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Preventing Flu by Doctor Husbands

Preventing flu has been in the minds of many these days.  A strong immune system will allow your body to naturally fight off the flu virus.  If you are interested in holistic, natural ways to boost your immune system, read on.

Because I practice holistic health care from the Functional Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Anti-Aging and Chiropractic approach, my recommendations focus on strengthening your immune system with the use of nutrition, lifestyle changes and chiropractic support.  Since the focus is strengthening your immune system, these recommendations also apply for cold and infection prevention.

Preventing flu for adults:

Diet

  1. Eat a total of 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.  Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of essential vitamins, minerals and other phyto-nutrients that make your immune system function properly.  If you find having fruits and vegetables in this recommended amount difficult, either make them into smoothies, or take a “green drink”.  Green drinks typically consist of dehydrated concentrated chlorophyll, fruits, vegetables, and beneficial algae. You can purchase them from online vitamin/supplement stores or from your local health food store.
  2. Eliminate sugar, including sugary foods and artificially-sweetened foods.  Sugar and artificial sweeteners significantly suppresses your immune system.  During the holiday season, I know this is easier said than done.
  3. Avoid foods that have artificial colors and flavorings.  They also suppress your immune system.
  4. Have a high-quality protein food, such as cage-free eggs, with your breakfast
  5. Never, ever skip breakfast!
  6. Drink about 8 glasses of water each day regularly.  Being inadequately hydrated inhibits immune system function.

Sleep and Exercise

  1. Get enough sleep and get in bed by 10 pm.  Why?  Melatonin and growth hormones are mainly released during deep sleep at night.  They have a lot of  very powerful properties that make healing and restoration possible.. If you have trouble sleeping or getting enough sleep, I suggest that you consult a doctor trained in functional medicine and clinical nutrition.  He/she can recommend holistic and nutrition-based remedies, such as phosphatidylserine to lower night time cortisol levels to help you sleep or combinations of the amino acids arginine, ornithine, glutamine and lysine to help boost night time growth hormone release.
  2. Exercise on a regular basis.   Exercise supports your immune system, and lifts your mood sending potent immune-protecting chemicals to your brain and body.

Nutrition Supplements

  1. Get adequate Vitamin D. Get at least 4000 IU daily.  Most adults need this amount for their immune system to  function properly.  What about Vitamin D from sun exposure?  During the winter, even if you exposed your face, arms and legs for less about 15 minutes in direct sun without sunscreen 4 days per week, you’ll need to take additional vitamin D to get the recommended amount.  Note that darker skinned people, such as blacks, and latinos need longer direct sunlight exposure to make enough Vitamin D.  What about milk?  A glass of milk only has 100 IU of Vitamin D.  You’ll need to drink 40 glasses of milk daily to get the recommended amount!  You’ll have to supplement with Vitamin D during winter.
  2. Have adequate Vitamin A. 60% of your immune system resides in your digestive tract.  Your digestive tract, and urinary and respiratory tracts have mucosal barriers that require sufficient Vitamin A for your immune system to properly respond to the flu.  You can get vitamin A from many fruits, grass fed and free range eggs and dairy.  2500 to 5000 IU daily with 10,000 IU mixed carotenes is recommended. If pregnant, 4000 IU Vitamin A daily is recommended, but higher amount of mixed carotenes is okay.
  3. Use colostrum. This is a very good immune system stimulant. In a nutshell, Immunoglobulin A (IgA) that covers the intestinal lining prevents pathogen attack. Colostrum assists in maintaining IgA at healthy levels.
  4. Use mushroom extracts. Various types of mushrooms provide significant immune stimulating effects.  There are mushroom formulations designed for immune system support.
  5. Use additional zinc. I recommend 15 mg/day of zinc glycinate with 1.5 mg of copper.
  6. Take fish oils which contain Omega-3 fatty acids which are available in capsules or liquid.  I recommend 4-6 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids daily.
  7. Replenish your beneficial bacteria (aka probiotics) if you have been on any antibiotics, corticosteroid drugs or creams, or antacids within the last 5 years and have not taken probiotics to replenish your system.  Use a probiotic with 15 to 20 billion of the beneficial bacteria, such as various lactobacillus and bifidobacter strains for a minimum of 2 months.

Homeopathy

Take the homeopathic medicine Influenzinum in 9C, 12C, or 30C dilutions for prevention or if you get the flu.

Chiropractic

Get chiropractic adjustments.  Due to the beneficial effect on your automonic nervous system, chiropractic adjustments support healthy immune system function.

Dealing with flu for adults:

  1. Eat vegetable soups or stews with chicken or lamb.
  2. Supplement with a green drink for the vitamins and minerals that your system needs.
  3. Supplemental selenium helps fight viral infections. 200 mcg is the normal dose.  For short-term use, you can go up to 1,000 mcg.
  4. Take higher amounts of Vitamin A, up to 300,000 IU daily (for adult men and non-pregnant women, not children) and children) short term.
  5. Take between 10,000 to 20,000 IU Vitamin D daily short term
  6. Take higher amounts of Vitamin C. Take as high as you are able to take just before you get runny stools. Typically, it’s between 4000 to 8000 mg.
  7. Take mushroom extracts.
  8. Use 25-30 mg of zinc glycinate daily in lozenge or capsule form.  To prevent a deficiency, take copper too, if you use over 20 mg of zinc daily for extended periods.  The recommended zinc to copper ratio is 10:1. I recommend a supplement that has both zinc and copper in the recommended ratio.
  9. Take the homeopathic medicine Influenzinum as mentioned above.
  10. Take Myer’ s Intravenous Cocktails for 3 straight days. This has been used for the last 50 years.  Its a combination of nutrients delivered intravenously (IV), named after John Myers from Maryland, a physician who successfully treated many patients with this.
  11. If possible, get chiropractic adjustments a few times while you have the flu.
  12. Acupuncture is also beneficial.
  13. Consult a functional medicine physician.

Preventing flu and dealing with flu for children:

The above recommendations for adults need to be adjusted in dosages depending on the child’s size and age.

For maintaining proper immune system function, at least 1,000 IU of Vitamin D is recommended for infants and at least 2,000 IU for older children. For short term use in acute infections, you can use up to 6000 IU.

Give 1 to 2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily for children under 12 years old.

Children respond very well to chiropractic adjustments.

Do not hesitate to contact me, if you have any questions about preventing flu using effective evidence-based holistic immune system boosters.

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