Flu Season

The country is currently being ravaged by some serious epidemics, including a nasty flu.  Recently the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) labeled the current flu season one of the worst in the last 10 years. Officials in Boston declared a health emergency this week due to the number of flu patients flooding emergency rooms.

There are at least three current flu or flu like epidemics at work: first, the annual flu season got off to an early start with an extraordinarily aggressive virus, secondly there’s a new type of norovirus causing gastrointestinal illness, and as if that weren’t enough we’ve also got a whooping cough outbreak to deal with, the worst in 60 years.

These extraordinary events are happening amid the normal winter cold and flu season.  The major flu strain going around is an H3N2 and is becoming known for causing substantially severe illness, especially in the elderly.  This is in addition to the stomach flu caused by the norovirus, which feels similar to a bad case of food poisoning (severe diarrhea and vomiting) *and* the outbreak of whooping cough (pertussis), which according to the CDC has so far seen 42,000 cases (the highest since 1955).

Now I cannot give medical advice, and nothing in this post is intended to cure, treat or prevent any disease; before making any changes to your health care regimen consult your licensed healthcare professional.  Having said that, here’s what I personally am doing to help protect myself from these illnesses:

(1) I take at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D with a meal containing a good amount of omega 3 oils.  The best available evidence shows that 2-5000 IU of vitamin D does as well or better at preventing flu (and not only the flu but other respiratory illnesses) than flu shots.  I also make sure I’m getting enough vitamin C.

(2) I use alcohol hand sanitizer everywhere I go, and use it before eating and after touching frequently used items like supermarket baskets or  carts.  In addition I add some essential oils, like the famous Thieves’ Oil combination, to the hand sanitizer.  I also wash my hands first thing when I get home.

(3) I have the Chinese herbal formulas Yin Chiao Chieh Tu Pien and Gan Mao Ling on hand and take a dose of each whenever I’ve been exposed to someone sick.  If I know I’m going to be exposed, I use an essential oil rub containing oils such as eucalyptus, basil, oregano, and cinnamon leaf (diluted at least 10:1 with a carrier oil like olive, rapeseed, etc. or mixed with alcohol in a spray bottle) and rub a little into my hands and under my nose.

(4) I take the Chinese herbal formula Jade Windscreen, or other tonic adaptogenic herbs such as Devil’s Club root, Eleuthero, or Reishi mushroom, to help keep my immune system strong.

(5) I add a variety of mushrooms, including shiitake mushrooms, to my diet.

(6) If I’m out of Yin Chiao or Gan Mao Ling, I make and drink what IMHO is a great combination of herbs, ingredients as follows: 1 tbsp fresh basil, 2 tsp fresh oregano, 2 cloves crushed garlic (note: it’s very important the cloves be crushed, not simply chopped), the juice of one lime or half a lemon, 2 tsp fresh ginger, one half cup water; I put in a blender and blend thoroughly.  I try to drink this whenever I start to feel an illness coming on, and every time I’ve tried it it’s stopped the bug in its tracks.   Although these are common kitchen herbs, if you research them you’ll see they all have powerful antibiotic and antiviral properties.  I actually think this mixture is more powerful than the herbal formulas I mentioned above, but it’s easier to take a few tablets than to have to make and drink this impressive-tasting formula 🙂

Best of luck to everyone in staying healthy this winter!

Do you have any special tips or tricks that help you stay healthy?  Please share, I’d love to hear from you!