Written By: Pamela Buhr BSc., R.Ac

The flu strain this season is a doozy and it is hitting us hard! If you are one of the lucky ones who has managed to (cross your fingers) not get sick at all, way to go! Keep up the good work and take a daily immune booster. Don’t let your guard down though, because it is not over yet!

I am fairly proud of my immune system. I can usually hold strong when others get sick around me, but this flu strain is even hitting the mighty! Working in the healthcare industry here at the centre, we all come in contact with the season’s germs on a daily basis. Since this years “sick season” began, a few of us have gotten a touch of illness ourselves. Thankfully we all kicked it quickly (by following these tips!), so we could return to helping you get better fast as well. Since I did manage to keep my symptoms to a minimum and it only lasted 3 days, I wanted to share what I do to fight colds and flu! When I pull out my arsenal within the 1st sign of illness, 95% of the time I do not get sick.

Here are my personal tried and tested tips:

Learning to recognize when symptoms first begin is the #1 thing you can do, since it is all about kicking off the flu/cold before it sinks deeper into your body. Sometimes symptoms are subtle: you may just feel tired, have a dry throat or even crave chicken noodle soup! Strange fact, before I even have one of the usual cold symptoms, I start craving my mom’s homemade chicken soup. Honing your awareness to your own body’s intuition is the most beneficial skill you can develop, and comes in very handy when you want to stay healthy.
Once I start to crave chicken soup the first thing I do is get an acupuncture treatment! Acupuncture boosts your immune system by stimulating the production of white blood cells and killer T cells. These are the ones that fight bacteria and viruses, and strengthens our natural resistance to disease. So if your co-workers are ill or family members are sick, save yourself and book in for 2-3 acupuncture treatments to boost your immune system before you get a cold. If you already have one, get in as soon as possible to help shorten your cold or flu.
Take action! Making appointments to get to the centre can take time. In the meantime, there are so many things you can also do on your own at the very first sign of symptom. Whatever immune building remedy you like to use is a good place to start. My favourite is a Chinese Medicine Formula called Gan Mao Ling. It comes in a tea sweetened with honey so you can simply mix it with boiling water and drink it. When you take it at first onset of cold symptoms, it chases your sick away! This is because when you first experience cold symptoms, the pathogen is in only the skin layer of your body. Because it is still more superficial, your body has a better chance to kick it at this stage. If you don’t recognize your symptoms, ignore them, or you don’t put up a fight, your symptoms will get worse. Also if your body was in a weakened state before you were exposed to the cold, then the pathogen will go deeper into the muscle layer, then into deep tissue and organ layers. Once there it is much harder to get rid of. Always think about that ounce of prevention!
Oil of oregano is another one of my favourite immune boosters. Be sure to invest well, and purchase a medical-grade Oregano Oil. The flavour can be too strong for some people, so try rubbing it on the bottom of your feet. This is also a great way to get children to take it. The oil will absorb into the tissues throughout your body in a matter of minutes (the pores in the soles of our feet are some of the largest on our body). Vitamin C and D are also essential to take and in high doses once you have symptoms, and work in great combination with Oregano Oil.
I also diffuse my favourite essential oil On Guard by DoTerra. It is antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral. It cleans the air I breathe, and fortifies my immune system. You can add a few drops to water or put it in a capsule and ingest it. You can also make a hand sanitizer by combining it with fractionated coconut oil. I also use DoTerra’s On Guard antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal household cleaner to kill germs in my house.
Of course you know that your body needs rest, so give your body what it needs to heal. Warm tea or ginger lemon and honey will help your body fight too. Ginger is good for your stomach (small amounts are best since it’s nature is hot and you don’t want to add too much heat to the body), lemon helps your body remove toxins and adds vitamin C, and honey is a natural healer and will sooth your throat!

So now you know how to call in the squad team to take down your flu or cold! Don’t ignore your body, and remember it is trying to tell you something. Let’s practice kicking the heck out of flu and colds this season!

Yours in Health and Wellness,

Pamela Buhr BSc. R.Ac

*For your convenience, we stock many or the products mentioned in the post at our centre. If we don't have it in, I am happy to order it for you as well. Simply drop by, or contact us for assistance.*

*Feeling adventurous? Drinking bone broth soup daily is another excellent way to boost your immune system, and to heal your stomach lining and digestive system. I use chicken bones, but there are many ways you can make bone broth to help nourish your body.*