Things to Do for the Flu and You

The weather here in Portland is crazy, flipping quickly from bitter cold to blueberry-blue sunshine all in the span of a few days. These climate fluctuations are not the best for our bodies, and can add little support to our immune systems, especially when we aren’t prepared. It is even more of a problem when you’ve already experienced a wintertime bug, and you cannot seem to shake it. To fortify your immune system, you can perform a few simple at-home measures.

Here’s another way to think about your health: picture yourself inside of an automobile. If you want to remain protected from the elements outside, you roll up your windows, right? And if the elements happen to be more of an intrusive agent, you might wish to lock your doors.

Knowing when to roll up your windows and lock your doors is advantageous to you, so it makes sense to equip yourself with the simple knowledge of how to do so. Otherwise, you’ll end sopping wet in a rainstorm or without control over your car because someone else is at the driver’s wheel. Preventative medicine works much the same way. The automobile is analogous to your immune system: you gotta mind the small details like windows and locks, so that pathogens or disease cannot get into your body in the first place. Not taking the time to learn these protective details can keep your body vulnerable and susceptible to disease. And, not taking the initiative to protect your most valuable resource, your body, is nobody’s fault but your own. You are part of the process of maintaining your health.

Now, to take this car analogy a bit further, say you want to drive to some other destination… could be anywhere. The simple fact that you need gasoline to perform this action means that you gotta be prepared. Gasoline is the fuel that makes all the mechanical bits of your car operate. However, having an empty tank of gas is not useful to you, nor will it rescue you when you really need to get out of a situation that’s potentially harmful. Preventative medicine for your body works the same way. If you are too busy and neglect the details of balanced eating and adequate sleep, your resources are depleted, leaving you unprepared and vulnerable. Invasive and opportunistic diseases will take hold of your body and cause you to unnecessarily suffer. This certainly sounds like something you’d want to prevent, right?

Now, you pretty much already know how avoid the pitfalls of certain car troubles: you roll up your windows, lock your doors, and keep gasoline in the gas tank. You effectively learned this because you were rewarded when you planned ahead, evaded complications, and got to where you wanted to go without undue hassle. You also learned this because of those times when you forgot and ended up dealing with complications arising from neglect. It’s as simple as that: the basic laws of rewards and punishments. Why not take the initiative and be rewarded with being healthy and avoid being sick? It’s up to you, and the rewards will keep you heading in the right direction towards your optimum health.

Learn how to effectively protect and support your body! Performing any of these items will help to alleviate your symptoms of discomfort or prevent a bug from ever affecting your health. Remember to work along side a qualified health practitioner to individualize your treatments and make your path healthy and direct:

1. Rest. Decrease your work load and stress. This will allow your body to focus on fighting off infection. Even Web MD suggests these simple tasks.
2. Here are a few articles about the active components of echinacae and elderberry for the prevention of colds and flu. Echinacea or elderberry tea is a great daily tonic, providing valuable antioxidants and re-hydrating your body with warm soothing ingredients. You can find the tea that works best for you, this source will start you on the right track: Traditional Medicinal Teas. On their website you can also get more specific with your symptoms or the seasonal support you are looking for in combination with the teas that are offered. If you take a look at the ingredients, you can even begin to take the process a bit further and incorporate these foods into your diet.
3. Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford is a fabulous resource when you want to know more about your health and the foods you consume. It’s well-written and full of helpful suggestions. Before you know it, health concerns will be part of the past. Why? Knowing how to use foods as health tools, provides you with unlimited resources for your immune system.
4. Got a stuffy nose or a sinus infection? Try using a Neti pot. This low-cost device delivers a warm salty solution into your nasal cavities, effectively flushing out sticky phlegm. Cleared sinus cavities means less facial pressure and headaches, as well as a clean up solution after an infection.
5. Avoid foods that generally increase mucus or phlegm in the body: sugars, dairy products, refined flours, other known allergens for your body. And increase your intake of soups and broths filled with vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, and squash. Here’s a great article explaining the healing properties of soup.
6. Feeling the first signs of body aches or sore throat? Try the traditional “warming socks” treatment. It’s fast, easy, and inexpensive. Sounds kooky, but it really works…! Get the How-to here.
7. Homeopathic remedies are also helpful, especially if you take it before going on a long airplane flight. You can find most of these in the health food section of your supermarket, and if you don’t see it, ask for it! Need some convincing arguments for homeopathy? Try this comprehensive website talking about Oscillococcinum, the most commonly used flu remedy.
8. Continue to seek balance in your health and work consistently through small steps to achieve optimum health. Looking for a few pointers? Check out this guide.

Keep making those small incorporations of healthy concepts into your life. It’s like the automobile analogy, after a while you begin the learn from your mistakes, make modifications that support your health, not hinder it, and keep at it. That’s how you learn, that’s how you become an expert in your own health!

For those of you that follow the Helfgottblog, you’re sure to recall that generalized advice will only provide part of a solution for your aliments. Specific personalized care is always your best option because you are unique and what your body requires to get better is equally as unique. You are encouraged to seek out professional medical help for serious and chronic conditions, these basic tools can help support your immune system and teach you to rely more upon preventative measures. Prevention is key, as is replenishing your resources so that you can effectively push out any invasive agent that causes your body harm.

**** This response was inspired by a chance meeting with a wonderful individual, John Cruz, over at my local Washington Mutual. Here’s a special shout-out to John for his preserverance and personal persuits towards health for him and his family. Keep at it, and keep those questions coming, you are part of the revolution. Thanks again!

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