TOOLKIT FOR COLDS AND FLU

It’s that time of the year again when you can’t go out without hearing someone cough or sneeze.  But did you know there is a lot you can do to proof yourself up against seasonal viruses and bugs and ensure that if you do get something, it is a mild affair? What is the difference between the person who gets the flu and the person who doesn’t, when both are exposed to the same bug?  Read on and you may get some surprises…

Building Your Health Reserve

Some people pick up whatever bug is doing the rounds while others never seem to get much at all. The difference is their own internal resistance, not pot luck! It’s the amount of health reserve they have built up, much like the financial buffer of a healthy bank account. Here are some things you can do to start proofing your health up right now:

*It starts in the kitchen: Food is the single most important influence on your health.  Therefore, avoiding inflammatory foods like gluten, cows’ milk products, refined sugars and processed chemical-laden foods is essential to build health reserves.  These reduce your immune function and cause serious deficiencies. Nourish your body with real foods cooked from scratch (vegetables, meats, fish, healthy carbs and fats). Must-have kitchen tools: A blender like a Nutribullet so you can make delicious winter soups. A slow cooker to make heartwarming and nutritious winter stews. Did you know that cooking has actually been prescribed to reduce stress and anxiety? Examples include NHS-linked schemes such as Cooking for Wellbeing, Community Kitchens, and Food for Mood initiatives. 

*Ditch refined sugar: This has been shown to suppress immune function for several hours after consumption. With repeat daily consumption, immune suppression can be near continuous throughout the day.  Excess alcohol and sweet things at Christmas can be an extra trigger for increased susceptibility to infection in January.  Now that Christmas is over, put away the Christmas treats and get back to real food! If you have difficulty doing this, think addiction which requires its own solution.

*Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep suppresses the immune system big time. Get to bed on time, have a  wind-down routine at night, turn off the wifi. You may need more magnesium, or a melatonin prescription, or excess cortisol handling or some other safe strategy to address your particular sleep challenge.  Sometimes this takes a bit of digging and perseverance to improve.

*Attend to chronic infections: These can be infections in the teeth, jawbone, gut, urinary tract, sinus etc. Chronic low grade infections kick a huge hole in your health reserve bucket, suppress your immune system and make you much more prone to getting new infections.

*Ditch toxic relationships: An upset or a loss usually precedes a new illness like a cold or flu. Surround yourself with positive people who are going to make you feel good, not invalidate or suppress you.  Surprisingly, contact with someone who is either openly or secretly antagonistic to you (think smile on the face, but dagger behind the back i.e. the Traitors) can lower your immune reserves and predispose you towards getting sick.  

*Detect and address mould in the home: This can be an overlooked suppressor on the immune system. Have you had a water leak in your home? Did it and the resulting mould get fixed properly? Can you see or smell mould? Do you have mouldy food in your cupboards? Have you had more infections since the leak? Do you feel better away from home?  Building Forensics in the UK run by mould remediation expert Jeff Charlton can advise on sick buildings.

*Reduce wifi exposures in the home: Wifi radiation makes infections (including mould) more aggressive and pathogenic. It also suppresses immune function and detoxification. Start by turning your Wifi router off at night (the most vulnerable time for exposure). This can also improve sleep quality. Get electronics out of the bedroom at night. For the science on this, please see my blog The Mobile Phone Tower In Your Home.

*Know and keep your Vitamin D levels in a good range:  This is very important for overall immune health and fighting infections.  The NHS ranges are not the therapeutic ranges for infection fighting. The optimal Vitamin D ranges I look out for are:  65-85ng/ml  or 160-210 nmol.

*Homeopathic seasonal flu inoculation: Contact Ainsworth’s Homeopathic Pharmacy in London and ask for a homeopathic preparation of this season’s viruses.  Follow instructions about taking it throughout the winter.

At The First Sign Of A Cold/Sore Throat

*Vitamin C to bowel tolerance - People don’t take enough and don’t take it at the first signs of cold/flu symptoms.  I take 1 teaspoon of natural RoseHip C from Ki Science on the hour every hour until symptoms improve and then a day beyond.

*Warm throat-soothing drinks: Made with real ingredients such as: juice of half a real lemon, a little Manuka honey, a pinch of good quality Cayenne pepper or onion, lemon and honey to help clear mucus. Add hot water.

*Don’t suppress a temperature (unless it is dangerously high or there is a specific medical risk). The purpose of a temperature is to increase your white blood cells to fight pathogens. Suppressing a temperature can make the infection persist longer. Homeopathic Belladonna can be useful for regulating high temperatures. 

*Useful throat and nasal sprays: These are some of my favourite tools that can be used as a preventative if you have been out in crowds or been with others who have colds and flu:

*HOCL saline spray (Ki Science)

*Propolis throat spray (Ki Science)

*Cistus and Propolis mouth wash (Ki Science) gargle to reduce viral presence in throat tissues.

*Don’t force yourself to eat with a cold or flu if you don’t feel like it:  However, do stay hydrated.

*With a temperature: Keep the room cool, but stay warm. Don’t try to push through it. Give a sick body a rest. In my case, with a good book. 

Important note: Individuals with chronic or serious health conditions, particularly in the post-Covid era should use extra caution when faced with an acute infection like a cold or flu. If symptoms worsen, fail to improve, or new concerning symptoms develop (such as persistent high fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion or marked weakness), it is essential to seek appropriate medical assessment and care promptly. When you have done so, and addressed the acute situation, take at look at the terrain of your body and start taking steps to gradually build your health reserve.

If you are battling a chronic health condition and would like help with this, please get in touch with the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com to request a free 30 minute Enquiry Call or book an appointment. Please note that an Enquiry call is not a consultation but an exploratory call to see if this is a clinical approach you wish to pursue.To your very good health, Suzanne Jeffery

Disclaimer:

All advice given out by Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic is for general guidance and informational purposes only.  All advice relating to other health professionals’ advice is for general guidance and information purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information provided with other sources.  Patients and consumers should review the information carefully with their professional health care provider. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by other practitioners and physicians. Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.