Autumn illness prevention and acute treatment information
Stay healthy this fall despite back to school germs!
The basics matter the most:
- Getting enough sleep
- Eating healthy food with minimal to no sugar or alcohol
- Getting some exercise and outside time every day
If you catch a cold, supplements can help but the most effective thing I see is some hydrotherapy, in the form of the Warming Socks Treatment. (It is a misnomer, but that is part of the fun!)
Warming Socks Explained!
Take a warm bath in the evening and drink hot ginger tea in the bath, aiming to warm the body.
In the warm steamy bathroom, wet cotton socks with cold water from the tap and wring them out really well.
Put chest rub on the soles of the feet, on the chest, and under the nose (if no broken skin).
Rub castor oil on the entire abdomen (or do a Castor Oil pack - separate handout).
Put the wet, cold socks on your feet. Immediately cover with wool or fleece, and bundle up.
Wear one extra layer of warm clothes in addition to what you usually wear to bed and be sure to cover your head (a hooded sweatshirt works well). For example, fleece pajamas with feet and a t-shirt under for littles and hooded sweatshirt over. Sweat pants with t-shirt and hoody sweatshirt for older kids and adults.
Go to sleep!
The regimen has two purposes -
To raise the body temperature a little bit. The bacteria and viruses that make us sick can only live at body temperature, so even a half degree elevation will kill them and shorten the duration of illness.
To flush your lymph system. The Lymph System carries all our white blood cells around the body. They are responsible for fighting and killing invaders (ie – the bacteria and viruses that make us sick). By flushing the system we introduce new fighters to all the appropriate areas in the body. During the flush, congestion is moved and reduced making it easier to breath and clearing the sinuses and ears.
If you do this protocol at exposure, it will sometimes eliminate illnesses before symptoms manifest. A hot sauna with intermittent cold showers (always ending a session with the cold shower), or a hot yoga class can serve the same purpose. I have taken to doing this for myself and my children every other night or so for the first couple weeks of school. It has made a big difference in the length and severity of illness for us.
Supplements
Supplements can help with prevention as well as fighting an acute illness. Here are the ones I find I recommend the most.
It is hard to say enough about Vitamin C. It helps everyone who is old enough to take it by mouth. My typical dose is “to bowel tolerance”. This means you take it until it give you loose stool. Then decrease the dose until things normalize. In adults this is often 3000mg twice per day, less in younger kids. It does not need to be fancy and have rose hips or anything, just basic ascorbic acid does the trick. It can be a capsule, or chewable, or a powder mixed in something.
We offer Vitamin C IVs in our clinic as well and have seen some pretty great results treating acute allergies and illness. Speak to your doctor about this if you are interested.
Having adequate Vitamin D is supportive of many systems in the body, including the immune system. We carry it as liquids and capsules, as well as an intramuscular injection. Adequate vitamin D seems to help people’s mood and energy level as well as their immune system. (Prior lab work showing deficiency is required before getting the injectable form.) Suggested dosing is customized to your needs.
NAC is my final favorite. N-acetyl cysteine is an amino acid known for myriad health benefits, including thinning and breaking up mucous and supporting normal immune system function. It supports antioxidant production and protects the white matter in our brain. Dosing is pretty safe for most folks acutely at 1000mg twice per day, less in kids. It can affect the GI system (usually for the best, but may be acutely uncomfortable) so start low and gradually increase if you have never taken it before.
Here is to a healthy fall and winter!