What to Do if You Start to Get a Cold or the Flu

Colds and flu may be common, especially in the winter months, but they are not normal.

Optimally, the doctors of clinical nutrition and naturopathic medicine want to get to the root cause of why our patients get ill. The reason why that is our purpose is because we know that a healthy immune system will defend itself successfully against viruses and bacteria. When it doesn’t and the body finds itself ill, that is a red flag to us that we need to enhance the functioning of the immune system and other supportive systems.

While that is occurring, however, are there some good tips of what one can do when getting sick seems inevitable? Yes! Read on… It is very important to take fast action the MOMENT you first realize that you are getting ill.

In fact, doing the steps below are a good idea to initiate when others around you are ill and you want to ensure that you don’t get their ‘bug’. I cannot over-stress how important taking immediate action is.

Here are the Steps to Take:

1. Start taking immune-boosting supplements:

• A good vitamin C, at a dose of 500 mg per hour is excellent. If you start passing gas or getting loose stools, you’ve taken enough to saturate your tissues for that day. Give it a break for a day or at least several hours, and then start taking vitamin C again.

• Zinc lozenges are beneficial when taken early on. They must be sucked on, not chewed or swallowed whole in order to be effective. High levels of zinc aren’t common in our society, but the sign that you shouldn’t continue the lozenges is a feeling of nausea.

• Vitamin D is a strong immune booster and many ‘swear by it’ as a flu prevention supplement. Most Americans have deficient vitamin D levels, so if you haven’t had yours tested recently, let us know and we can assist you. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, so we prefer a liquid vitamin D3 (the most absorbable kind) in a base of olive oil. It’s very easy to take and effective. If your levels are normal, taking a little extra when ill is fine. If you’re quite deficient you could be more likely to get ill, so we can work with you to raise your levels quickly.

• Echinacea – there are many forms of this herb. I like liquid tincture because it is easy to give to all ages and the liquid form seems to act faster.

• Certain herbs such as garlic, ginger, oregano, cloves, turmeric, and cinnamon are immune boosters. Cooking with these herbs is beneficial and delicious!

• Oregano oil and olive leaf extract are both adept at killing a host of ‘bad guys’ as they have strong natural abilities to kill bacteria, viruses, and yeast. They typically are sold in 500 mg capsules and taking two per day is the recommended dose.

2. Hydrate – drink that water! Many people are dehydrated and should get more water on a daily basis, but when you feel you are getting ill it is especially important to drink extra water so that your body can easily flush out toxins.

Warm liquids can feel good when you’re ill because they increase your body’s core temperature, which helps to kill bad organisms. Try to consume one-half of your body’s weight in ounces of water daily.

So if you weigh 200 lb, you would drink 100 oz of water spread throughout the day.

3. Eat 9 servings of vegetables and fruits, organic preferably. The nutrients in veggies and fruits are beneficial to the immune system. You can make green smoothies or fresh vegetable soup that are light and easy to consume when you’re not feeling great or don’t have much of an appetite.

4. Stop consuming any sugar, this includes artificial sweeteners and alcohol. Sugar feeds bugs and weakens the immune system – ditto for alcohol that puts stress on an already overtaxed detoxification system.

5. Go to bed early and get extra rest. The immune system works best at night so giving your body an opportunity to heal itself faster by getting extra sleep will help you to recuperate faster.

6. Exercise. Regular exercise is a good immune booster and therefore illness preventer. If you’re already starting to feel sick, only mild exercise is recommended, such as taking a walk if you’re up to it. Any more than that can act as a stressor, something you want to avoid.

7. Hydrogen peroxide drops in the ear. This home remedy has been around for a long time. Three to five drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide (the kind you can find in the drug store) is placed in the ear.

Allow it to bubble for about 5 minutes (you may also feel a mild stinging) and then let the liquid drain into a tissue. Do the same thing for the other ear and re-apply every 2 hours as possible.

The virus is believed to enter through the ear canal, so killing it prevents the spread of symptoms. If you already have body-wide symptoms, it is likely too late for this treatment.

8. Reduce your stress load. Easier said than done, I do realize, but sometimes just ‘deciding’ that you are going to put something on the back burner until you feel better will give you some relief from too many stressful activities.

9. Continue taking your daily multiple, anti-oxidant, and fish oil supplement while you’re ill. I consider this foundational nutrition that everyone should take, in most circumstances. My all-time favorite multiple/anti-oxidant combination is Optimum Daily Allowance and Body & Vision. They were created by a biochemist who’s a genius and I think they’re truly the best.

What To Do for an Annoying Cough

Nobody likes coughing. It can keep you awake at night when much-needed sleep is required. Unfortunately, over-the-counter cough syrups and cold medications are not especially effective and can have dangerous side effects.

Try following the protocols below:

When a cough gets too annoying, try making your own natural cough syrup with honey and lemon. Boil a whole organic lemon in enough water to just cover it. Boil for a few minutes. Let the lemon cool, cut it into slices, and add it to 3 tbsp of raw honey. Cook on low heat for an hour and then strain it.

Once cooled, you can place it in a jar and store in the refrigerator for a couple of months. The dosage is ½ tsp for a child weighing 25 lb or less, 1 teaspoon for a 50 lb child, and 1 tablespoon for adults.

This can be used several times per day as needed.

We Can Help!

I hope you found this helpful. When it comes to getting colds or flu, if your immune system is truly healthy, you shouldn’t have any trouble warding them off. If you find that you tend to get ‘what’s going around’ or frequently get ill, it’s time to find out why. Here at Root Cause Medical Clinic, we specialize in getting to the root cause of why the immune system is not functioning as it should. Whether it’s you or someone you care about.