Effective Protocols for Dealing With the Flu
I’ve had a number of people ask me what I do to stay healthy and how have I avoided the flu bugs. So in this post, I’m going to share with you easy protocols for staying healthy daily. You can find most of the supplements listed below at any natural food store. Please don’t purchase nutritional supplements from a drug store or market. If you want some recommendations, just let me know. I am a firm believer in purchasing quality nutritional supplements after I’ve done some thorough research.
Why take supplements?
Foods grown today don’t have the full nutrient components that they’ve had in the past. This is because many large farms place too much focus on crop yield and profit and less on retaining the nutritional quality of the soils, seeds and the plants themselves. To obtain the vital nutrients from even organic-purchased produce, you would have to consume a lot, so I supplement while varying my meals each week. I’d rather pay a little more for my health today while enjoying good food, instead of paying more money for medical expenses when I’m older!
My history
To begin with, please understand that everyone is different and your past history is what will determine the protocols you might need to maintain or restore your health. Everyone has a unique health journey that requires unique needs. The one thing I can say right now is this:
Begin to take control of your health NOW!
I grew up in Arizona in a family where the women cooked a lot (my mom and grandmother). I wasn’t exposed to many processed foods and we went out to eat maybe a few times a month. My mother had heart condition since she was a little girl and had a few open heart surgeries while I was growing up. As a result, I had to learn how to take care of a house and prepare meals at a pretty young age. Because of this and the Home Ec classes I took in school, I fell in love with the culinary arts. I think what I enjoy most is the creative aspect of changing a recipe intuitively…and have it turn out great in the end! For me, cooking is fun and creative. Not only that, it’s far less expensive than eating out and I know what’s in my food! If I want more veggies, I add more. You can’t beat home cooking!
My daily regimen of supplements
Okay, as promised the following list are the things I do daily in my personal health journey:
- Eat as many leafy greens as possible for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This means I make kale pancakes, muffins, smoothies, salads, stir-fries and anything else where I can add kale, collards, chard or spinach.
- I take a few hours each weekend to cut up vegetables and get them ready for the recipes I’ve chosen for the week. I also look to see what proteins (grass-fed meats only) I can cut up, cook or marinate.
- Start your morning with a warm cup of lemon tea and honey. Acidic foods turn alkaline in your tummy and this helps kick start your digestive tract in a positive way.
- I take the following supplements daily: (quantity and potency varies with brands chosen)
- A quality Multivitamin
- EPA/DHA
- Co-Enzyme Q10
- Grapefruit Seed Extract
- Maca
- D-3
- Alpha Lipoic Acid
Breakfasts, Lunches & Dinners
- Breakfasts usually consist of smoothies 3-4 times a week. I mix the dry ingredients the night before. On the other days, I’ll grab any veggies I have left over and add a fried egg or I’ll just make some oatmeal and add a bunch of nuts, coconut, protein, chia seeds….anything to beef it up. Each week I’ll try to make a frittata, quiche or a salad that my hubs and I can chew on during the week. The list of ingredients in my smoothies may seem long, but if they ward off viruses (which they seem to do), then it’s well worth the effort.
- 1/2 cup organic carrot juice or root vegetable juice
- 1/2 cup organic orange juice
- 1/2 cup aloe vera juice or coconut water
- 1/2 t. ConcenTrate Trace Minerals
- 1/2 t. flaxseed oil
- 1 cup of organic kale (frozen and stored in baggies in my freezer)
- a handful of organic frozen green beans, peas, edamame or spinach
- 1/4 cup frozen tart cherries
- 1/4 cup organic frozen blueberries (or a mixture of other fruit)
- 1 T. raw almond butter
- 1/2 t. Cacao powder
- 1 scoop pea protein powder
- 2 t. chia seeds
- A combination of superfood powders: super greens, reds, acai, beet, pomegranate, maca powder
- Lunches are usually fresh veggies and hummus, salads, leftover soups or anything else I can grab from the fridge. Lunchtime is the best time to consume a larger meal, but that’s often difficult with my husband’s schedule, so we try to eat an early dinner. I try to prepare foods that can be eaten without the need for reheating. I don’t use a microwave much because it changes the molecular structure of foods and nutritional value is significantly reduced.
- Dinner usually built around what vegetables I have in the fridge. I’m a huge advocate for building your meals around veggies, not meats! This actually makes dinner time much faster because I use the animal protein as a “condimeat” instead of the main attraction. This allows us to enjoy “bowl meals”–build a meal upon a bed of lettuce, a bed of organic whole grains (that were rinsed, soaked and cooked), over riced cauliflower, or beans. Experiment and see what you can put together in a bowl beside soup. When I can, I make a variety of soups year round.
How do I stop a virus that’s challenging my immune system?
What’s the first thing you think of when you’re out in public and suddenly someone sneezes or coughs right in your direction…and you can’t get out of their line of fire? The first thought that goes through my head is, “I HAVE TO TAKE MY SUPPLEMENTS WHEN I GET HOME!” I don’t want to get sick, so I have simple protocols I’ve shared with a number of people, including homeopathic protocols. The things I take work great for me, and they may also work well for you. Before you begin any supplement protocols of your own, however, consult with your healthcare provider. Depending upon the symptoms I begin to feel, how quickly symptoms start and the length of exposure, my supplement protocols will change. This is what I do:
- My daily supplements (above) with extra CoQ10.
- Protein powder. This is my first call-to-action item! I am not naturally a hungry person, so when I know my appetite is going to be suppressed, I beef up the protein powder. I prefer an organic pea protein powder or other quality protein powder as long as it’s derived in the US and doesn’t contain a lot of garbage.
- Garden of Life Vitamin C spray liquid. I choose this because I know that a variety of vitamin C is better than only one form. I use the spray every few hours because I want to ensure it stays in my system.
- Host Defense Comprehensive Immune Support mushroom blend. This is great stuff! I take 2 capsules three times a day. Mushrooms have so many healing properties in them!
- Nature’s Way Sambucus Elderberry syrup. Elderberry is very high in antioxidants and when taken within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms, it will shorten the duration of your symptoms. All you need is 1 teaspoon in the morning and another at night.
- Extra vitamin C. This may sound counter-intuitive, but I take a sustained release formula vitamin C for the first 24-48 hours on top of the spray.
- Green, lemon or Chaga tea. I have found that warm fluids seem to work best for my body, so I will drink 1-2 cups of either green tea (2-3 tea bags in a cup of hot water), lemon tea (1/2 lemon squeezed into warm (not hot) water with 3/4 t. honey) or my favorite–Chaga tea that I make from soaking this awesome medicinal mushroom. ** If you use honey in your tea, don’t reheat it or you’ll kill the good enzymes.
- SLEEP and SLEEP more! The viruses of late seem to deplete the body of all energy, so this is a good time to embrace laying horizontal, closing the eyes and drifting off into dreamland. Sleep allows your immune system to fight off infection and restore the body from the added stress. The more you do, the more you prolong sickness.
I have been able to reduce viral symptoms by days and even weeks simply by paying close attention to the type of foods I consume and the supplements I take. I learned years ago to listen to what my body is trying to tell me. The one thing I had train my brain to do is STOP and REST. This is something I never did do well. But when I do, my body can do what it does best–protect me from foreign invaders!!
How will you proceed to fight your next virus?
I hope you have find this information helpful. Make it your top priority to pay better attention to what you eat and why you choose to eat what you eat! If you need support with daily nutritional maintenance protocols or help to determine how to lessen the effects of a virus, I’m here to help. I want you and your family to thrive with good health and happiness. Please share what protocols you take when you get sick.
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Cathy lives in Roanoke, Virginia and specializes in supporting families who desire to change their relationship with health–the way they eat, feel and live. She is a certified Health Coach & Educator with a strong passion for supporting each client in their journey to feeling stronger, healthier, and more energetic. Cathy presents workshops online and locally and regularly talks about real food, fitness, natural living, and all things ADHD.
Cathy is the creator of the Holistic Wellness Academy, an online training platform that will soon provide other wellness advocates a place to share their expertise with their clients so they too can learn how to eat smart, move more, feel better and live longer.