background to complete the mood. More on how to incorporate those foods in your daily diet and more, soon.

I Am Still Alive

It's been three years since I posted something in this blog. I admit, I missed blogging, I tried several times to change the genre of my documented literature to something else, like poetry, photography, or anything away from what triggered to start this blog. Although I'm still very much active in Twitter, it's different when you have a regular audience you cater to, and somehow help other PLHIVs either long-term survivors or the newly diagnosed. Something triggered me to check out the emails I get from this blog, then I logged in to Blogger to check how my sleeping blog is doing. I still got a few thousand hits last month, and I still get emails from readers both old and new, I even got a comment saying that I am already dead as the blog has not been updated for the longest time. So here I am, typing on my laptop, showing the world that I am still alive. 

It has been three years, yes, it has been that long. I thought, there has been a new breed of PLHIV bloggers sprouting in the internet along with the fast rising number of HIV cases in the Philippines. I thought that my hiatus would be prolonged as my wisdom and experience with this illness (or condition) would no longer be needed because I am sure that the new PLHIV bloggers' knowledge would suffice the need. As I witnessed in Twitter, there is still a need to guide the newly diagnosed, there is still a need to share experiences, there is still a need to share what I can. To help give light to stay alive and be alive with HIV/AIDS.

My weight has been on a constant high with little up and downs in-between; but my determination to finally get rid of the bulge is never hampered. I need to lose some weight, because I may not die of HIV or AIDS complications, I may die of a heart disease or any sort of cardiovascular related illnesses. At the moment I am slowly shifting to becoming a weekday pescatarian. I cook my own meals for almost the entire week, I am on a sugarless diet (most of the time), so I don't put sugar on my coffee, in fact, I like it black. I brew my own coffee most of the time using a French Press and I only use locally grown Arabica beans. My CD4 count for three years (running) has been constant above 1000. My last CD4 count this past March was 1,196, and my Viral Load is zero. I am no longer in San Lazaro Hospital's care, I am under the care of a private hospital which I will withhold the information for privacy purposes. I am still taking the same ARV combo of Zidovudine/Lamivudine and Efavirenz. The Efavirenz side-effects are still being felt, but I am well adapted to them now. However, the much awaited "high-definition" dreaming has not happened to me yet. 

I tried enrolling to a gym and tried swimming, the former was a failed attempt to be fit because of my excessive exhaustion from work, swimming is still being worked on. All in all, my goal these days is to be fitter and healthier and to eat better foods. Losing weight will follow as long as my food intake is better. I cannot give-up on fat as the ARV needs them, besides, I don't want to look dry. 

So there, in a nutshell, I'm still alive and my immune system's health is pretty much intact and already back to normal with zero viral load. I believe, that's all thanks to healthy eating and keeping a healthy perspective in life. Furthermore, a stable and healthy emotional and mental state plays a key role in keeping my immune system strong, aside of course to the much needed ARVs.

Yoga for life

When I was younger (in college), I used to seek various ways to have a healthier mind and body. To have an alternative direction to a solid set of moral values. I stumbled upon and read different texts and teachings like those of Confucius, and a vast variety of Buddhist teachings. Exploring options like those lead me to Yoga. So I bought myself a book called Jivamukti Yoga by Sharon Gannon and David Life. What I like about this book is that it not only teaches what Yoga is in general but also give insights to what Yoga is for, about, its history and the what it can do. I will not go deep on those anymore because I myself needs to read the book again to understand it fully. What I also like about this book is that it also has bits of Christian teachings in its pages, Yoga is not of Christian roots but what I know is that it started in India *and it is the second most ancient if India's six philosophical systems, which are also referred to as darshanas or poimts of view and are considered complimentary rather than independent.

Yoga is an ancient practice designed to link the body and the soul and to "liven it up". It is not only healthy, but Yoga also helps the body ones spirituality to become stronger. The Yoga poses and breathing techniques are designed to target specific body parts, enabling oxygen to be distributed more to that particular area. Also, certain yoga poses are designed to enhance organs, thus, making them function at their best. To add, those are just some of Yoga's physiological aspects and contributions to ones general health. The spiritual aspect is far more deeper and Yoga was also designed for spiritual enrichment as well.

**YOGA FOR P.L.H.I.V. How exactly can yoga benefit PLHIV?

“Worldwide, yoga has become widely recognized as an effective complementary management therapy for many conditions, diseases, and disorders, including HIV and AIDS,” according to Charmaine Cu-Unjieng, co-instructor of the Yoga for Life program.

“Since HIV attacks the immune system, PLHIV particularly need to maintain strong immune systems to keep from becoming vulnerable to a variety of opportunistic infections,” shares Charmaine. “An asana or posture sequence which aims to bolster the immune system was developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar Yoga. The sequence encourages proper blood circulation, as well as increases the efficiency of the thymus, pineal, and pituitary glands, which are parts of the endocrine system known to regulate the production of T-cells, the body’s army against infections.”

“Inversions such as the Sirsasana (headstand), the Salamba Sarvangasana (supported shoulderstand), and the Adho Mukha Vrksasana (handstand) are part of the Iyengar asana sequence that can be of great benefit to people with compromised immunity,” adds Charmaine. “Backbends like the Salamba Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (supported bridge pose) and the Supta Baddha Konasana (reclining bound angle pose) are also used to open up the chest and stimulate thymus activity.”

Charmaine points out, “The most significant benefit of yoga to PLHIV may be in stress reduction. Although everyone experiences stress, the way that stress can take its toll on one’s immune system makes it even more of a concern for PLHIV. PLHIV may also face additional stressors in their lives, like stigma and discrimination, facing disclosure, or fear of sickness and death.”

The program also features pranayama or breathing techniques that can be equally beneficial to PLHIV, with the Ujjayi (victorious breath), Kapalbhati (breath of fire), Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) as Charmaine’s examples of breathing techniques that help detoxify the body, increase oxygen intake, promote cellular metabolism, and most importantly, silence the mind.

But she also cautions, “Asanas and pranayamas should be taught by qualified yoga instructors who can teach you the right techniques, make adjustments to the routines for any physical limitations you may have, and make corrections as you perform the asanas. Likewise, anyone with special health conditions should consult his or her healthcare provider before beginning any yoga practice.”

When I started doing Yoga it not only helped me be flexible, but also it made my respiratory system stronger too, I was healthier. Matching Yoga practice with abstaining the consumption of land animal meat as well as any processed food, helped a lot. I stopped smoking at that time and I was not even drinking any processed drinks either. I was a heavy Green Tea drinker, the type that was imported from Japan and the one that one has to scoop out the leaves and put in a kettle specifically for teas. I can run a mile without slowing down, I can swim 4 laps without stopping in an Olympic sized swimming pool, I can climb walls (indoor bouldering) for hours. I can walk for miles, even for hours. I was lean, and it was my fittest, I had 6 pack abs. I never got sick for more than a year, and not a bit of pain in any of my insides. regular Yoga and a healthy lifestyle improved my mind and body that time. So what happened? College thesis came and it all crashed down. I was back to my old lifestyle of smoking and eating all those delicious land animal meat. I did have determination and interest, but I did not have any discipline.

Pulling out the book from my bookshelf bring back healthy memories. As of this writing I decided to go back to Yoga again. I know it will bring great help to my depleting immune system. Thus, with my "back to yoga" plan; I will promote the group I found a couple of months back in which I also partake in one of their activities (a few weeks ago).



***Yoga for life
Yoga for Life began in June 2010, and is the Philippines’ first community-based yoga program for persons living with HIV, as well as others who support them and the cause and want to experience the beauty of yoga. To date, the community has grown to over 300, as Yoga for Life continues to reach more people and build a community of advocates who, through yoga, share their energies towards living positively and living well.

Yoga for Life will have an activity for the 28th International Candlelight Memorial. The event will be held at Glorietta, Makati this coming may 15th. For more details of the activity, please click here.

References:
*Practices for Liberating Body and Soul. Jivamukti Yoga by Sharon Gannon and David Life.

**Yoga for Life's Seasons by CZARINA NICOLE ONG

***sexandsensibilities.com