A Holistic Flu Guide - Prevention

It’s just about the time where the weather changes drastically, yet again. As we shift from hot to cold, and sometimes right back to hot again, fall can bring on a host of unwanted sniffles and discomfort. Our bodies are amazing little organisms, constantly doing their best to keep us alive and flourishing and they usually do so quite well.  The key to winning the sickness games is prevention! Keeping your body functioning at its highest performance level will ensure that you are able to fight off sickness and infection when it comes knocking. Our immune systems are naturally strong and effective, however we tend do more damage to them than good on a daily basis. Quick fix medications and antibiotics may cure our illnesses quickly, and definitely have their place, but come with a cost to our immune systems.

Boosting the bodies natural immune system with safe and effective natural remedies ensures that you’ll stay healthier longer, and be able to fight off the yuck faster. We’ve put together a few indexes of holistic prevention and alleviation techniques, so if you find yourself with the sniffles anyways, you’ll know how to find a little relief, and how to help your bodies heal afterwards, the natural way. It is our responsibility to pay attention to our bodies, to listen to them and to feed them what they need. After all they are simply doing their best to keep us alive!

 Prevention:

 Take your vitamins

Even with a balanced diet, you may still be lacking critical nutrients and vitamins. Vitamin and nutrient deficiencies leave the immune system vulnerable, and functioning at a lower level of performance. Having sturdy building blocks of nutrients provides the body with a reliable foundation of tools t to ward of the yucky, need be. 

Vitamin D

Though naturally absorbed through the sun, vitamin D is one of the most common vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. This fat-soluble vitamin is responsible for healthy brain function, absorption and storage of Calcium, and mood regulation, making it’s status as most deficient a concerning one. Various factors such as sunscreen, melanin saturation, distance from the sun and various climate changes affect our normal intake of Vitamin D. Those who wear a lot of sunscreen, have naturally darker skin, are obese, and or live in climates with little sun exposure, could find themselves lacking this essential vitamin. Even those normally exposed to the sun may not be getting enough.

Vitamin D regulates the body’s absorption of calcium, and in turn, bones strength along with appetite and mood. Lack of this essential vitamin can lead to brittle bones, severe depression, lack of appetite, and immune dysfunction, making this the number one vitamin on our list!

Not naturally absorbed through lifestyle and or diet, this vitamin is best taken in supplemental form. Use a reputable brand and take the dosage recommended for your levels. 

Balance your lifestyle 

Adequate sleep, nutrition and reduction of stress are our first defenses against sickness. Drink plenty of water and eat plenty of greens and fruits packed with vitamins and nutrients. Avoid excess stress levels by scheduling time for yourself everyday; to relax, and release any unwanted negative energy. Our minds and bodies are divinely connected, so prevent your body from commanding you to rest with a sickness by taking plenty of rest time, before it’s absolutely needed. 

Pay attention to your Gut

Increase your consumption of probiotics through probiotic rich food and supplements. Probiotics restore the natural flora and healthy bacteria in our gut, helping to fight against the “bad” bacteria. During cold and flu seasons and at the first sign of the sniffles, avoid bacteria inducing food such as alcohol, sugar, dairy, coffee and fried foods and replace them with gut enhancing foods and spices such as garlic, and cumin. 

Remember to be gentle with yourself, your body knows what it is doing and often it just needs a little bit of help to do so. 

Morning Tip: Try Replacing your morning coffee with a Matcha Almond Milk Latte, for a gentler caffeine boost.

Cleanse Naturally 

Wash your hands on a regular basis under warm running water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid using anti-bacterial soaps and gels unless absolutely necessary as many of these contain ingredients that aid in the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria’s. They also strip the skin of it’s natural antibacterial defenses. Use a natural, antiviral soap with bacteria killing essential oils for a safer, healthier approach. -See our selection of body washes and hand soaps based in organic castile soaps and balances with antibacterial essential oils for a healthy, clean body. 

Boost your immune system with herbs

Taking herbs and supplements allows your body to boost its own immune system on a regular basis, fortifying your fortress of defense! Remember that antibiotics are used to treat bacterial related illnesses, and are ineffective against viral infections; so don’t go running for these at the first sign of the flu. Also, keep in mind that antibiotics weaken your immune system; so if you do happen to end up needing antibiotics for a different reason, (and even if you don’t) mindfully boost your immune system with herbs and supplements such as ginseng, Echinacea, and elderberry.

· Red (Panax) Ginseng: Also known as Asian or Korean ginseng helps treat and prevent influenza, and respiratory infection with immune boosting anti-viral activities. In traditional Chinese medicine ginseng has been used to strengthen lungs and digestive system, calm the spirit and increase overall vitality and energy. This herb is also said to be an adaptogen, meaning it balances the entire body and provides strength where it is needed. -Take as tea or supplement 

· Echinacea: A native North American coneflower, technically classified as an herb. Widely used to treat and fight infections, both viral and bacterial especially the common cold and flu and naturally reduces pain and swelling. Echinacea has been shown to reduce the duration of a cold by one and a half days.

o Take in tea, tincture, or supplemental form several times a day for 7-10 days at a time. 

· Elderberry: One of the oldest magic berries, Elderberry is to have been cultivated by pre-historic man. I has been used for centuries throughout the world, and is one of the top anti-viral herbs on the planet. This little berry holds no punches, from improving colds and flus, sinus issues, nerve pain, inflammation, chronic fatigue, allergies, constipation, and cancer, there is little it cannot help cure. When used in the first 48 hours of the onset of cold or flu like symptoms, the extract has been noted to dramatically reduce the duration of the illness by as much as four days in some cases. The berry itself is higher in flavonoids than cranberries, blackberries, blueberries and even Goji berries and the chemical compounds found in the berries called anthocyanins, are known to have immune stimulating effects. Use this herb to boost your immune system during flu seasons, before flying on an airplane, before traveling, and before school seasons, to get the best head start on the germs! 

o Take as tincture, lozenge, or syrup. Look for this ingredient in cough drops. 

Remember, we do our best to keep our bodies as healthy as possible to help us through our days. Stay tuned for next week when we talking about alleviation of flu symptoms if prevention doesn’t totally ward it way! 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.