Articles ¬ BEING WELL nEwsletter ¬ Flu, flu, flu
Flu, Flu, Flu
In the last few weeks I have seen so many people with the flu. And for those of you who rely on the flu vaccine, they are expecting its production to be slower than usual this year.
So what are you to do?
Any remedies mentioned above can be found at our office and possibly at your local health food store.
- Influenzinum 200 ch (homeopathic) can be used to prevent the flu. Take two pills dissolved under the tongue once monthly, from September to May. Up to two more doses may be used, at any one time, if exposed to the flu. Many people find this to be equivalent to the flu shot in effectiveness.
- Echinacea, if it contains both the Angustifolia and Purpurea forms, is strongly antiviral. The preferred form is tincture and for an adult 20 drops is the typical dose.
There are three main ways to use this herb.
- To prevent - if you are surrounded by sick people and waiting for your turn, take Echinacea twice daily.
- If fighting - on the first sign that you are fighting something take it every one to two hours.
- If sick - If you are feeling off for a day, assume that you have the virus and use the Echinacea four times daily.
Using Echinacea while sick will shorten your illness and make sure that you do not acquire a secondary bacterial infection.
- Keep your dairy and sugar consumption low, if sick or trying to prevent getting sick. They both lead to extra mucus, which is a great breeding ground for viruses and bacteria, and sugar suppresses immune function. Many people increase intake of fruit juice for the vitamin C, but the amount of natural sugar in this can also decrease immune function. Stick to eating the actual fruit.
- The Chinese remedy Yin Chiao is excellent for the early stages of a viral infection. It is specifically helpful when chills and nausea, are present. Take four pills three to four times a day.
The Tim Hortons Nutrition Guide
Did you know that a " healthier choice" like muffins have more calories and trans-fats than all of the types of donuts that they make?
The Croissants contain 4.5 - 5 grams of trans-fats (this is a lot) whereas most of their donuts contain 0.1 grams. Yikes!Dry Skin Brushing
Dry skin brushing has been around for a very long time and is an excellent way to exfoliate the skin to give it a great healthy glow and smooth texture, but also to aid in proper lymphatic system function.
The lymphatic system is like the sewage system in a city. It has vessels all through the body that haul biochemicals, toxins and dead cells to the liver for processing. The lymphatic system, unlike the arteries, does not have a pump to move things around and relies on our movement or mild compression of the muscles, like from massage or dry skin brushing.
A natural bristol body brush or loofah sponge work best and you want them and you to be dry. I like to do this before a sauna or shower. All of the lymph vessels flow toward your liver, which is under your ribs on the right side.
Use short, brisk strokes that move toward your liver. When you have covered an area well your skin should have a pale pink glow or feel tingly or warm. The process should take about 4 to 6 minutes and cover as much of your body that you can reach, but I leave my face for milder exfoliation.
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