A Holistic Flu Guide - Healing
If you still happen to come down with the flu, don’t lose faith in prevention techniques. A healthy body may contract illness, but will fight through it a lot faster than an unhealthy body. Each step helps even if you can’t see it directly! When you start feeling sick, take the time to start thinking about ways that you can assist your body in healing through the “sickness”.
Healing:
Get Plenty of Rest and Hydration
Remember to rest first and foremost. We live in a modern world that’s constantly buzzing and spinning and sometimes, we get sick because we need to sit down and be still for a while. Nourish yourself as best as you can with light meals enhanced with herbs and spices and warm herbal teas. Remember that the body needs to focus on healing, so keep meals small and tensions low.
Soothe a Sore Throat
Soothe a sore throat with mucilaginous herbs. These herbs coat the sensitive mucus membranes and start working their magic to treat the infection and ease discomfort.
Slippery Elm, Fenugreek and Licorice are the most common and effective. Licorice has the added beneficial compound called glycyrrhizin which acts as an expectorant and loosens mucous for easier expulsion, and has powerful antiviral and antimicrobial properties.
Look for these ingredients in teas, lozenges, tinctures and supplements.
*Check with your primary car physician if you suffer from high blood pressure before consuming licorice as it can elevate blood pressure in some people.
Get your steam on
Steam and warm, moist air opens the bronchial passageways and provides comfort from irritation. Fill a pot with water and slowly bring it to a steamy simmer. Add an essential oil with antibacterial and microbial properties such as tea tree oil, thyme, rosemary or juniper berry, and place a towel over the back of your head. Gently lean your head over the steam and inhale deeply, being careful not to touch the pot or get too close to the steam.
Don’t forget your vitamin C
Several studies show that this vitamin C not only prevents colds and flu, but also treats them and other viral infections. Begin with 250-500 mgs six to four times a day.
Taking the vitamin at various times throughout the day has been shown to be more effective than taking one large dose at one time, unless that dose was taken in in the form of time release product. Vitamin C is most effective when it is combined with ascorbic acid, bioflavonoids and other associated micronutrients. For sensitive stomachs, try buffered forms of vitamin C such as Ester-C or liposomal vitamin C.
Heal through eating
Eating heavy foods while sick is a no, no, and you wouldn’t want to suffer the consequences of a dense heavy meal. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat at all! The nutrients found in food and spices can put us on the fast train to healing and it would be silly to pass that up. Choose a consumption form that’s going to hydrate you, like soup, and load that baby up with healing herbs, spices and veggies such as Onions, Ginger, Garlic and Turmeric.
· Onions: Rich in quercetin, an immune supportive anti-oxidant
· Ginger: Antiviral, very helpful for respirator illnesses
· Garlic: Antibacterial, antiviral
· Turmeric: anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, warming
Don’t Forget to Move Around
Catching a cold and especially the flu is daunting for everyone and leaves its victims stuck to the couch or bed, in the only comfortable position possible.
But, as daunting as the cold or flu may be, you cannot forget to move around!! When fighting a sickness, the body is constantly draining, trying to expel the yuck in as many ways as possible. If not allowed to drain properly, this drainage can become trapped in unwanted places like the lungs (Pneumonia) and can lead to more dangerous forms of illness.
Rotate the sides you sleep on consistently and regularly while sick to prevent drainage collecting in a particular lung. Sit up often and steam often to break up mucous and encourage it to drain.
Sleep
This is the most important step. Sleep, sleep, and sleep some more.
Even if you can’t do any of the above, make sure that you sleep!
Deep, heavy sleep allows the body to repair at the most rapid rate, and can shorten your recovery by an entire day or more!
Remember that healing takes some time. Rush the process by resting more, sooner and you’ll find yourself recovering faster than you expected. There are three parts to this series of Prevention Healing and Recovery! Stay tuned for next weeks conclusion on recovery!