My Secret Weapon To Prevent Colds And Flu

With cold and flu season rapidly approaching, I am often asked how I am able to avoid getting sick.  After all, I see patients all day long, shaking hands, and interacting with hundreds of people each week.  Not only that, I have four kids in school and daycare.  You would think that I would get sick often, but I typically only get one or two brief colds during the entire winter, if that.  I have even managed to get over the flu in just 24 hours using a supplement trick that I’ll share with you in this article.

Being sick or fighting an infection is one of the factors that will drive up blood sugar levels independent of food and exercise.  There are natural ways to quickly treat a cold or flu, but prevention is always the best medicine.

Flu & Cold Prevention

First and foremost, washing your hands after each contact is of utmost importance.  Using a hand sanitizer is not a bad idea, but overusing hand sanitizer can dry out your hands, so only use it when necessary.  If you live with a loved one that is sick, it's always best to sleep in a separate room.  An atomizer with essential oil of eucalyptus can also help sterilize the air, killing microorganisms traveling in air droplets.

Natural Remedies That Help Block Colds & Flu

My best preventive strategies are the natural remedies I have come to depend on to stay as healthy as possible during the winter months.  Here are some of my “secret weapons” that I’ve used for years to get and stay healthy.  You can find my professional products dispensary at https://bit.ly/drmowll.  Just enter your name and email to set up your account.  Then, click on the “Immune Support” product category.  You’ll also get 10% off all products and no cost shipping on your first order.

Thymucin, an immune booster that helps activate killer T cells while boosting energy with an adaptogen, is my first lifesaver. When I learned about this, it seemed that I immediately became more resistant to the microorganisms I encounter daily.

Vitamin D3 5,000 IU daily provides another boost to the immune system. I've discussed the many benefits of vitamin D3 over and over. This vitamin is what saved me when I had the flu last winter.

Here's the trick I use to BEAT THE FLU:

If you think you have the flu (high fever, body aches, respiratory symptoms, cough, congestion, runny nose), then take 25,000 IU of Vitamin D3 at the first signs of fever or flu-like symptoms. Repeat this dose daily for 3 days. When I had the flu last winter, my fever broke in 12 hours using this with two other natural remedies!

The other remedy I recommend has been shown to have activity against both Influenza A & B.  Remember, during any given flu season, the circulating flu virus could be predominantly one or the other. This is one reason the flu vaccine is so ineffective.  Vaccine makers try to “guess” which strain will be circulating each year.  If they guess wrong (which usually happens), the shot barely works.  I find it's best to have an arsenal of natural remedies with proven efficacy against the flu. What are these natural remedies?

The first one I use is a product called Oscillococcinum by Boiron. Taken at the first sign of flu-like symptoms (whether you have the flu or not), this natural remedy can help temper some of the worst symptoms, including the fever and body aches.  

Many times, I add some Elderberry extract in tea or water. This high antioxidant fruit extract, has anti-infective properties against the flu virus. It actually prevents it from spreading from cell to cell.  In studies that looked at its efficacy against influenza strains A & B, Elderberry was found to shorten the duration of the flu from the typical 7 days to 4 days. That's 3 days less of flu-like symptoms! In comparison, the medications on the market to treat the flu only shorten its duration by a mere 1 day. Combine it with Vitamin D3, and you've got a powerful combo that will get you well faster than any prescription remedy.

And what about colds and sore throats?

Now for the day to day sore throat that may start after exposure to the common cold, I use products like oregano oil and clove oil. Oregano has anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties. So, it is an all-around great anti-infective. Clove oil also has anti-microbial properties. These oils are basically made by these plants as their natural antibiotics. Clove also offers the added benefit of numbing the throat. For more information about these oils, email our team using info@theessentialvibe.com.

You can make it into a spray using a spray bottle and mixing with filtered water. You control the strength by the number of drops you add to the spray bottle.  Another one of my favorites, which you can add to your arsenal is Echinacea, Goldenseal, and Propolis Throat Spray.  This one is ready to go right out of the box and gives your immune system a nice boost.

How about winter travel?

For travel (especially in airports and airplanes), I take Immuno-Hep Pro to prime my immune system. With astragalus root extract and mushroom (reishi & maitake) extracts, it activates your natural killer cells to get rid of any invaders before they have a chance to take root.

Of course, all these remedies work as preventive strategies, or best upon first signs of a cold. If you wait too late, you miss the window of opportunity to fight the cold.  I'll also take a double dose of Thymucin whenever I travel or I have been in close proximity to a sick person.  If you take these remedies at the very least you will be a few steps ahead.

A few more tips:

If you think you are getting sick, here’s a few more suggestions that can help you “nip it in the bud”.

– Focus on rest and sleep, scaling back on exercise

– Cut out all sugar, alcohol, and dairy products

– Stay well hydrated, drinking extra water

– Try sipping on bone broth or chicken stock for electrolytes and nutrients

– Drink green tea throughout the day to boost immune function

– Curl up and read a good book that makes you smile

Check out my professional products page at https://bit.ly/drmowll.  Once you set up your account, click the “Immune Support” category and you’ll find all the products in my personal natural medicine cabinet.  Here's to getting through cold and flu season unscathed!