by Nikki Moses
© November 2013
Revised March 2022
Normally, people on my health program tend not to get the cold and flu bugs going around. This is because your immune system is getting excellent support while on the program. But lately there have been some very strong viruses making their way around, and you may at some point wind up dealing with one of these. Of course, this is more the case during cold and flu season but can happen any time.
So in this article, I am going to cover prevention as well as what to do if you come down with a cold or flu. I also list some supplements below that you may want to have on hand for such situations.
TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM STRONG TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT GETTING A COLD OR FLU:
- Avoid all sugar and fruit. Sugar weakens the immune system and feeds infection.
- Stay warm. Viruses cannot replicate well at higher temperatures. (Both colds and flus are caused by viruses.)The infrared saunas are very good for this, by the way, so if you have one, be sure to use it regularly (see tips below for how to use it if you have an active flu or cold). Two saunas per day for 20 minutes or longer each are ideal for preventative purposes, so if someone around you is ill or if something is passing around, the sauna twice daily is a good idea. If you feel yourself starting to get cold or flu symptoms, immediately go into the sauna for at least 20 minutes, as this may prevent a full-blown cold or flu.
- Stay well-rested so that your immune system has the energy it needs to function well.
- Wash your hands frequently and especially before eating.
- Stay on your supplement program for whole-body support.
- Avoid being around people who are exhibiting cold or flu symptoms. Wear an anti-viral mask (available at most drug stores) if you must be around someone with a cold or flu.
- Avoid stressful situations, since the immune system is weakened during emotional or mental stress.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CATCH A COLD OR FLU:
The key is to rest, rest, rest. You need to rest from the very beginning of symptoms. If you do not rest, the infection can settle into the body and take longer to go away. This is especially important with the flu, which if not cared for properly, can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia from a secondary bacterial infection that can follow the initial viral component. So ideally rest for at least a couple of days, and more if it is an intense flu. And remember that you are contagious, so going to work or school exposes others, too. If you must be around people, wear an anti-viral mask. A person with a cold is usually contagious for the first 2 or 3 days of the cold. And according to the CDC, a person with the flu can be contagious for up to 7 days after symptoms of the flu begin (even longer for children). For more on this, you may visit the CDC webpage: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm
Heat Therapy, Saunas, Single Heat Lamp:
Heat helps to prevent viruses from replicating. It is also soothing and healing in other ways. Stay warm while dealing with viral infections. If you have a sauna, use it frequently to help disable the viruses. When fighting infection, one should do short saunas (10-15 minutes each) up to 5 or 6 times per day. A single heat lamp is also very helpful. It can be aimed at the throat, lungs, ears and sinuses for relief. You may use a single heat lamp anywhere on the body for up to 1 hour per use. If using on the sinuses or anywhere on the head, limit to 10 minutes per use. You may use the single heat lamp multiple times per day. If you do not have a sauna or single heat lamp, we do carry these, so please feel free to contact us, and we’ll send you one.
Diet:
Continue to avoid all sugar. Eat lightly and stay hydrated. Easy-to-digest foods are best such as soups, whole grains, yogurt, only a little meat, and of course, plenty of cooked vegetables.
Coffee enemas:
These are great to continue while dealing with a cold or flu. Fighting infection creates a lot of debris in the body that has to be processed by the liver. The coffee enemas aid the liver in cleansing the body of these toxic residues.
Supplements:
You may continue taking all of your regular supplements, but reduce the doses to one-third of normal doses (for any supplements you take only one of per day, continue at that dose). The exceptions to this are Limcomin and Paramin (or Calcium or MCHC if you are on these). If your program includes Limcomin, it should be doubled (do not exceed 18 per day). For example, if you normally take 6 per day of Limcomin, increase this to 12 per day. Limcomin is very supportive of the immune system. Paramin (or Calcium or MCHC if you are on these) is also very helpful to the immune system so take at least 2 per day while ill.
Other supplements that may help which anyone can take:
Endo-AC (Endo-met carries this and so does our office, so you can pick it up, or we can ship it to you as needed). This is a balanced blend of vitamins A and C, and also includes bioflavonoids. Adults may add up to 15 Endo-AC per day and less for children until the flu or cold symptoms are gone.
Silver 24 is also very supportive. This is a colloidal silver product also available to be picked up or shipped from our office. It is the best colloidal silver I have found. Adults take 3 Tbs. and add to 8-16 ounces of water and sip throughout the day (do this for 7 days in a row only; after 7 days, come off of the silver). Children can take proportionally less (use their body weight as a guide — an adult weight is 120+ pounds — so a 60 pound child can take 1.5 Tbs. daily). You can also sniff Live Silver into your sinuses for infection in the sinuses. To do so, just put a small amount in the palm of your hand, hold up to one nostril and breathe in through your nose, then repeat on the other nostril.
In fact, Endo-AC and Silver 24 are products I recommend all clients have on-hand to be used for most infections whether they occur as healing reactions or by contagion. Endo-AC is also something I may recommend for you at times for things like allergies, easy bruising, mercury-detox symptoms, etc. So it is usually a good idea to have these 2 products on-hand while on this program so that if you need them at any time, you don’t have to wait to receive them in the mail. If you would like us to send you some of these items, you may call our office or email us.
You may also add some Propolis from any health food store. About 6 capsules per day for adults (less for children) may be helpful.
Homeopathic remedies are fine to try if your symptoms persist, especially if you have some homeopathic remedies you know have worked for you on similar symptoms in the past.
Do not add any other remedies than those mentioned above without running them by me first. Some are toxic, and some may unbalance your body chemistry. Again, rest is the most important thing.
Over-the-counter cold and flu medications:
These are drug store items such as medicated decongestants and NyQuil. Remember that these are full of toxic chemicals. Additionally, most work by inhibiting the immune response. A runny nose is the immune system at work, so is a fever. So it is best to let these things run their course if possible.
Tamiflu:
This is a prescription anti-viral medication that is designed for use in certain types of flu. Its effectiveness is debated, and it has many possible side effects (known as adverse drug reactions) including nausea, diarrhea, headaches, hepatitis and rash. There have been reports of even more severe reactions such as seizures, hallucinations, and abnormal behavior. It is therefore, in my opinion, best avoided.
Antibiotics:
These are designed to be used for bacterial infections, so they do not work to fight off cold and flu viruses. Some cases of flu result in a secondary bacterial infection, in which case, antibiotics may be effective. But due to the side effects of antibiotics, this should be a last resort; ideally one should rest and care for oneself properly so that the body can fight off the viruses and bacteria on its own. One problem I have seen is that doctors will sometimes prescribe an antibiotic based on symptoms alone before verifying that the infection is indeed bacterial. So be careful to verify the need for an antibiotic before taking one. Remember that the body can fight off bacteria on its own, so antibiotics are often unnecessary even in bacterial infections.
Flu Shots:
Not only does the flu vaccine have varying degrees of efficacy, there are reports that indicate vaccinations can make one more susceptible to illness in some cases. There are also reports of alarming potential side effects of flu vaccines through the years. Here are just a few examples:
Canadian study finds flu shot could increase risk of getting sick: https://globalnews.ca/news/1804162/canadian-study-finds-flu-shot-could-increase-risk-of-getting-sick/
Assessment of temporally-related acute respiratory illness following influenza vaccination: https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/home/topics/respiratory/influenza/increased-risk-for-acute-respiratory-illness-following-influenza-vaccine-in-children/
Association of spontaneous abortion with receipt of inactivated influenza vaccine containing H1N1pdm09 in 2010-11 and 2011-12: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28917295/
Seasonal influenza vaccine and increased risk of pandemic A/H1N1‐related illness: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20887210/
I personally do not get flu shots and never will. We recommend you research more before you make up your mind for yourself.
Rubbing the Feet:
This favorite standby is good for almost any reaction one can encounter, so rub, rub, rub. The nerves in the feet run to all organs of the body. As you rub the pressure points on the feet and toes, it brings relief of tension in those organs.
Hydrogen Peroxide Baths:
These can help with almost any kind of infection and are easy to do. Fill a tub with very warm water (as you would a normal bath) and add one gallon of 3% hydrogen peroxide to the water, or you may use 1.5 to 2 cups of food grade 35% hydrogen peroxide. Then soak for as long as you like. You will see little bubbles on your skin from the hydrogen peroxide. If you feel any burning anywhere (which shouldn’t occur at the concentrations recommended here), you have used too much peroxide. Simply get out and wash yourself off in the shower. If you have an uncomfortably high fever, use cooler water. For some people, the hydrogen peroxide can be energizing, so if you find these baths give you energy, try not to do them right before bed.
Please note: 35% hydrogen peroxide is very corrosive so be very careful when handling it. For example, it can bleach and burn through clothing. Never let the concentrated product touch your eyes or skin, if possible. It is best to measure it out with a glass measuring cup, not a plastic one. Be sure to replace the cap firmly on the container so it will not spill if it falls over, and store it away from young children.
Fever:
Fever can occur and is a normal part of the body’s immune response. A fever of 103 or below is usually not a danger to the body. You may use cool cloths on the head as needed for comfort, and contact me should the fever last more than a few days. A fever over 103 should be dealt with immediately. You may try putting the person in a bath with the water at body temperature which you then allow to cool to room temperature while the person is lying in it. Extra Paramin or Calcium may help bring a fever down. Adults can do a coffee enema, which often will bring a fever down very quickly. And, of course, seek medical attention if you are unable to reduce a fever over 103.
Cough:
One of the best remedies for a cough is steam. The steam helps to break down mucus so that the lungs can expel it. You may use a tea kettle, pan, or a hot shower. Doing this multiple times per day is usually best. A humidifier may also be helpful. You may also use cough drops such as Ricola or Halls for relief of cough and sore throat. Topical gels such as Vicks Vapo-rub are also fine to use. A single heat lamp aimed at the lungs (upper chest and upper back) can be very helpful for a cough. A hot pad placed over the lungs works similarly in this regard. If the cough becomes persistent or very intense, please contact me.
Avoid hard blowing of the nose:
This can actually push mucus deeper into the sinuses and spread the infection. So blow your nose lightly.
The human body is designed to fight off viruses and other infections such as bacteria. So realize that your body can handle a cold or flu if you give it the proper rest it needs.
If you run into trouble dealing with a cold or flu, or if you have any questions about your symptoms or how to deal with them, please feel free to schedule a phone consultation with me or simply call our office to reach me if it is urgent. You may email us, as well. If symptoms become severe, of course, seek immediate medical treatment.
WHAT IF WHAT I HAVE IS A HEALING REACTION AND NOT A COLD OR FLU?
The good news is that the above recommendations are good for almost all infection reactions, including a healing reaction where the body is clearing out an old infection. But if you are unsure and want my advice on your particular symptoms, please contact me.
TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS ONLINE:
Our online scheduling is a great resource, so feel free to use it to book appointments. If you would like an earlier day than is available, book the nearest appointment you can and then call or email us requesting an earlier day. We will try to figure out an earlier time for you and will contact you.
CONCURRENT HEALING REACTIONS THAT MAY ACCOMPANY A COLD OR FLU:
There is a subject in healing which is gaining greater and greater recognition called Hormesis. The idea is that when the body’s immune system or other stress-response systems are activated to handle one stressor (such as a flu or cold virus), these same response systems in the body may also scavenge out and fix other toxins, infections, and stress already existing in the body.
Heat shock proteins are a great example of this. Scientists first discovered these when heating the body. These proteins activate to protect the cells from the heat, and once activated, these proteins move around the body and correct other things such as infection, damaged cells, etc. (This is one reason why saunas are so beneficial.) As research continued, it was found that heat isn’t the only stress that activates heat shock proteins, and in fact, many different kinds of stress on the body can do the same thing.
How this relates to infection is that a healthy person can pick up a small amount of a foreign virus or other pathogen, and his or her body up-regulates its systems to fight off the virus or pathogen. Often, it can fight the invader off quite easily, and now the body can use these same activated systems to fight off other infections or stressors in the body that were already there before. So a new infection then allows the body to go after old infections and toxins that were already there.
It would be like police being called to the scene of a particular crime, and then while they are in the neighborhood, they decide to do something about some of the other low-level criminals who had been hanging around the place for years.
I bring this up, because in some people, especially people on the hair analysis program, catching a cold or flu can do the same thing. It may up-regulate your immune system in such a way that older infections will also be addressed and even old toxins may be dealt with. This can cause some prolonged infection-clearing symptoms or new strange symptoms as the infection progresses. Basically, catching a cold or flu may then lead to what we call healing reactions. This is actually a beneficial side effect of the cold or flu. This can often lead to confusion as to what is occurring, because the symptoms can be unusual or prolonged due to the other healing occurring, so again, contact me or Krissi as needed.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
One final note is to remember that your body learns from infections, so even if you do catch a cold or flu, it will only result in a strengthening of your immune system. So there is no need to fear it. Just rest and follow the instructions above, and you’ll get through it.
I wish you abundant good health and happiness!