Influenza, like all other acute diseases, is a natural attempt at self-cleansing and if rightly treated in a natural way, immense good can ensue so far as the future health of the patient is concerned. The treatment of the disease along modern medical lines may bring about many complications such as pneumonia, kidney disorders, ear and chest troubles. This is due to the suppressive nature of the treatment which halts the cleansing process and forces toxic matter deeper into the system again.
In the acute stage of influenza, the patient should abstain from all solid foods and only drink fruit and vegetable juices diluted with water, in the proportion of 50 : 50 for the first three to five days, depending on the severity of the disease. The juice fast should be continued till the temperature comes down to normal. A warm water enema should be taken daily during this period to cleanse the bowels.
After fever subsides, the patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for two or three days. In this regimen, the patient should take three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such as apples, pears, grapes oranges, pineapples, peaches and melons at five-hourly intervals. Bananas, or dried, stewed or tinned fruits, however, should not be taken.
No other foodstuff should be added to the fruit meals, otherwise the value of the treatment will be lost. This may be followed by a further two or three days on fruit and milk diet. Thereafter, the patient may adopt a well-balanced diet of three basic food groups, namely, seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits as outlined in Chapter 1 on Diet in health and disease.
Spices and condiments, and pickles, which make food more palatable and lead to overeating, must be avoided. Lemon juice may be used in salad dressing. Alcohol, tobacco, strong tea and coffee, highly seasoned meats, over-boiled milk, pulses, potatoes, rice, cheese, refined, processed, stale and tinned foods should all be avoided.
Carrot and spinach juices have been found specially beneficial in the treatment of influenza. The juices of these two vegetables may be taken separately or in combination by mixing six ounces of spinach juice with ten ounces of carrot juice. The vegetables should, however, be thoroughly washed with plenty of cold, running water to remove the remnants of insecticide sprays, etc. before juices are extracted.
During the course of the fever, the natural way of reducing temperature is by means of cold packs. It is advisable to apply a body pack several times a day, with one to the throat in case of a sore throat.
The pack is made by wringing out a sheet or other large square piece of linen material in cold water, wrapping it right around the body and legs of the patient and then covering completely with a blanket. In case of the throat pack, the linen may be covered with a piece of flannel. The packs can be kept for an hour or so. The body should be sponged with tepid water after removing the pack. The patient should be kept in bed and should stay there till he is well again.