By Marlene McKee, N.E., DIHom.
Missed Part 1 of this series on Natural Flu Remedies? Check it out here.
Thank you, HEALTHY DIET, for keeping us in top shape!
What we eat has everything to do with the state of health we are in. An optimal immune system can resist seasonal “coming-downs” and other health issues.
Here’s how you can put health-giving nutrients back into the body so it can replenish and repair and become strong to fight against viruses and bacteria.
Marlene McKee
- A diet consisting of organic green and colored vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds is paramount.
- Animal protein ought to come from humanely treated animals that were fed their traditional diet.
- Fish should not be farm-raised but come from the ocean.
- Use healthy fats, organic, cold-pressed oils not processed with chemicals and high heat for the sake of a long shelf life. Omega 3 oils, the essential fatty acids, are even more important since the body cannot make them. Cold-water fish like salmon, sardines and herring are good sources of omega 3 and so is flaxseed oil.
- Don’t use microwave ovens. High heat produced by this cooking method destroys enzymes and vitamins that are needed for all body functions.
- Enzymes are most abundant in fresh organic fruits and vegetables. It is best to eat at least some of these uncooked.
Thanks to SUPPLEMENTS! Our immune system loves them.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are a good adjunct to support the immune system.
For prevention of bacterial and viral attacks, I recommend to take the following with food:
- Green foods like Spirulina, Chlorella and barley grass. These are also excellent detoxifiers.
- Probiotics containing different strains of bacteria.
- Omega 3 fish oils, flaxseed oil and Krill oil.
- Herbs like Elderberry, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Astragalus, Pau d’Arco, Hyssop, Chamomile, Fennel and Ginger.
- A soothing drink for colds is to boil fresh ginger in water, add lemon juice and honey.
- Supporting products for the lungs and bronchial tubes are Bloodroot, Indian Wild Cherry Bark and Boneset.
- Homeopathic nasal sprays and throat sprays provide relief from congestion and pain.
Thank you, VITAMIN D, for bringing the sunshine back into our body!
Vitamin D is the most important supplement to turn to during the flu season. Vitamin D levels fall during the winter month, and it could affect people getting the flu. Vitamin D is actually a prohormone and is produced in the body from cholesterol.
As a prohormone, it influences every cell in the body. It is not only involved in bone growth, it also regulates the immune system. It helps fight infections. Since vitamin D can be toxic in high potencies, blood tests are necessary to establish the correct amount to take.
Thank you, EXERCISE, for keeping us healthy and strong!
Select an exercise program that easily fits into a schedule. At least twenty minutes a day for a cardio workout. Two quick walks around a couple of blocks will do it. Make sure to have a speed that makes you breathe hard.
Yoga exercises several times a week will keep you stretched and teaches deep breathing. Deep breathing opens lungs and provides more oxygen. Remember, germs don’t like to live in a well-exercised body.
Thank you, SUNSHINE and FRESH AIR, for your healing abilities!
Heliotherapy is healing with sunlight. Sunshine can kill germs even through glass. It is said that the sun causes cancer, but it has been shown that it can also help in some cases of cancer.
An excellent article on fresh air was written some years ago by Dr. Bernell Baldwin, entitled “Why is Fresh Air Fresh?” Baldwin pointed out that fresh air is chemically different than the circulated indoor air that most people in cities breathe. High-quality fresh air is actually electrified. The life-giving oxygen molecule is negatively charged or “negatively ionized.”
Baldwin says this negatively charged oxygen gives rise to a number of benefits, some of them listed below:
- Decreased survival of bacteria and viruses in the air
- Improved function of the lung’s protective cilia
- Tranquilization and relaxation
- Lowered body temperature
- Lowered resting heart rate
Thank you, HOMEOPATHY, for your effectiveness!
Homeopathy is an alternative healing system that gently stimulates the body to heal itself. Remedies are made from plants, minerals, animals as well as animal and bacterial tissue in high dilutions.
One can treat flu symptoms very effectively with homeopathy achieving truly astonishing results.
- For prevention, the remedy Influenzinum has been used in previous years. Each year anticipated viral strains are made into the remedy. It is supposed to trigger the body’s defense mechanism to make antibodies just like a vaccine.
- Another effective homeopathic remedy for the flu is Oscillococcinum. When taken at the onset of symptoms, it can stop flu from making itself comfortable.
Thank you, SPIRITUALITY, for keeping us balanced and calm!
Every aspect of your existence contributes to health and a well functioning immune system. The way you treat others, your ability to forgive and forget and what you hold as truth.
Meditation is a way to strengthen these aspects. Prayers give hope and visualization will manifest what you need, a healthy immune defense to ward off the flu each year. Prayers and meditation are also very effective in reducing daily stress which is a huge factor in getting sick.
Missed Part 1 of this series on Natural Flu Remedies? Check it out here.
Marlene McKee, N.E., DIHom. is a nutrition educator and homeopath cased in Los Angeles, California. For over 30 years, she has helped people achieve vibrant health by teaching them how to eat healthy and how to prevent illnesses with proper food and nature’s medicines. www.bodyiqonline.com