An Eastern (And Good Sense) Approach To The Flu + Cold Season

If you feel like you're "coming down" with something, there are many things you can do:

• Eat chicken soup

• Take extra vitamin C

• Take a nap. Get enough rest overall. Your white blood cells are depleted when you don't get enough sleep, and tissue healing occurs during sleep.

• Take probiotics in larger doses: flood with double the normal dose

• Take an herbal or nutritional supplement specifically designed to fight off viruses. There are lots of products out there, but a few good ones are Yin Chiao for sore throat and fever, Gan Mao Ling for chills and sore throat, and Airborne for either.

• Avoid sugar: It reduces your immunity.

• Soak in the tub: Use an infusion of thyme to help build white blood cells. Steep 1/2 cup of dried or fresh thyme in 4 cups of water for 30 minutes and add to your bath. Soak for 30 minutes.

• Feeling sniffly, chilled, achey, or sore throat?  Try the white sock treatment: Soak your feet in warm water for 15-20 minutes, then put on cold cotton white socks with wool socks over them and go to bed immediately. This treatment builds immunity by stimulating white blood cells.

• Cleanse your sinuses with a neti pot: Use of the neti pot can ward off sickness by rinsing the nasal passages. This is also a good treatment if you're already sick and have lots of sinus congestion and/or infection, or even chronic sinusitis.

• Acupuncture treatment can help build immunity: Visit Stockheart’s Healers or Services pages to learn more.