Another way to look at the cold and flu this season!

 It’s that time of year again…..

Colds are on the rise, that “nasty” bug is going around the office, and the newest “fad” of over the counter medication or new vaccine is flooding the airways. But why trust the "new" science to keep us healthy?  Why not trust our bodies and our immune system to do its job, while getting help from Mother Earth? 

            I am sure many of you have heard of the “germ theory,” the idea that bacteria or viruses make you sick. But bacteria is just like any species; it finds a welcome plot of land, takes up residence, and then either survives or parishes depending on the environment. We get sick because our immune system is unable to evict them. Making sure our immune system is working at its maximum is the only way to ensure our health this cold and flu season. Here are 3 of my favorite tips to ensure this:

           

            My number one tip is to get adjusted. There is a very long, detailed scientific explanation as to how our immune system is influenced by our nervous system.  The gist is this: our immune system cells (or immunoglobulins) are partially run by our nervous system. If our nervous system is in tip-top shape, they are better able to direct our immune system cells to the source of our infection. Chiropractic affects the nervous system. Although most people call chiropractors back doctors, we actually work on stimulating the nervous system, by adjusting joints in the body and affecting nerve receptors, which in turn affect your brain and the rest of your nervous system. So by getting adjusted, you are directly affecting those cells that help kick out the unwanted germs in your body. 

            My second tip is to embrace the fever. Our society has been trained to run to the medicine cabinet every time our temperature goes over 98.6.  But the fever is our first defense against a virus or bacteria. As uncomfortable as it is for us when we have a fever, it is even more uncomfortable for little one-celled organisms. When they invade our body, our temperature rises until the virus or bacteria starts to die off. Now I am not saying that if your fever starts going up to 104 or 105 to just leave it there for days on end, but every time we take an aspirin or ibuprofen we are giving the virus or bacteria the environment they want, usually causing us to stay sicker longer.

            My third and final tip is Thieves oil. The legend behind the famous thieves oil, is that in France during a plague 4 thieves put cloves, rosemary and other essential oils on themselves and robbed the people killed by the pleague without getting sick themselves. A lovely story, I know.

Thieves is the trade mark for Young Living Oils.   Doterra also has a similar product called On Guard, and both are very good. Both contain cloves, a citrus of some sort, cinnamon, and rosemary. When I am not feeling 100%, I take a few drops, mix it with argan or coconut oil, and rub it on my chest or on my lymph nodes.  I have also taken one drop of Thieves with 4 oz of water and drank or gargled it, and have many patients who use it similarly. Once you put a good essential oil in or on your body, the vibration of the oil permeates all your cells, so a few drops goes a long way. 

            These few helpful hints can support your immune system, keeping you healthy not just during the cold and flu season, but all year round!