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Nine effective, Natural Cold and Flu
Preventers
By Shelli Stanger Nelson, Founder and
President
As both a practicing Registered Nurse and an advanced
bio-energy professional, I receive inquiries several times weekly about
cold and flu prevention. While there are some companies out there who
are simply hoping to profit from the public’s lack of good
information about how to prevent colds and flu without taking a vaccine,
there are scientificly proven effective means of preventing these
illnesses.
Colds and flu are typically associated with
the winter season. To be sure, the incidence of these communicable
illnesses rises sharply in cold weather months, it should be firstly
understood that the cold weather does not create the outbreak of the
illnesses. Rather, it’s the recirculating of contaminated air
caused by the need to be indoors that’s the main culprit. This
contaminated air is inhaled by the host and then spread via two main
avenues; surface contact or airborne droplets. Prevention, therefore,
needs to focus on these two pathways to curb the spread of these and
other communicable illnesses.
There are two types of
infectious processes; bacterial infections and viral infections.
Vaccines primarily target infections caused by a virus and do virtually
very little to abate the possibility of a bacterial infection.
Additionally, if a person is ill with a cold or flu caused by a virus,
antibiotics offer essentially zero potency in combating the ailment.
Bacteria must be present for antibiotics to have any value in helping
someone regain their health.
Always be sure to have a culture of
the throat or nose performed before taking antibiotics to be sure the
drug is even worthwhile. Unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics can be
dangerous in that their use builds resistance in the body. This
resistance to antibiotics does two things; it makes their use less
effective at times when they are really needed and it makes the bacteria
in the world actually stronger.
Before I discuss effective
options for preventing colds and flu, it should be noted that there are
cases where using a vaccine may be in the best interest of a highly
at-risk individual. Specifically, individuals who have a compromised
immune system and in whom, if a viral or bacterial infection were to
take up lodging, could result in serious illness including the need for
a respirator and even death. If you are a practitioner, be sure to act
responsibly and refer your clients with immune dysfunction to their
primary medical provider in order to discuss the best
options.
The following is a list of what I consider to be some
of the most effective and legitimate methods for cold and flu
prevention. If you’re a practitioner, consider copying the list
and handing it out in your professional practice. And if not, well then
also consider copying the list or forwarding this E-mail on to friends
and family so they can learn how to keep themselves (and you)
healthy!
1. Use immune boosting supplements in combination
daily.
Andrographis, Olive leaf extract, Grapefruit seed extract and
Elderberry are some whose efficacy as antibacterial properties have been
studied.
2. Wash your hands at least every 2 hours and every
time after you exit a public place.
This is the single most
effective method of stopping communicable diseases that are spread by
surface contact. Nothing works better-nothing. And forget that
anti-bacterial soap-they’re only adding to what are now called
“super” viruses and bacteria. Besides, they decrease the
effectiveness of your own natural immune defenses.
Wash every time
you get home before doing anything else.
Wash every time before
eating, even if you did it an hour ago.
3. Gargle at least
twice daily with warm salt water.
This great old remedy really
works. Remember that viruses and bacteria are spread either via airborne
droplets that are inhaled or by your hand touching a contaminated
surface. Once your hand touches the coffee pot at work and then you pick
up your toast and pop it in your mouth, oops-you’re
contaminated!
Viruses and bacteria have a difficult time
replicating in the high sodium concentration of the salt. If you
can’t tolerate the salt or find the portability challenging, use
Listerine. Remember the old ads stating, “fights germs”?
Well, it really does. I have to say anecdotally, my husband gargles
twice a day or more with Listerine and I’ve not seen him ill one
single day in 15 years.
4. Use either a neti pot, swab nostrils
with saline cotton swabs, or use saline nasal spray twice daily.
The
same principle applies here as the gargling. The viruses or bacteria you
may have inhaled cannot proliferate in a highly concentrated saline
environment.
5. Use oregano oil twice daily to inhale as a
steam or to gargle.
This is a hot one! Oregano oil should not be
used with pre-adolescent children. Put about 10 drops in a glass of
water to gargle. Or heat the water solution and inhale the steam. This
is a great treatment in case a cold bug should sneak in.
6.
Take Vitamin D-3 daily
Vitamin D-3 is absolutely critical to a
healthy immune system. A normal daily dose is 2,000-5,000 IU
daily.
According to John Cannell,MD, founder of the
Vitamin D Council, vitamin D-3 can be used therapeutically to treat
colds and flu if taken at the onset of symptoms. He reports success
using the following dose: 2,000 IU of vitamin D-3 for every Kg of body
weight. To calculate your weight in Kg, multiply your weight in pounds
by .45.
This dose should be taken for three days only. Then return
to normal daily dosing.
*Have your vitamin D level checked. It
ought to be between 40-70 mils to ensure optimal immune system
function.
7. Take up to 2 GM of vitamin C daily in divided
doses
8. Ingest greens in high doses daily
Eating greens
that are raw is the best way to benefit from their natural
immune-boosting properties. Juicing them also works. I advocate using
whole-juicing that conserves the essential fiber of the greens. Good
quality powdered greens are a good option if all else fails.
9.
Keep your intestinal tract healthy
The intestinal tract is one of
the greatest storehouses in the body for immune properties. Keep the
immune system of the gut healthy by using a high quality probiotic.
20-30 billion (yes billion) microbes daily is a therapeutic dose. Kefir
milk is another excellent source of probiotics. Drinking eight ounces
daily is a good plan.
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