Immune Boosting Protocol for the Cold Season
We are entering the cold and flu season and it is time to start boosting the immune system. Here are some ideas to help you avoid getting sick. The following are a list of super foods that really boost the immune system.
• Black Mustard • Carrot • Catnip • Cayenne • Elderberry • Flaxseed • Garlic • Ginger • Grapefruit • Sweet Potato • Green leaves • Guava • Horseradish • Lemon • Melon seed • Nasturtium • Nuts • Onion • Orange • Peppermint • Sunflower seeds If you don’t feel like eating, it’s best not to force food. Try to keep the foods simple and wholesome. Juice, applesauce, broth, soups (especially vegetable or chicken soups), and herbal teas are best.
It is easy to become dehydrated especially if there is a fever, so make sure you drink as much as possible. Fluids also help to thin secretions, making it easier for the body to eliminate them. Diluted juices, water, fruit juice popsicles, herbal teas and nourishing broths and soups are great. Avoid dairy of any type — this includes milk, yogurt, cheese, ice-cream, etc. These foods are mucous producing and may exacerbate the condition. Increase the amount of raw onion and garlic in the diet. These are great anti-viral foods and also help to strengthen the immune system. Try to avoid the foods that you know you are sensitive to. This adds an even greater load to an already burdened immune system. These tend to make us more irritable and agitated and make the body more acidic (an environment that viruses thrive in). Most common food sensitivities include: wheat, dairy, sugar, corn, soy and peanuts. Supplements that greatly boost the immune system and kill invading organisms include Red Reishi Mushroom extract, Oregano Oil, and Berberis. Try Vitamin A or beta-carotene, Bioflavonoids, Vitamin C every two hours for 4-7 days, or Zinc, Vitamin E and Selenium. Herbs that help the body to overcome any cold or flu symptoms include Echinacea which can be taken as a tincture, tea, or in capsule form and is also found in many immune combo formulas. This will boost immune response especially in viral infections. This is to be used at the first signs of infection and continued for up to a week after. |
Goldenseal is antibacterial and antiviral and is healing to the mucous membranes. This can be taken in combination with Echinacea, three times a day, for five days to one week. Then there’s Chamomile tea, which can be taken twice a day to help you relax and rest. There’s also Ginger tea to help increase perspiration which helps to cleanse the body and reduce the intensity of the cold. Drink one cup, every four hours, during the acute phase of the cold. Ginger may also stimulate a fever to peak and then subside.immune response especially in viral infections. This is to be used at the first signs of infection and continued for up to a week after. Goldenseal is antibacterial and antiviral and is healing to the mucous membranes. This can be taken in combination with Echinacea, three times a day, for 5 days to one week. Chamomile tea can be given twice a day to help you relax and rest. Ginger tea helps to increase perspiration which helps to cleanse the body and reduce the intensity of the cold. Drink one cup, every four hours, during the acute phase of the cold. Ginger may also stimulate a fever to peak and then subside. Cayenne Pepper Tea is a great immune booster and is very warming to the body which most viruses don’t like. Take ½ to 1 tsp of cayenne pepper and mix in 1 cup hot water with fresh lemon juice. Sip as much as you can. Eliminate refined sugar as it depresses the immune system by paralyzing the white blood cells which are part of our immune defence system. Try to avoid suppressing fevers with drugs; the fever is the body’s natural way of killing bacteria and viruses by melting their membranes. Use tepid baths to bring body temperature gently back to normal without compromising the immune system. It is normal to have one cold per year but more than that is a sign that your immune system is compromised and needs attention. There are many professional natural products available to naturopathic doctors which are especially potent for those with a compromised immune system. By Dr. Terrie Van Alstyne, N.D. Naturopathic Doctor |
