Immune Health
Cold and Flu Prevention
October 11, 2011 | 
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Last winter (2010/2011) was a particularly bad cold and flu season, and I’ve already had a number of patients come in asking for help in optimizing their immune health to help ensure that this winter is a healthier one!
Our immune system is one of the most complex systems in the body. While there are many factors that influence immune health (nutrition, environment, etc) making it difficult to provide a “one size fits all” approach, there are some common principles that can apply to everyone.
- Diet: Now is the time to make sure that every bite counts. Get rid of refined sugars and carbs, and eat lots of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. Foods high in vitamin C are especially important, as white blood cells work most efficiently when saturated with vitamin C.
- Optimize your vitamin D status: There’s a reason why colds and flus are more common in the winter, and that’s because we make less vitamin D in the winter than we do in the summer when we’re exposed to more sunlight. There’s a growing body of evidence that many Canadians are deficient in this important vitamin, so I do recommend asking your doctor for a blood test. It’s important that 25-hydroxyvitamin D be ordered, and not 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D. In home tests are also available through the ‘Vitamin D Council’ website.
- Probiotics: We know that more than 70% of our immune system is located in our gut, and maintaining a good population of “healthy” bacteria is important. Not everyone needs to take probiotics everyday, but you do need a reliable dietary source, and may need to supplement in certain circumstances. You should take a good quality, multi-strain refrigerated probiotic if you have a history of antibiotic use (especially recent), have IBS or IBD, take acid-suppressing medications, or have recently traveled (or plan to travel) out of the country.
- Keep stress levels in check: Cortisol, one of the hormones produced when we’re under stress, is known to suppress immune function. Chronic stress can lead to elevated levels of cortisol, which will impair your immune system’s ability to fight infection. Be sure to actively engage in stress reduction every day, and take steps to “treat the cause”. Seek out resources and treatments that will support and nurture your ability to cope. Our clinical therapist, Christina Wilson, is well trained in techniques that can help. Also, consider naturopathic medicine if you feel like chronic stress is impacting your health. Adrenal dysfunction is very common, and easily treated.
- Use herbs wisely. Over the counter products like Cold-FX and Echinacea are great, and work very well for some people. But, the best approach is an individually compounded tincture (mixture of herbs) designed to suit your symptoms. Other herbs we commonly reach for include astragalus, elderberry, horehound and usnea.
Feel free to download my “Cold and Flu‘ handout, which outlines a few other ideas to stay healthy this season. And, as always, please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.
Posted in Cold and Flu Prevention, Immune Health, Naturopathic Medicine, Uncategorized, Wellness | 
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Protect your neck to stay healthy – A Chinese Medicine Perspective
The ancients used different language and ideas to explain what happens to us when we get sick. Looking at the elements outside, we see Wind, Damp, Dryness, Heat, Cold and Fire. Thought to invade the body, Wind, Damp, Cold and Heat can combine in any fashion to make us feel ill.
Still to this day, in western medicine, we use the word ‘cold’ to refer to symptoms that include: body aches, stuffy head and/or nose, and the inability to get warm. This is called Wind-Cold in Chinese medicine. Flu refers to sore throat, thirst and fever. This is called Wind-Heat in Chinese medicine.
The key thing to notice is that Wind is the primary factor when bringing other elements into the body. Commonly, in September, the temperature changes due to wind bringing in a new season. It was theory that Wind can enter through a specific acupuncture channel, and what was thought 3000 years ago, I can still remember my grandmother telling me not too long ago. What was once common knowledge has gone by the wayside, but it’s important to bring it back.
Protect your neck – especially the back of the neck and head, but it is good practice to wear something to protect all around it. It is also important to protect the back, especially the lower back. Lastly, stay warm in the cold wind when sweating. Open pores also can lead to Wind entering the body.
What once was folk medicine still holds true today from Chinese to western culture.
Aromatherapy for Colds and Flus
As happens every year when Fall arrives, so does cold and flu season. Our lives once again becomes a little more hectic and social activities are in full swing. Thus, we are a little more likely to be susceptible and exposed to the cold and flu viruses. Most of us are fully aware of the importance of proper hand washing and the sharing of personal items when around those who are sick but there are other preventive and treatment options you may choose. I have been very fortunate to have had very few colds in recent years and I strongly believe that much of it has to do with the effectiveness of a cold and flu aromatherapy blend I use every time I begin to feel the early symptoms of a cold coming on.
Use a carrier oil such as jojoba, unfractionated coconut oil or grapeseed. To every tbsp of this carrier oil, add 3 drops of tea tree, 2 drops of eucalyptus, 2 drops of lemon and 1 drop of grapefruit essential oil. Blend well and apply regularly to the upper chest and neck and I often finish by even patting the remaining oil on my face (avoid eye area), being sure to breathe in the aroma deeply. I make a point to carry a small bottle with me so I can use the blend as often as I need. Whenever I start to feel the beginning of a sore throat, I use this effective aromatherapy blend.
The important properties of these particular oils are their strong anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties as well as their immune strengthening capabilities. Keep in mind though that there are also many great oils to choose from as well. Some important ones to mention are oregano, another very strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial oil. Also there is frankincense for that tickling cough, cedarwood for excess phlegm, and both orange and ginger are great for either chills or fever. You can choose to add these oils to your massage oil or blend the 7-8 drops:1 tbsp unscented bubble bath as another option.
Healthy adults may not benefit from an annual flu shot.
A recent review (Jefferson T, Di Pietrantonj C, Rivetti A, et al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010;7:CD001269.) found that healthy adults don’t really benefit from the annual influenza vaccine. The study reviewed 50 studies, encompassing more than 34000 participants and found that healthy adults had few, if any benefit from receiving a flu shot. While receiving the vaccine did reduce the chance of getting sick, receiving the shot didn’t prevent serious complications of the flu, and only reduced sick days by 0.13 days.
So, if you’re a healthy adult – try these techniques for staying well this cold and flu season:
1. Take Vitamin D – at least 1000 IU. Check with your ND for optimal dosage ranges
2. Ensure you’re getting enough sleep, at least 8 hours.
3. Practice the usual handwashing and hygiene precautions, keeping in mind that soaps labelled ‘anti-bacterial’ aren’t necessary, and may contribute to anti-biotic resistance.
4. Limit your sugar intake, and up your intake of green leafy vegetables.
5. Take probiotics. A large portion of our immune system is located in our gut, so we need to keep it happy too.
Here’s to a healthy winter!