The Flu and Colds – How to beat ‘em the Natural Way!

Colds and flu are a fact of life – sooner or later you will catch one or the other. But you can make it easier for your body to resist them, and when you do get sick you can do plenty to help your body get well and to lessen the severity of the symptoms.

First, let’s remember one really important thing about colds and the flu – they really do not respond to “antibiotics”! In the medical business we like to explain that your cold will last for about a week if we give you antibiotics, or for about seven days if we don’t give you antibiotics. Now, having said that, what can you do to avoid these two scourges of winter?

First, make sure your immune system is in the very best shape possible:

• Get regular exercise: exercise stimulates the immune system. Just 10 minutes of good, all-out exercise each day is all it takes!
• Use immune-enhancing herbal formulas.
• Practice stress reduction.
• Use positive visualization and affirmations – Dr. Myatt’s Body / Mind video will help you develop this skill.
• Practice meditation.
• Give your body the materials it needs to keep the immune system fit: Eat plenty of protein. The body needs it for maintenance and repair. Avoid fruit juices and sugars – sugars suppress the immune system.
• Be sure to use a good multi-vitamin. Dr. Myatt’s MaxiMulti is the very best available.
• Drink 64 ounces (2 quarts) of pure water or herb teas (non-caffeinated) daily.
• Be well-rested.

Colds and flu are caused by over 100 different strains of viruses. Vaccinations are sometimes useful for people with weakened or compromised immune systems but they do not offer complete protection because there are so many different strains of virus that cause colds and flu. Antibiotics are useless against viruses and can cause harm.

Symptoms of the Common Cold include nasal discharge (runny nose) with sneezing and sore throat, usually without fever. Flu (Influenza) is characterized by fever, cough, headache, malaise (feeling weak, achy & “blah”) and all the other symptoms of a cold.

When is a cold or flu serious? If you are having trouble breathing, or if you (as an adult) have a fever over 104° that is unrelieved by aspirin or ibuprofen (remember – no aspirin for anyone under 21 years of age!), or if you are unable to eat or drink and are becoming dehydrated then you should call your doctor. If you are recovering from a serious illness, are immunocompromised or on immunosuppressive drugs, or have just had or are about to have surgery you should contact your doctor for instructions. Otherwise, it is best to stay out of the Emergency Room or clinic. Those places are just full of sick people!

What else can you do to avoid getting sick? Avoiding crowds will help, frequent hand washing definitely helps (most of these viruses are spread through contact), and avoid those inconsiderate people who insist on going in to work or out visiting when they are sick.

So, what about the “Flu Shots” that get so much attention nowadays? Well, they only protect from a very few viruses – the ones that the drug companies guessed might be the biggest problems when they designed the shots many months ago. If you are not at special risk, you might want to pass on them, for they can have side effects. There is also a new nasal vaccine, FluMist, that the drug companies are pushing because of the “shortage” of injectable vaccines. It uses a live strain of flu virus, as compared to the injectable vaccines that use a “killed” virus – would I willingly snort a live flu virus? Not likely! There are some new “anti-flu” drugs being marketed, that claim to be able to “possibly” shorten the duration of a flu (by one day!), if they are taken within 48 hours of the very first onset of symptoms. That doesn’t sound to me like a very good bet either, so I’ll just use the tried and proven herbal remedies.
 

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