Herbal Strategies for Dealing with the Flu
This past month, despite my best efforts to stay well, I caught the flu.
As an herbalist, getting sick is always an educational experience. Each time I have a chance to learn first hand what natural remedies are helpful for my condition. Here’s a list of things I found helpful when dealing with the flu:
* If you can catch the flu at the very beginning stages, try taking a hot bath while drinking a hot cup of ginger-cayenne-turmeric tea. After about 20 minutes in the bath, get out, wrap yourself in blankets and sweat.
* A fever is a good thing. Fevers are your body’s natural way of warding off infection. Reducing a fever with aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen may decrease your body’s immune response, prolong the illness, and increase chance of complications. If the fever goes about 104 degrees, seek medical attention.
* For the aches and pains of a flu, try a hot cup of herbal boneset tea, or one of my favorites, lemon balm.
* A flu is caused by a virus and can’t be appropriately treated with antibiotics. Anti-viral herbs include elderberry, echinacea, olive leaf, ginger, shiitake mushrooms & lemon balm.
* Eat lots of raw garlic, which has been a cure for many ailments since ancient times. Garlic helps with many aspects of colds & flu including cough, sore throat, bronchitis & pneumonia. A medicated oil made of garlic and mullein flowers is also helpful for ear aches.
* Decongest your lungs & sinuses with herbal team inhalations. Get a big pot of hot water and add 2-5 drops of Floracopeia essential oil of eucalyptus, thyme, tea tree, fir or peppermint. Cover your head with a towel and inhale deeply. Can repeat several times per day.
* Keep hydrated, drinking lots of water and herb tea. Eat light soups, broths or cooked cereal (congees).
* Rest, rest, rest! It is important to give your body enough time to heal. Pushing yourself to go back to work too soon can result in getting sick again.
* To rebuild your vitality after a flu, try adaptogenic and chi-building herbs like eleuthero, codonopsis, reishi, ashwaghanda, or one of Ancestral Apothecary’s Power Mushroom
Extracts.
* Check out the blog by Mountain Rose about herbal cold and flu remedies.
* For more specialized treatment, make an appointment with an herbalist.
* To help get your body back into harmony, try Acupressure or Jin Shin Jyutsu®.
Tips to Stay Healthy this Season
I hope each of you is enjoying this powerful time of year when we have a chance to remember and honor our ancestors.
Every autumn season I like to share some basic tips to stay healthy. As I reflect upon this, what comes to mind is the old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound in cure.”
As an herbalist, much of what I do is to teach people to pay attention and listen to their bodies. Most of us know when we are coming down with something. Each of us may have our own set of symptoms that is typical for us- it might be a sore throat or a feeling of being tired, run down and achy.
When we listen to our bodies and take the appropriate action to take care of ourselves, we can greatly decrease our chance of getting sick.
This means, when you start feeling a little bit unwell, slow down and rest. Don’t ignore your body and keep pushing it. Our bodies need extra energy to fight off unwanted pathogens and it is important to give your immune system a chance to do its job. The more you ignore your body’s need to rest and repair, the more you put stress on your immune system and interfere with your body’s innate ability to heal itself.
There are several things that I do myself and recommend to my clients to employ at the first sign of a cold:
1. Rest, rest, rest. Allow your body the time and space to heal.
2. Mega doses of echinacea root. Echinacea stimulates your body’s immune cells that destroy bacteria, viruses and fungi. For adults, it is safe to take up to 1 tsp of echinacea extract every two to three hours at the very first onset of symptoms. Make sure you have a good quality echinacea root tincture- it should make your tongue tingle when you taste it.
3. Elderberry. Elderberry not only strongly anti-viral, but it also is a great remedy for respiratory infections. I like to pour a shot of Elderberry cordial in a glass and cover with an equal amount of hot water to make a delicious hot elderberry toddy. For an extra boost, add ginger, cinnamon or cayenne to your elderberry cordial.
4. Garlic. Garlic is one of the most powerful, natural anti-microbial substances on earth. It has an affinity for the respiratory tract and is great for all respiratory tract infections, from sore throat to bronchitis.
It is important to eat garlic raw to get its anti-microbial effects. For people who may experience stomach irritation from garlic, you might want to try garlic honey or other easy recipes.
5. Essential oil steams. Steams are helpful to try when you feel infection, congestion, or inflammation in your respiratory tract (sinuses, throat, lungs). My favorite oils are from Floracopeia.
Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat, put on your kitchen table or other sturdy surface. Add 3-5 drops of respiratory supporting essential oils like Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Fir, Cedar or Rosemary. Cover your head with a towel and breathe in the steam.
6. Jin Shin Jyutsu® Self-Help. The healing art that I practice, Jin Shin Jyutsu®, a kind of acupressure, has a wonderful system of self-help to help nourish and harmonize your total being. My sister Jenny is leading a Jin Shin Jyutsu® Self-Help Circle on the first Wednesday of the month at our Oakland office. For more info, contact her at 510-839-9252 or email her at jennyrebeccajsj@yahoo.com.
The Healing Power of Herbs, a Client’s Testimonial
MY STORY: During the Fall and Winter of 2008-2009, I was incessantly sick. I had cold after flu after cold, back to back, most of the winter. By January ’09, I got such a bad flu I was in bed for over a week and once back at work, symptoms lingered for weeks more. Historically, I tend NOT to get ill — ever!!!
So, frankly, I was worried. I made an appointment with my primary care doc at Kaiser who — though meeting me for the first time — spent about 3 minutes with me and did not really look me in the eye! But he quickly wrote out the referrals I asked for. Thinking something might be seriously wrong, I asked for and took a battery of tests, including chest x-rays. Thank goodness everything appeared “clear.”
A month or so later, I began taking Atava’s Power Mushroom Extracts. I have taken this formula since, and — except for a couple mild head colds — HAVE NOT GOTTEN SICK ONCE! Atava explained that after years of continual stressors — being a single parent, putting myself through law school, post-graduate career challenges — my natural immunity was badly depleted. Her formulas have gotten me back to optimal health!
I have also taken herbal formulas for other needs as they arise — but I believe the above story illustrates how taking a regular immune-boosting supplement can have dramatic results! (And, in particular, how amazing the mushroom formula is.) I have also taken several classes from Atava, including two in her “Herbal Medicine 101″ series, where we learned to identify local plants and make simple remedies from them (including the oh-so-delicious Elderberry cordial!) One big reason I am so enthusiastic about promoting Atava’s work is that I admire her commitment to sharing knowledge for self healing. It is very fun and empowering to make your own medicine!
LV, attorney, Oakland, CA
To order Power Mushrooms, visit our on-line store.
Building Immunity with Medicinal Mushrooms
As the days grow shorter and we feel that autumn chill in the air, it is very important to start preparing our bodies for the colder seasons. Many herbal allies can play an important role in boosting our immunity and making us more resistant to catching seasonal colds and flu.
Last month, I wrote about elderberries. This month I want to talk about some of my favorite immune enhancing herbs, which in fact are not even herbs at all, but belong to the vast kingdom of fungi.
For thousands of years, medicinal mushrooms have been highly valued for their incredible healing properties. One of my favorite mushrooms, reishi or ganoderma lucidum, was referred to in the ancient texts of Chinese medicine as the “herb of immortality.”
Reishi supports and strengthens almost every organ system in the body, including the respiratory system and the immune system. These two organ systems are crucial to support to keep us healthy during the cold and flu seasons.
Many of the medicinal mushrooms are deep immune system tonics. In our bodies they work slowly and deeply to boost our immune reservoir and strengthen our resistance not only to colds and flu, but also to many other serious diseases like cancer.
For example, Reishi contains polysaccharides that have been proven to increase by five to twenty five times the body’s natural cancer fighting processes.
I recommend that most people at certain times take medicinal mushrooms for their health. For an average healthy person, this season is a good time to start incorporating them into your daily routine or diet. For people who have been chronically ill, medicinal mushrooms should play a bigger part in your life. In dealing with more serious disease, I would also recommend making an appointment to see professional herbalist like myself.
The power of medicinal mushrooms is amplified when they are in formula with one another. I have formulated a line of medicinal mushroom extracts called Power Mushrooms, which all have a baseline of five medicinal mushrooms- shiitake, maitake, oyster, reishi and turkey tails.
I have formulated my Power Mushroom Extracts to enhance certain healing properties of the mushrooms:
* The regular Power Mushrooms has astragalus to increase the immune enhancing effects of the formula.
* Power Mushrooms plus Liver Support has the additional herbs milk thistle and schizandra to offer an extra boost of protection and strength to the liver.
* Power Mushrooms Plus Turmeric has extra anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer fighting properties that come from the addition of turmeric to the formula. Available also with black pepper, which increases the bioavailability of the turmeric by up to 1000%.
* Power Mushrooms Plus Brain Support includes herbs like rosemary and rhodiola to enhances memory and cognitive functioning.
To order Power Mushrooms, visit Ancestral Apothecary’s online store.
10 Tips to Stay Healthy This Season
1. Slow Down. Winter is for slowing down, taking time to rest, and drawing our focus inward. Many of us continue to stay too busy this time of year when our body naturally wants to slow down and get more rest. Learn to pay attention to your body’s signals for rest and make it a practice to not push yourself (or grab another cup of coffee) when you’re tired.
2. Eat well. Nutrition make a big difference for the immune system. Refined sugar both depresses your immune system and also feeds viruses and bacteria, so limit your intake of white processed sugar. It is best to limit wheat products, dairy products and cold food (ice cream), which all create more mucous & dampness in the body.
As the days grow colder, it is better to eat more cooked foods than raw. This means eat less salads or raw fruit and more steamed veggies, apple sauce or fruit compote. The best foods to eat this season are warm, cooked, nourishing foods like soups and stews. Cook with pungent foods that nourish your respiratory system like garlic, onions, and leeks. To make my soups more medicinal, I like to to add my Wei Chi Vitality mix, a blend of medicinal mushrooms and herbs, to my soup stock. It’s a very easy way to eat your medicine!
3. Sleep More. People need on average eight hours of sleep per night. Most people are getting less and are suffering from a sleep deficit. Lack of sleep can depress the immune system and contribute to many physical and emotional disorders including depression, anxiety, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
4. Wash your hands thoroughly. A client of mine who is a nurse recently told me that to get rid of all pathogens on your hands, you must wash your hands for at least 15 seconds. Anything shorter than that can leave bacteria and viruses on your skin. Friction is also important, so scrub your hands well. Good old fashioned soap works just fine…. don’t contribute to the polluting of our waters by buying anti-bacterial soap.
5. Garlic. Garlic is one of our most powerful herbal allies. It has anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. With a strong affinity for the respiratory system, garlic has been traditionally used for colds, sore throats, coughs, and respiratory infections. When I feel the first signs of a cold I start eating lots of raw garlic- up to one clove 3-5 X/ day. My favorite thing to do is to cut it up and put on toast or on top of my food. You need to eat garlic raw to keep its anti-microbial benefits. To lessen garlic breath, chew on some fresh parsley or cilantro. Personally, I like the smell of garlic! For children and for people to whom garlic can be irritating to the digestive tract, a nice way to consume garlic is to make garlic honey or fire cider. Both garlic recipes can be found on other blog posts.
6. Elderberries. Elderberry brandy is a traditional wintertime tonic. Science has demonstrated that elderberries help protect the cell walls against viral attack. Daily consumption of Elderberry cordial can help prevent both flus and the common cold. For more elderberry recipes, see my blog post on elderberries.
Reishi (ganoderma lucidum) decoction.
7. Medicinal Mushrooms. Medicinal fungi like Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake mushrooms are amazing allies for our health. Mushrooms have been shown to boost the immune system and to help both prevent and treat many chronic illnesses, including cancer. Eating a few mushrooms (always cook them) every day or taking a Power Mushroom extract can boost your overall health tremendously. Click here to buy Ancestral Apothecary’s unique line of Power Mushroom medicinal mushroom extracts.
8. Vitamin D: I recently attended a panel on the H1N1 influenza virus. The panel consisting of a medical doctor, acupuncturist, western herbalist and a naturopath all unanimously agreed that boosting our levels of Vitamin D is one of the most important things we can do to support our immune system. A minimum recommended dosage is 4,000 IU/day and can be safely increased up to 10,000 IU/day.
9. Essential Oils. Most essential oils have amazing anti-microbial properties. This is because the essential oils are part of the plants’ immune systems. Over thousands of years, the plants developed these chemical compounds to protect themselves against bacteria, viruses and fungi.
To have the protection of essential oils when I go out in public, I like to carry an essential oil hand spray that I made to spritz my hands when needed. Good anti-microbial essential oils include lavender, rosemary and tea tree.
A good investment is an aromatherapy diffuser to infuse your home, car or office with the essential oils. I highly recommend the Community Immunity Diffuser Blend Series from Floracopeia. They blend together many plants of similar ecosystems to create powerful anti-microbial protection for your living environments. My favorite blend is called Forest, and smells like a good walk in high Sierra woods. Click here to visit the Floracopeia website.
10. Make an appointment with your herbalist and your bodyworker! The best way to create a health care regime that is custom designed for you is to work with a professional clinician. I may see several clients with the same condition, but I will treat each one with different herbs, based on each person’s unique constitution and set of circumstances. Also, as an herbalist I am trained to help guide and support you to make nutritional and lifestyle choices that will help you achieve better physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. I am available for appointments via phone, Skype or email for people who do not live in the California Bay Area.
Acupressure and Jin Shin Jyutsu® sessions can help to tune up your body’s energy, can help to release emotions stored in the body (which can lead to illness), can boost your immunity and vitality, and can leave you feeling calm, energized and totally rejuvenated. Many of my clients report that they “feel like an entirely new person” after receiving a session from me. For more information about making an appointment, click here to go to our website.
Tags: flu, Health, herbal medicine
