How to Prevent the Flu

Flu season usually begins in October and can last into the Spring. Sometimes, if the weather is very humid, people can even catch a Summer Flu.

Whether you get the Flu, and how severely your immune system responds (or not), depends on a few things. Stress, nutrient deficiencies, poor sleep, the health of your mucous membrane, your Microbiome status, and your overall immune response can all determine how Flu season will go for you.

Why do these things matter? 

The Flu is actually a form of viral infection that is usually fought in your sinuses, throat, and lungs. If your immune system is weak the virus can get deeper into your body, bloodstream, and cells, before your immune system can fight it effectively. If your immune system is over-active, your symptoms (like a fever) may be more acute and be more centered in your head, throat, and nose.

If you have a chronic autoimmune condition, the Flu can trigger a flare-up that could last for a few weeks –  or even put you in the hospital! Taking precautions and ensuring your immune system is stable could save your life.

The structures of your immune system that recognize and attack the Flu virus are called anti-viral peptides. Keeping these front-line sentries supported and active is always a good idea – if it is done in a moderate, consistent, and thorough way.

A combination of Vitamin C, Vitamins D3 and K2, Zinc, and a strong Omega-3 fatty acid, especially three times a day, has been shown to increase the activity of your own antiviral peptides.

 This is what I take as a clinician during Flu season:

Seeing patients with compromised immmune systems most days of the week can create a higher risk of viral infections. If I am consistent with the following supplements, I rarely catch the Flu. There is every reason to expect that this will help most people fight off viruses before they get to deep into the body.

• 1000 IU – Vitamin D3 (with K2 is better)
• 1000 mg – Vitamin C
• 1000 mg – Omega-3 fatty acid

3 times per day for adults with poor immunity.

1 time per day (Half the dose) for children over 6.

• 50 mg – Zinc Picolinate in the Morning
  
• 500 Mg Magnesium Threonate in the Evening

If you are around a lot of people with symptoms of the Flu, and you are prone to catching what is going around, then some Oil of Oregano is a good choice.

I usually mix Oil of Oregano with melted coconut oil (1 ml Oregano oil to 1 Tbsp Coconut oil). When it is time for a dose, I put ¼ teaspoon in half a glass of water and put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Then I drink the water and the hardened oil, just like swallowing a pill. This is safer than taking Oil of Oregano directly in your mouth, which can sometimes set off a more reactive throat infection.

Got a Chill? Sweat it out!

If you catch a chill and then try and get warm, and still feel cold under your skin, try this TCM folk remedy.

Cut up the white part of 3 green onions and one Tbsp of minced and crushed ginger. Simmer them together for 10 minutes in 2 cups of water or bone broth. Add some unpasteurized honey, drink it all, and curl up in a big blanket.

If you have access to a sauna, regular use has been shown to not only relieve a chill, but also reduce all-cause mortality.

Getting more from your sleep

If you divided the 24-hour day into Four Seasons, Fall would be the evening, the time of settling in and letting the day come to an end.

The benefit of a good night’s sleep is a clinical certainty, just as a chronic lack of proper sleep will accelerate any illness. If you do not find it easy to fall asleep, or you wake up a lot, then exploring Sleep Hygiene would be worth the small amount of effort.

Sleep Hygiene covers a wide range of practices from dimming your lights, avoiding screens and giving your brain an hour of silence before bed, keeping your bedroom cool, and doing some calming breathwork.

If you want to get the most from your exercise, the challenges of a healthy diet, and have a strong immune system, then you need to get regular, deep, and long periods of sleep. Ancient wisdom suggests more sleep in Winter, less in Summer, and to go to bed early and wake early in Fall.

Learn more about Sleep Hygiene here.

Wake Up like you mean it!

 ‘In fall go to sleep early and rise early.’ ~ Nei Jing

I love being an avid researcher because I am always learning new and surprising things about how things work and what is actually making the most difference in people’s health and in their lives. Recently there has been a lot of research, and even a few best-selling self-help books on Neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity, as a science, has taught us that what you do in the morning actually changes your brain – in the best possible way – or NOT AT ALL!

If you wake up and go through the exact same sequence of experiences, in the same way, your brain decides to hibernate – in a way. The opposite is also true. If you wake up and try new and challenging things like resistance training, a cold shower, or some breathwork, and your brain will begin to start generating new pathways to explore your new and adventurous life.

Good Food for Fall

Fall is a time of feasting and abundance.

A few generations ago, maybe 100 years ago, most of us would have been trying our best to gain ten pounds. Today, most of us don’t need to eat more, we need to eat better. The easiest way to think about better is to learn about nutrient density and nutrient availability.

If you have read my blog for a long, you will know that I advocate an Ancestral approach to eating for your health.

Here are some meal and ingredient ideas for a nutrient-dense and restorative Fall menu.

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Here is a comprehensive list of foods that are OK on the EPI-AIP 

Keeping your choices Seasonal makes it even better for you!

A nutrient-dense diet includes eating ‘nose to tail’. That means relearning how to make liver, kidneys, feet, hearts, and tongues taste like it was made by a Chef. Nose to tail also includes the absolutely essential Bone Broth. I encourage everyone I can to make Bone Broth or the infamous Gut, Skin, Muscle, and Bone Healing Jello.

Another way to ensure your body is getting the most benefit from as many nutrients as possible is to cycle your colors. Every few days focus on eating seasonal vegetables that are yellow, orange, red, purple, or green. Instead of always having as many colors at each meal, it is actually better to give your body a few days with each color, or nutrient profile. On a cellular level, the specific alkaloid or bioflavonoid that gives a root or vegetable its color will support a specific function. This pulsing approach to nutrient density also helps people discover the nutrients that they need the most.

Nutrient availability is just as important as Nutrient density.

Depending on many factors, your digestive system may be working great or you may have weak stomach acid, low pancreatic enzymes, corrosive bile, or an imbalanced microbiome. As you get older, or if you are feeling like your body needs more support, give your digestive system the easiest food to digest and the best support for your digestive organs.

What follows is general advice about food. More potent approaches to strengthening your digestion should be done with your health care professional. There are some things you do not want to get wrong.

Another bit of food wisdom from Chinese medicine reminds us that the longer it takes any food to grow, the longer you need to cook it.

Eating lettuce, other greens, and sprouts raw makes sense. Steaming turnip greens and radishes is easier to digest and more nutrient available, especially with some fat. Carrots should be boiled until they are only crunchy in the middle – unless you want to mash them up with some fat and pungent spices – yummy!

Leaves that can survive a frost, like Kale, collards, Chard, and large Spinach should be blanched to remove the oxalic acid. Boil them for 1-2 minutes and give the water to your plants the next day. Do not use the water for broth – it is harmful for some people.

Modern life is busy. As much as I would like to spend two hours a day in the kitchen making amazing food every day, I have to be more efficient like everyone else. Staying ahead of the meal prep game is one of the most satisfying strategies in daily life.

The healthiest food specifically for you, made the way you like it, in very little time, every day!

Check out this article on Batch cooking for some good ideas.

Lastly, yes, Fasting is a cure-all!

If you feel like your metabolism or immune system is stuck in some grudge match, then consider a 2 or 3-day fast. There is a lot of research that shows that occasional fasting has multiple benefits.

Intermittent fasting is an easier way to get the benefits without ever having to feel like you are starving.

Learn more about Intermittent fasting HERE

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