It’s January and the flu is here – with record numbers of people falling ill, according to news reports. There’s lots you can do to protect you and your family from getting sick this season.
PREVENTION
1. EAT WELL — The best way to keep your immune function healthy is through diet.
• eliminate all white sugar — This is probably the most important thing you can to for your immune system.
• eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables – the phytochemicals and vitamins in fruit and vegetables act as excellent antioxidants – helping your immune cells fight toxins in your body. In particular, use lots of garlic – it is a powerful immune booster that stimulates white blood cell multiplication, boosts natural killer cell activity, and increases the efficiency of antibody production. .
• eliminate caffeine and alcohol (or at the very least, reduce it dramatically). Green Tea is a fabulously healthy alternative to coffee and black tea – and will give you a gentle energy lift as well. Drink lots of water, with lemon juice preferably.
2. SLEEP LOTS — Be kind to your body and listen to it – excessive tiredness may be your body’s way of alerting you to the fact that illness may be on the way. You need more sleep in the winter, you need more caloric intake to stay warm, and you probably need a generally gentler schedule
3. WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY
4. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS – These are your daily essentials and will go a long way in keeping you from getting sick in the first place:
• vitamin D — If you haven’t had your 25 Hydroxy D levels checked, ask your doctor to do so next time you have some blood work done. In the meantime, 4000 IU daily for adults and 2000 IU daily for children is a reasonable daily amount.
• Vitamin C is crucially important in winter– I suggest at least 1000 mg daily for children, 2000 for adults, increasing that up to 4 fold during times of illness.
• daily multi-vitamin (be sure Selenium is included as well as a good range of vitamin Bs),
• Omega 3 fish-oil
• Daily probiotic
5. STAY HOME IF YOU DON’T FEEL WELL — I believe that we all need a bit of hibernation to get through these short, cold, harsh days. Be kind to yourself, and those around you.
HOMEOPATHIC FLU PREVENTION PROTOCOL:
• Influenzinum 30 can be taken as a prophylactic three times weekly during the peak of flu season/ flu epidemic
AT THE FIRST SIGN OF ILLNESS:
start taking an immune boosting supplement – there are ones to keep your body’s response vital.
• “KI” Immune Defense consists of astragalus, shitake mushrooms, and olive leaf – a good combination. You can use products that have these ingredients, also Echinacea and Bee Propolis
• Reishi mushrooms are especially potent immune boosters
• Oregano oil is an excellent anti-infectious agent, one I recommend during times of suspected incipient illness, or during illness, but should not be used as a daily supplement over a long period of time. If you are taking Oregano oil, be sure you are also taking a probiotic or acidophyllus.
• Finally, if you start to feel ill, increase your vitamin C levels and start taking supplemental vitamin E and Zinc to further boost immune activity.
HOMEOPATHIC REMEDY FOR FIRST SIGN OF FLU:
Oscillococcinum 200: This remedy is sold as a cure-all for flu, but doesn’t work once the illness is established. Use during the prodromal stage (the time between the first appearance of symptoms and the development of fever or full blown illness) – once every 12 hours.
IF YOU ACTUALLY CONTRACT FULL-BLOWN FLU:
Continue with accelerated supplement program, and sleep and drink fluids copiously. In addition, there are a number of homeopathic remedies that can be useful in helping you get through your illness quickly, with no long-lingering effects:
• Gelsemium 30 – useful for flu with slow onset. Marked symptoms are extreme weariness and heaviness, chills up and down the spine, and general aching and soreness. Face looks dull, sleepy. Usually has an intense throbbing headache, with feeling of engorged, teary eyes. This remedy is also useful for weariness that lingers long after the flu is done.
• Eupatorium 30 – useful for flu marked with violent aching, bone-breaking pains all over the body. This flu has a rapid onset, patient is very chilly with violent shivering and extreme sensitivity to draughts.
• Rhus Tox 30 – slow-onset flu with generalized aching in bones and joints with extreme restlessness and inability to find a place of comfort. There is usually profuse sweating all over the body (except the head). Patients needing this remedy are usually better after some slow, gentle movement such as a walk. A bright red tip of the tongue is often seen in people needing this remedy.
• Bryonia 30 – slow onset flu with generalized, aching pains. Any movement hurts – patients are irritable, hard to please, worried, and tend to grunt their responses. They often have a hard painful cough and intense headaches. They are extremely thirsty patients who want large quantities of cold drinks.
• Baptisia 30—extreme flu symptoms with fast onset. Rapid prostration and general foulness. Every movement is agonizing. Patient appears scattered and confused. There is heavy, foul-smelling sweat and a deep thirst, although drinking water causes nausea.
• Arsenicum 30 – Flu with gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhea. Marked chilliness and restlessness alternating with extreme weakness and collapse. Patient is generally terribly anxious about their condition. They are thirsty for small sips of water. Patient has a hot face and chilly body, craving warmth and fresh air all at once.
DOSING:
My suggested pattern of dosing is as follows: take one pellet of the indicated remedy every 15 minutes for 4 doses. Assuming there is an improvement, repeat a single dose of the remedy once the symptoms worsen – probably about every 4 hours. If there is no improvement in 24 hours, you may have the wrong remedy. Do not continue taking a remedy that is having no positive benefit for more than 48 hours.
Call your friendly local homeopath for help if you are not getting benefit from your own attempts at prescribing. It can be rewarding to care for your own, but frustrating if you have not found the correct remedy.
