These days, we’re so reluctant to experience any signs and symptoms of what we interpret as “being sick” that we are actually impeding our immune system from functioning at its optimum level. In fact, we’ve been that way for so long that we have forgotten the importance of having a fever.
A fever is the body’s way to burn away viruses and bacteria. If we cool our fever by taking an over-the-counter medication such as tylenol, we disable the body’s immune system from burning away the virus or the bacteria, and we actually suppress the immune system for the period of time until we feel we need to take another OTC med!
Dr. Keith Condliffe, a naturopathic doctor with a clinic in Vancouver, is currently teaching “Preventative Nutrition” to us natural nutrition students at CSNN. He is a big proponent of the importance of having a fever.
Enjoy Your Next Fever
If you’re still having fevers, the next time you have one, let it just burn its way clean. The sweet spot of temperature, at which bacteria and toxins can be burned away, is between 101° and 103.5° Fahrenheit. If you let the temperature hover around there, you may have to take a day off work, but at least you won’t be taking off even more time later because you didn’t get rid of the bug yet.
Best of health, naturally,
Nina