Does this coming flu season have you concerned?
Are you doing things to support your body and your immune system?
Do you have the supplements that will help your body and the immune system?
These are important questions to ask yourself and I have answers for you!
Concerned about the flu season?
No problem, here are things you can do to support your body and immune system. These help prevent illness or shorten the duration if you do get sick.
- Sleep – it’s important that you get 7-8.5 hours of sleep a night. This allows your body to rest and repair. Getting to bed before midnight gives you more “effective” sleep because every hour of sleep you get before midnight is worth 2 hours of sleep after midnight.
- Stress reduction – keeping stress to a minimum or changing how you perceive stress can be a life-changer in the present moment and into the future. Deep breathing, regular movement/ exercise, meditation, journaling are all things that help to decrease stress. Getting stressed about the little things can lead to more illness and chronic disease.
The trick is to change your perception but how do you do this?
When you do get stressed – stop, take a deep breath, consider what triggered the stress, reflect on how you feel the stressor affects your life then see if you can shift your perspective to acceptance of what is. Recognize there are many things we cannot change BUT we can change our perspective and that can be life changing! This can take time but is definitely worth the effort.
- Measure your vitamin D – low levels of vitamin D are strongly correlated to increased illness and chronic disease. With the immune system, vitamin D helps to decrease inflammation and provides regulation of the immune system. Here’s the research. You can easily get your levels tested with Ulta Labs or with me. Getting your vitamin D levels up is crucial for your health and well-being. I like serum vitamin D levels (25-OH vitamin D) between 50-80 nmol/L. If you are within that range great! Keep doing what you’re doing to maintain. If you are low, consider supplementing.
What supplements should you keep on hand?
There are specific supplements to take for prevention that you can increase the dosages of if you do get sick.
- Mucococcinum – a homeopathic that I’ve used for years for prevention and can be taken more frequently if you get sick. For prevention take 1 tab every other Sunday. This is available on Fullscript and is different than Oscillococcinum, I have found Mucococinum to be more effective overall in prevention and treatment.
- Vitamin D3 – as mentioned above, is incredibly important. Getting sun exposure is the best way to increase vitamin D but during the winter time taking an oral vitamin D is a good way to keep your levels up. I typically recommend taking 5,000 IU/ day depending on your serum levels. Double the dosage when you get sick and then decrease once you’re feeling better.
- Quercetin – an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-cancer supplement – just to name a few of the actions. This supplement is crucial for covid and any cold or flu. A typical dosage is 500 mg 2x/day especially when sick.
- Vitamin C – A great anti-oxidant and crucial nutrient. The human body is unable to make vitamin C so it’s important to ensure you are getting adequate amounts. Diet is the main way we get vitamin C but when you’re sick the body uses it up quickly taking extra is necessary. When you’re sick I typically suggest taking 6000mg/ day in divided doses to bowel tolerance.
- Vitamin A – I’ve used vitamin A in high doses when I’m sick for years. Vitamin A fights infection and decreases inflammation. I have a specific protocol so if you get sick call the office for guidance.
- Zinc – very effective at supporting immune function by making and maturing different immune cells including monocytes, natural killer T cells, and B cells. A typical dosage is is 30 mg/ day. I usually double it if I get sick.
- Probiotics – a key supplement for overall health and wellness. Supporting your gut microbiome supports your immune system, nervous system, gut, cardiovascular system and more! I highly suggest taking a “Doctor recommended” probiotic to ensure that you are getting what you’re paying for.
There are other supplements more specific for your symptoms that can be helpful when you do get sick but this list is a great start and all of these are good to keep on hand. They are available on my Fullscript store and you can find many of them over the counter. I have a section for Immune Health that has many of these listed.
If you do end up getting sick don’t hesitate to call the office. I’ve helped many patients get through covid, colds, and flus. And I will tell you that when you’re taking care of your body, you too will get through being sick or maybe even avoid it!
