Christine’s tips for staying healthy during the Cold & Flu Season By Christine Dreher, CCN, CCH

Christine’s tips for staying healthy during the Cold & Flu Season
By Christine Dreher, CCN, CCH

These are some of my “tried & true” prevention tips to avoid or diminish the occurrence of colds & flu:

Moisture: When the weather gets really dry, like it does here in San Diego in the fall season (due to our Santa Anna desert winds) or with the use of heaters in the colder months, the moisture in the air dissipates. This can leave our delicate sinus membranes vulnerable because they dry out and crack open, due to the lack of moisture in the air we breathe. One of the best ways to prevent this drying of our protective mucus membranes is to put several humidifiers throughout your home and office. This will provide the proper amount of moisture for your sinuses and keep the mucus membranes undamaged and more resilient to germs. This is our first defense in preventing colds & flu, which many people over look. Also, drinking more water when the air is dryer is helpful too.

Hygiene: It is said that more germs “hitch-hike” than “fly”, which means that generally, more people catch colds & flu from hand contact than from breathing in airborne germs. It seems like common sense to wash your hands with soap & water before bringing them to your mouth. What many don’t realize is that touching the membranes in your eyes, nose or mouth can expose you to germs, viruses and bacteria from your hands. So, simply scratching your eye can pass germs into the body and possibly get you sick. It takes a lot mindfulness to wash your hands frequently throughout the day, especially before touching any part of your face.

I also suggest investing in a nail-brush to scrub under the nails. We also offer the Clenzology soap, which makes it possible to put your fingernails in the soap container to clean under the nails. The Clenzology kit offers an advanced hygiene program, including facial solutions that rinse out the eyes and nose cavities, natural soft soap for cleaning hands and nails, a facial sponge, tooth & gum formula for oral hygiene and ear drops to protect the ears. Click here for more Clenzology information.

I think just about everyone knows this next suggestion (but just in case): When exiting a public restroom after washing your hands, use a paper towel to open the bathroom door. There is nothing worse than washing your hands and then opening a contaminated door knob or handle. Eventually (hopefully), public restrooms will put their trash containers by the door, so you can drop the paper towel in the waste can after opening the bathroom door.

Immune Support: To keep the immune system in top condition, I recommend a good fermented immune formula containing a wide variety of medicinal mushrooms, like Host Defense by New Chapter or RM-10 by Garden of Life (listed alphabetically). Both of these formulas have a multitude of medicinal mushrooms that modulate and nourish the immune system. They are safe to take even with auto-immune disorders, because they modulate and balance the immune system, rather than stimulating it. These formulas are recommended to be taken every day, at a maintenance level to support overall immune function.

For incidences of cold & flu, I recommend either the Seasonal Relief by Garden of Life or the Sinus & Respiratory by New Chapter (listed alphabetically). Both of these formulas are very helpful short-term, usually taken for 7 to 10 days, to clear up ongoing cold or flu symptoms. It is strongly recommended to complete the full recommendation of usage, usually one bottle, to prevent a relapse of symptoms. These formulas tend to stimulate immune function, which is helpful during cold & flu. It is best to check with your health practitioner if you have an auto immune condition before using these two products, because auto-immune systems already have an overactive immune system. See also Host Defense Throat Spray by New Chapter.

In addition, a whole-food, predigested Vitamin C formula is recommended to take every day. The whole-food, predigested forms of Vitamin C provide not only a natural form of Vitamin C that the body recognizes and utilizes easily, it also provides all the bioflavonoids, co-nutrients, phytonutrients and synergistic polyphenols that support and enhance the action of the Vitamin C. My two favorite formulas are C Food Complex by New Chapter and Living Multi Full Spectrum C by Garden of Life (listed in alphabetical order).

Other: Lastly, sufficient rest and sleep is always helpful in cold & flu prevention. Also, stress reduction activities such as yoga, tai chi, other mild to moderate exercise, prayer and meditation are also helpful in reducing stress levels. When stress levels are left unchecked, it can increase cortisol levels in the body, which can weaken the immune system. For cortisol and stress reduction, I suggest Holy Basil by New Chapter. It helps to support normal cortisol, blood sugar and insulin metabolism and encourages a positive stress response in the body. I call it “Meditation in a Bottle”.

The Stress Support Multi Vitamin by New Chapter also provides a complete, whole-food nutritional strategy for a healthy response to stress.

Of course, Grandma’s homemade chicken soup with lots of garlic can help too, but no one will come around you but Grandma.