This is the time of year when stress levels get extremely high, sometimes opening the door for colds and flu, and having a stress treatment tool kit is essential. If I come down with a cold, I always keep to my exercise routine-I’m a firm believer in raising your body’s core temperature to make my internal environment as inhospitable as I can for any virus trying to gain a foothold. Scientist’s call this “creating a noxious internal milieu.” I love that phrase. If I have a fever, I don’t exercise, I rest. The rest of my tool kit is this: 1) I drink warm fluids like chicken broth; a poultice made of hot water, lemon, and honey, etc. 2) Get as much sleep as I can. 3) Use saline spray up my nostrils. 4) Make sure I use a humidifier in my bedroom. 5) Gargle with hydrogen peroxide. 6) Suck zinc lozenges. 7) Take up to 4000 mg of vitamin C, and 5000 IU’s of vitamin D. (I split the dosages up- I take 500 mg of C several times per day, and I split the D into morning and night doses). 8)I take the herb Echinacea twice a day.
Speaking of the vitamins and zinc, if you take multivitamins, make sure the ORAC value of the particular brand is high. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity, and is the most accurate measurement of antioxidant power in food. According to Dr. Whitaker, many supplements are no better than sawdust. Go to a good health food store and ask, or you can go to Dr. Whitaker’s website at drwhitaker.com
Stay well, John R Blilie, M.S.