It’s that time of year again. People are now getting colds and flus and are wondering how to boost their immunity.
Many people opt for the flu shot, but since the flu shot is not effective, this is not the best decision. For example, with young children, the flu vaccine does not decrease influenza-related hospital visits, as published in the October 2008 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. A study in a 2008 issue of the Lancet as well as study published in a 2008 issue of American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine show that risk of pneumonia in the elderly is not affected by flu vaccination. And this should also tell you something: 60% of health care workers in the US refuse the flu shot every year!
Once you get a cold or flu, traditional pharmacies carry various cold and flu medications. These medications only suppress your symptoms, they don’t actually strengthen the immunity in any way. A recent article in the BBC deemed many cough and cold medications ineffective and unsafe for children. Though I’m not against giving the recommended dose of Tylenol to a sick child so that they can sleep through the night. Never underestimate the healing power of sleep!
Most healthy people get a couple colds a year. It is the body’s natural way to rid itself of toxins, and since we live in such a toxic environment, it makes sense that most people would get colds. For those of you who get many colds and/or flus per year, you need a bit of help to strengthen your immunity.
When I say “natural ways to increase immunity” most people think of things like Vitamin C, echinacea, oregano oil and garlic. None of these things are harmful, but I have not found them to be particularly helpful either. The smell and taste of oregano oil and garlic are a bit of a turn-off as well.
For people with low immunity, the #1 thing that I recommend is constitutional homeopathic treatment. The constitutional remedy strengthens your immunity naturally so that you don’t get as many flus and colds. There are other things that help, but constitutional treatment is the foundation for building a strong immunity. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about constitutional homeopathic treatment.
Lately there has been a lot of talk about the health benefits of Vitamin D. People do have a lot less colds and flus in the summer months, so I think there is some truth to this. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine links Vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk for upper respiratory tract infections. The best way to get Vitamin D is moderate exposure to sunlight (without sunscreen), and in the winter months use a sun lamp.
A cold or flu is nature’s way of cleansing the body of toxins. Why not help nature along by cleansing your body yourself so that a cold or flu doesn’t have to? There are a few different cleanse kits on the market. At some point I would like to write up a review of them on this blog.
The cleanse that I have found to be the cheapest and most effective is fasting. They say that the best time to fast is spring and summer months. Part of the reason for this is practical: your body temperature decreases when you are fasting. The only exception to this rule is when you actually get a cold or flu. I find that my recovery time from a cold or flu is a lot quicker when I am fasting. The body is able to heal itself quicker because the digestive organs are resting, they don’t have to digest food. Make sure that you drink plenty of water so that you stay hydrated! The science of fasting is called Natural Hygiene. Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts about this simple cheap way to rid the body of toxins and extra weight.
I have also found the Schussler Cell Salts, also referred to as Tissue Salts, to be helpful with colds and flus, especially with my kids. Unlike herbal formulas, the cell salts taste great, kids will be begging you for more. In Canada, Hyland’s sells the cheapest brand. At the first stage of inflammation, use the Ferrum Phosphoricum cell salt. When the mucus becomes clear and profuse, use the Natrum Muriaticum cell salt. After the mucus becomes thicker and white, the Kali Muriaticum cell salt will help break up the secretions.
Something else that has been most helpful for myself and my family during cold and flu season have been the homeopathic colour remedies, first potentized by American homeopath Ambika Wauters in 1990. You guessed it, I will be writing more about these amazing remedies in the future. Basically it’s like colour therapy but in sugar pill form. It’s a great way to cleanse the chakras, and is yet another way to rid the body of toxins.
Feel free to comment if you feel that I have left anything out that has worked for you. I am always open to new methods of healing.
By Sonya McLeod
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A few months back I wrote an article in the Georgia Straight newspaper titled “
Homeopathic remedies can be found at most health food stores or natural pharmacies. The first aid remedies are very common so it is a pretty safe bet that you can find those easily. They can also be purchased at some homeopathic clinics or online.Most people buy a few remedies and try them out, then once they see how well they work they decide to buy a kit, which saves you money in the long run and is a lot more convenient.
The remedies are in sugar pill form and come in small plastic vials. In Canada, there are only two homeopathic companies, Boiron and Homeocan. Boiron is more common and well known. They are French companies and their Canadian head offices are based in Quebec.
I have been following swine flu in the news since the first outbreak in Mexico in the spring of 2009. There was and is what I perceive to be a lot of media hype around a disease that has so far killed far less people than regular influenza. The regular flu kills approx. 250,000 – 500,000 people each year worldwide. So far, the swine flu has only killed less than 2000 people since April.
Since there is no actual hard evidence that the swine flu is deadlier than the regular flu, my only guess about why it has been hyped so much in the media is the motivation of greed. The pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the flu vaccine stand to make billions of dollars from the swine vaccine alone. Scaremongering also increases the use of antiviral drugs once swine flu is diagnosed, since people have been led to think that the swine flu is a deadly and serious disease.
