Natural Prevention & Treatment For The Flu: What Your Doctor
May Not Know
by: Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP
Flu can affect 10 to 30 percent of the U.S.
population each winter. The flu virus can linger in the air for
as long as three hours. In close quarters, conditions are ripe
for the spread of the virus. That explains why the highest incidence
of the flu is in 5- to 18-year-olds, who spend much of their time
in school, in close contact with their classmates. The most serious
complications occur in older adults, however, especially those
in managed care. Do not give aspirin or other "salicylates"
to children or teenagers with symptoms of a cold or flu. Don't
bother taking antibiotics to treat your flu or cold; antibiotics
do not kill viruses, and they should be used only for bacterial
infections. Antibiotic overuse has become a very serious problem,
leading to a resistance in disease-causing bacteria that may render
antibiotics ineffective for some conditions.
According to a National Survey
OTC cough and cold medication sales totaled 3.2 billion dollars
in 1995,
That's no surprise, considering Americans endure about 1 billion
colds each year.
The "experts" are using fear and vaccine shortage to
motivate people to get a flu shot, but this is yet another
healthcare illusion. Let's be clear, flu can definitely
be a killer disease and is not something that should be easily
dismissed. But, remember that flu shots don't prevent illness--never
have, never will. The flu vaccine can actually weaken the immune
system and make you more predisposed to the illness. And the side
effects of FluMist, cough, runny nose/nasal congestion, irritability,
headaches, chills, muscle aches and fever, sound just like the
symptoms of the flu. If you decide to get the nasal flu vaccine,
you will get not only a live flu virus in each dose but also table
sugar and MSG, which are fraught with their own problems. If you
take the shot you may get mercury as an added bonus.
Building A Healthy Immune System: Your #1 Offense
1. Detoxify your digestive tract and liver/gallbladder now.
Disease often begins in the digestive tract and the liver is the
main filter of the body. When either or both of these are sluggish
then your body can be ripe for illness. This will prepare your
body to readily be able to absorb, utilize and transport the good
food and supplements that you will be using. It is good to do
this once a month for 3 months then 2x’s yearly. I would
also recommend a parasite cleanse especially if you consume a
lot of non-organic meat.
2. Eliminate all sugar. One teaspoon of sugar can bring the
immune system down for up to 6 hours. Natural, healthy substitutes
for sugar are stevia, agave nectar and Xylitol. It is best for
you to satisfy your taste buds with fresh, organic fruits. Be
sure to eat the whole fruit as juicing your fruit will cause your
insulin levels to spike. If you crave chocolate chances are you
may have a magnesium deficiency.
3. Change your diet. Your immune system will flourish on a diet
of organic fruits and vegetables. Two raw salads (use dark green
leafy lettuce) a day eaten with lunch and dinner will help to
provide you body with much-needed vitamins and nutrients. Incorporate
soups and stews into your diet. If you eat meat make sure that
it is organic and free-range. Fish should be cold-water and eaten
no more than twice a week. Farmed raised fish are not healthy
because most of the feed corn derived and therefore you will not
get the benefits of the beneficial fatty acids such as DHA and
EPA. They also may be exposed to high levels of pesticides. Consider
taking Chlorella to remove any mercury. If you are pregnant it
is advised that you not eat fish. Cook with organic, unrefined
coconut oil (try to consume 2-3 tablespoons daily) and for salads
use organic, unrefined, cold-pressed olive oil. Eliminate pre-packaged
foods and those foods that are canned or bagged. Purchase organic,
free-range eggs and organic butter. Substitute pasteurized/homogenized
milk with almond milk. You can also bake/cook with almond milk.
4. Eat a clove of garlic every day. Garlic acts in the body
as a natural antibiotic. You must smash the clove in order to
realize the immune enhancing properties.
5. Drink half your body weight in pure, filtered water every
day. Our body is mostly water. We must put back what we eliminate
through breathing, sweating and urination. Water helps the kidneys
to continually flush toxins from the body. Make sure that you
are drinking pure, filtered water. I recommend distilled with
organic apple cider vinegar added to replace the minerals lost
through distillation.
6. Exercise every single day. Exercise not only helps with blood
circulation and to keep unwanted pounds away but also can help
with depression. Exercise helps to move the lymph system, which
will in-turn move toxins from the body. Walking outdoors in the
sun will help your body with Vitamin D production. For those who
don’t experience a lot of sunshine it is recommended that
you supplement with Vitamin D under the care of a health professional.
An article published by the International Journal of Sports Medicine
illustrates the effect exercise can have on infections. In this
study, only 45 minutes of brisk walking per day was shown to lower
the incidence of upper respiratory symptoms, cut the duration
of illness in half and increase natural killer-cell activity in
people prone to upper respiratory tract infections.
7. Adequate Sleep. Almost 80% of the population is sleep deprived.
Sleep is necessary for our body to repair and heal. The body does
the most healing between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.
There is no such thing as catching-up on sleep as once it is lost—it
cannot be regained through marathon sleeping on the weekends.
Getting adequate rest allows the immune system to repair and be
in top condition.
8. Take a good organic multi-vitamin/mineral formula, Vitamin
C and a Probiotic. Unfortunately eating organically doesn’t
always protect us in a perfect manner. Depleted soil conditions
has definitely affected the nutrients contained in our vegetables
and fruits. I have found one that I consider the “Cadillac”
when it comes to providing the body with everything it needs to
continue in health. It is a wise choice to consume 2-3 grams of
Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) daily in divided doses. A good probiotic
will help to keep good bacteria in the digestive tract.
9. Wash your hands frequently. Wash your hands in the mornings,
after every meal, after all outings, after shaking hands with
people, after each trip to the bathroom and before bed. Teach
your children to do the same. Do not use antibacterial soaps.
The antibacterial compounds found in most of these soaps sold
in the United States are likely contributing to the spread of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Use a good all-natural soap from
the health food store. Wash with warm water and use a nailbrush
along the nail line and in-between fingers. Keep fresh, clean
towels available to dry hands. Make sure that you keep your hands
away from your eyes and mouth. When away from home, keep a mixture
of lemon essential oil, lavender essential oil and distilled water
(40 drops lemon essential oil and 30 drops lavender essential
oil to 4 ounces of distilled water) in a dark-colored, glass,
fine-mist spray bottle. Spray on hands immediately after trips
to grocery stores, doctor, etc. or any time you are shaking people’s
hands. At home, wipe all doorknobs frequently with this mixture.
Keep a bottle at home, in the car and at work. We have these available
at Oasis Advanced Wellness in a 2- ounce bottle for $9.95. Make
sure that you keep your computer keys and mouse clean at all times.
Also keep your phone’s (cell and landline) receivers clean.
10. Deal with stress. Repeated stress is one of the main causes
of a suppressed immune system. Learn to manage your stress with
exercise, meditation, deep breathing, walks in nature, good music,
Yoga, Pilates and removing yourself from negative situations.
Refuse to allow anyone or any situation to make you stressful.
There are natural supplements that you can incorporate to help
with stress such as B-Complex, Lithium Orotate or SamE.
In Case Of Flu—Items To Have On Hand—Your #1 Defense
1. Hydrogen Peroxide. In 1928 Richard Simmons, M.D. hypothesized
that colds and flu virus enter through the ear canal. The medical
community dismissed his findings. According to Dr. Simmons, contrary
to what you may think or have been taught about how you catch
the flu or the cold there is only one way that you can catch the
two, and that's via the ear canal not through the eyes or nose
or mouth as most have believed. We have found good results in
curing the flu & cold within 12 to 14 hours when administering
a few drops of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) into each infected
ear, (sometimes only one ear is infected) The H2O2 starts working
within 2 to 3 minutes in killing the flu or cold; there will be
some bubbling and in some cases mild stinging occurs. Wait until
the bubbling & stinging subside (usually 5 to 10 min) then
drain onto tissue and repeat other ear. A bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide
in 3% solution is available at any drug store for a couple of
dollars. Although this method is perfectly safe for infant/children
to use, the loud bubbling and stinging frightens them, they'll
need someone they trust to put the hp in their ears. (Don’t
get h2o2 in the eyes- if you do, flush with water)
2. Colloidal Silver. Colloidal Silver is anti-bacterial and
anti-viral and has been used for hundreds of years for it’s
antibiotic affect on the body. Most brands are very expensive
and are golden in color. This indicates that there are additives
in the product. Silver is the whitest of metals and the solution
should be clear to a tiny bit white in color. More PPM does not
necessarily make a good colloidal silver. In fact the lower the
PPM the better able for it to penetrate the cell wall. While some
will say that silver has no benefit, this is not what we have
found at our house. Call your healthcare professional for therapeutic
dosages.
3. Oregano Oil. Oregano Oil can be as an effective pain reliever
as morphine. For sinus congestion or stuffiness place 1 drop of
oregano oil in 1 ounce of warm water. (more is not better) Make
sure that the oil is dispersed. Place 1-2 drops of the mixture
in each nostril and sniff. The mixture will burn for about 30
seconds. This will help to break up sinus congestion. Do this
3-4 times daily and before bed. To take orally drop 3-5 drops
in a veggie cap and take with food three times daily. Oregano
Oil is also anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
4. Vitamin C. Capsules and powder are best. Take up to bowel
tolerance. Taking the recommended dosage on the bottle will not
be enough—for preventative purposes, double or triple it.
If sick, divide the dosage and take some every hour---up to 6
grams daily. According to Linus Pauling, “adults should
be taking at least 2-3 grams a day. There is much evidence about
increased health with 2 grams a day, and of course even more with
4 or 6 grams a day. Even an extra 60mg had been shown to add value
in cutting down the death rate from heart disease, cancer and
other diseases. Now my feeling is as people grow older they ought
to be increasing their vitamin C and perhaps they should follow
the policy that I have followed of increasing the intake. It can
be either one chunk, one dose in the morning, or even better three
doses throughout the day, increasing the intake until a laxative
effect is observed, speeding up the rate of elimination of waste
material from the bowel. So my suggestion is every person who
wants to have the best of health should increase the intake of
vitamin C to somewhat less than the amount that causes significant
looseness of the bowel.”
5. Drink lots of fresh vegetable juice and pure, clean water.
Flooding the body with liquids will help to flush out toxins and
will also give the body added enzymes (helps with inflammation
and pain) and nutrients.
6. Premier 8 – Glyconutrients have been given the title
of “the new class of missing nutrients” or “miracle
sugars”. Scores of studies have linked a deficiency of the
extraordinary sugars to everything from lupus and diabetes to
heart disease to cancer; from ADHD to infertility. Dozens of illnesses
have been linked to an imbalance of these sugars. This is NOT
the same as table sugar. Order the book Miracle Sugars by Rita
Elkins for more explanation. Glyconutrients may represent the
best of preventative medicine and may help with the following:
viral infection, fungal infection, parasitic disease, bacterial
disease, micro-bacterial disease, auto-immune disease. Providing
the immune system with the right glyconutrients helps it recognize
infectious organisms more readily. Remember, it is the “glycol”
or sugar portion of both our immune cells and invading organisms
that transfer messages. There is only one company (multi-level)
that currently offers a similar product for a much higher price.
You can get Premier 8 only through Oasis Advanced Wellness.
7. Zinc Lozenges – According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, when
using zinc lozenges it is important to recognize that they need
to be sucked on, NOT swallowed, and smaller doses taken more frequently
seem to work better. Suck on a quarter lozenge every 30 minutes.
If started early, this approach seems to work well for the majority
of people. One caution: if the lozenges make you nauseous they
should be stopped immediately as this is a sign of zinc toxicity.
Do not use zinc lozenges that contain aspartame.
8. Eucalyptus Essential Oil – Diffuse eucalyptus essential
oil into the air when sleeping at night. This will help to keep
the sinuses and nasal passages open. It is also anti-viral and
anti-bacterial. During the day diffuse lemon essential oil in
the air, especially to keep other family members from getting
sick.
If you take preventative steps now you will be doing yourself
and your family a huge favor. Always make sure that you are prepared
if the flu happens to hit you or a family member. If your immune
system is functioning at a good level then your “down time”
and side effects should be minimal. Talk with your family about
the suggestions in this article and then implement as many as
possible. You will be glad that you started early!
About The Author
Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CN, HHP, CH is a Doctor of Naturopath,
Clinical Nutritionist, Holistic Health Practitioner and Clinical
Herbalist in the Houston, TX area and Founder / CEO of Oasis Advanced
Wellness. A teacher, educator and seminar speaker, she counsels
Oasis Advanced Wellness clients on the aspects of getting the
body healthy and keeping the body healthy and also develops customized
health programs to help clients get healthy. As a cancer survivor,
she is able to relate extensively, both as a patient and a practitioner,
to clients suffering from disease. She is also involved in researching
new alternative disease treatments and products. Dr. Lanphier
is Editor and contributor to the worldwide E-newsletter Advanced
Health & Wellness. To receive a free subscription go to: www.oasisadvancedwellness.com.
Be sure and visit our bio identical hormonal balancing site at
www.menopause-pms-progesterone.org and www.oasisserene.com. We
would love to become your “partner in health.”
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