Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter

I want to share some natural supplements and strategies I use for myself and my family to prevent the usual colds or flu the winter months seem to overflow with.

The number one basic strategy is to get adequate rest and sleep. I find if my husband and older son especially don't sleep enough for two or three days, they become very susceptible to catching whatever germ is lurking. My husband is a teacher and surrounded by kids who cough and sneeze, so he's especially vulnerable.

Also paying extra attention to your diet and making sure you have plenty of fresh fruits and especially alkalizing vegetables is key. Here's where having your daily green drinks pays high dividends! Keeping your body as alkaline as possible makes it less vulnerable to those nasty invaders. As much as you may crave starchy comfort foods and desserts, avoid white sugar. Sugar depresses the immune system - just what you don't want if you are fighting off a cold or flu.

Staying well-hydrated by drinking adequate water is also very important. All your systems function more efficiently when you are well-hydrated. Using the correct amount of sea salt or any other natural salt provides minerals which will also strengthen your body against bacteria and viruses.

Fresh air and exercise are also key players in keeping your immune system fit. The only way your lymphatic system is exercised is when you are active! Any sustained, consistent exercise gets lymph flowing through your system. One activity I've found to be especially good is rebounding on a mini-trampoline. It moves lymph very effectively and of course that is where lymphocytes fight off those bugs trying to invade your body.

Of course basic hygiene cannot be overstated - cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, use tissues which are disposable and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and often throughout the day. As always, before using any herb or supplement, it is always best to check with your physician or healthcare professional. Now, to a few specific supplements and strategies:

Echineacea: This is the best-known natural, herbal cold remedy that's been shown in studies to be beneficial for stimulating the immune system and for treating the common cold if it is taken at the very first sign of illness or shortening its duration. This is an herb meant to be taken only as needed - not continuously. So take it for a week or two and then discontinue until needed again.

If you are allergic to marigolds, daisies, ragweed, chrysanthemums or any other plants in those families, you should not take echineacea. Also if you have any medical condition that involves the immune system (HIV/AIDS, MS, Tuberculosis), or are pregnant or nursing, always consult your doctor before using it.

Olive Leaf Extract: This is a wide spectrum, natural antibiotic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agent. The great thing is it only destroys the harmful bacteria without harming our beneficial bacteria, unlike synthetic antibiotics.

To prevent a detox reaction (flu-like symptoms known as the Herxheimers Reaction that happens as bacteria, etc. die off), begin very gradually and drink plenty of water between doses to help yourself flush out and eliminate any toxins. You can use this as a preventive measure or at the first sign of a cold or flu.

Colostrum: This is the pre-milk substance women produce immediately following giving birth which fortifies a newborn's immune system. It naturally contains a wide range of immune boosters and is the only known food source of NAA, one of the eight healing sugars necessary for many physical functions, and a powerful immune modulator.

Studies have shown that it can severely inhibit or destroy the growth of dangerous bacteria, viruses and fungi - including E. coli, Salmonella, Heliobactor pylori, Clostridium, Candida albicans, Streptococcus and various strains of Staphylococcus. Be sure you use a high quality organic colostrum in capsule form. Contact me for where to purchase the best quality colostrum I've found. For children the capsules can be opened and added to their food.

Oil of Oregano: This is an extremely potent natural support for immune health that has a very high degree of antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral and antibacterial action. I find using a high quality liquid formula works best. Use only very little - 1-2 drops in 6 or 8 oz. of juice - swish in your mouth, hold under your tongue for 30 seconds and then swallow. You can put 4-5 drops in water and gargle with it several times a day at the onset of a sore throat. If you are ingesting it, don't take for more than 10 days at a time. It is also very good for fighting intestinal upsets and bugs.

Activated Charcoal: Staying with the subject of digestive upsets and intestinal bugs, a good thing to keep on hand is activated charcoal. Particularly in the event of food poisoning or stomach virus causing diarrhea, it is an excellent absorbing agent for toxins and poisons. Think about it, most water filters use charcoal as their active ingredient. There is one formula that also contains bentonite clay, another excellent absorbing agent which also draws out intestinal parasites. If you need an excellent brand, contact me and I'll be happy to direct you.

To stop a stomach upset/flu in its tracks I've had really good success giving 2 nucleotides and 2 probiotics with a glass of water with 4 droppersful of colloidal silver and a few tablespoons of aloe. If there is still upset stomach I follow with 3 or 4 activated charcoal. (Don't take them with other supplements as they will absorb them.) My daughter and a neighbor's daughter were perfectly fine within 3 hours.

Probiotics: After a round of antibiotics and definitely for any digestive upset, including a good probiotic formula is very important to get the friendly bacterial built up again. If you want suggestions as to some good brands, contact me and I'll be happy to tell you what I use.

Grapefruit Seed Extract: As grapefruit can cause serious interactions with prescription meds, check with your physician before using grapefruit seed extract. If there are no contraindications, you can gargle three or four times a day with 3 drops in 4 or 5 oz. of water or put a drop on your toothpaste before brushing your teeth.

Nucleotides: This may be one you are not familiar with, but it's an amazing product. It is a proven natural anti-viral solution that stops colds and flu dead in their tracks in one day 96% of the time or diminish the duration dramatically. What they are is building blocks of RNA and DNA, fundamental nutrients, such as minerals. They must be supplied and are foundin all protein-rich foods and most abundantly in breast milk! But they are not very biologically available. Supplementation is the best way to get them. Adults and children 4 and up can take 2capsules daily; during the onset of a cold you can take 4 servings per hour, up to 20servings daily. Again, check with your doctor, and if you need to know a high quality brand, I can help with that.

Colloidal Silver: Most everyone has seen the "Blue Man" who overdosed himself on colloidal silver and his skin turned blue. Don't allow that to turn you off to this natural antibiotic. If you purchase a high quality product and use it as it is intended, not drinking gallons as he did, you will have no such trouble! Silver has been used as an immune aid for thousands of years and a safe and effective product to help your body fight infection. There are several really excellent brands I would recommend. You just take 1-5 droppers (depending on your situation and the advice of your healthcare provider) on an empty stomach, and hold under your tongue for 30 seconds before swallowing.

Black Elderberry Extract (Sambucol): This is widely available and a very good immune supporting substance. It's especially effective for flu and several studies of the product have shown it to provide more rapid recovery from the flu. It is very rich in anthocyanins - the same substances found in grapes, blueberries and blackberries.

Vitamin C: Linus Pauling brought the many health benefits of Vitamin C to the forefront. It's a natural antihistimine and I've found taking several when my nose is stuffy helps clear it naturally. Try to use the most natural Vitamin C you can find - there are several different whole food brands that use Amla berries and the like which are excellent. Eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables will also help you get adequate Vitamin C along with the cofactors that increase it's effectiveness.

Vitamin D3: Researchers have concluded that the flu may very well be a Vitamin D3 deficiency! It makes sense as flu season coincides with the time of year when the weather is cold and time in the sunshine is very limited. I personally do not believe in flu shots and feel they are not only ineffective but carry the risk of serious side effects. How much easier, safer and more effective to simply optimize your intake of Vitamin D3 and protect yourself naturally from the flu.

Researchers found 2,000 IU daily was the effective dosage for adults. Check with your doctor, but even maintaining 1,000 IU a day seems to be a good strategy - not just for protection from the flu, but for overall health.

Coconut oil: This natural, healthy fat that is helpful with weight loss and maintenence is also an excellent food to include in order to keep your immune system functioning at peak performance. It is an excellent source of lauric acid which supports overall immune function and helps prevent bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Cook your morning eggs in it and spread it on your toast!

Teas: Teas are a healthy beverage all the way around, however there are two in particular I want to mention to you: The first is Neem Tea. Neem is an herb that has been used in ancient Indian culture for thousands of years. It's a powerful detoxifier and immune system booster. Drinking several cups a day during the cold and flu season is a good strategy.

The other tea I want to highlight is Fenugreek Seed Tea. If you already have a cold and cough, from personal experience I have found drinking 5 or 6 cups a day will help prevent the cough from becoming bronchitis. It happened this way for a friend who had bronchitis - it cleared her in a day (she drank a cup every hour that day). My husband drinks anywhere between 4 and 6 cups a day when he is fighting a cold and hasn't had bronchitis in years - something that was a yearly occurrence for him.

While we're on tea, if you decide to sweeten with honey, use raw, unheated honey which has all it's enzymes intact and is one of the most powerful healing foods (in moderation, of course) God created!

Garlic and Hot Peppers: Garlic is a powerful natural germ fighter and delicious too! Eating hot, spicy foods also helps pump your immune system up and definitely clears the sinuses. If you like spicy foods you can mix up a batch of this to keep in the fridge. Clean several heads of organic garlic and as many organic hot peppers as you want (scotch bonnet, jalapenos - whatever you like and is available). Rough chop and put in a blender with some organic extra virgin olive oil. Blend until you have a paste in a consistency you like and store in a jar in the fridge. You can put it on your eggs, on meat, bread - use it to protect yourself during this winter season. I learned this recipe from Dr. Richard Schulze, who also offers an excellent line of natural cold and flu remedies.

I also used to crush, press, grate or chop several cloves of garlic, mix with a tiny bit of honey and smear on a bite of whole grain bread and eat at the first sign of a cold. My kids even did this with very little complaint - go figure!

Chicken Soup: Studies have actually shown this to be an excellent strategy for fighting colds. It's the one comfort food that is truly effective! Be sure you make it from scratch, not processed from a can, and use plenty of vegetables, garlic, herbs and spices in your broth. Warm, steamy liquids are soothing, keep you hydrated and this one actually does help fight those invaders!

Take a Step:

Consider stocking your cabinet with at least a few of the supplements suggested to be ready for the inevitable scratchy throats or stuffy noses. At the very least, incorporate the basic strategies mentioned at the beginning and have a safe and healthy winter!

Until next time, I wish you vibrant health. Ann