What Should I Do To Boost My Immunity?
This might be the most common question I receive. What should we do when people around us are sick and we obviously do not want to get sick? Let me bullet point it for you. We are all busy and need info quickly and succinctly, so here ya go!
Elderberry Syrup- is an easy and common habit that prevents, reduces the symptoms, or cuts the duration of the virus. You decide when to take it, all schoolyear or just when you know sickness is about. I give schoolage children 1 teaspoon daily for prevention and 3 teaspoons daily if ill. I give adult sized teenagers and adults 1 tablespoon daily and 3 tablespoons daily if ill. Elderberry Syrup Kit is available now, just add honey and water- directions on package. (Or 8-ounce bottles of elderberry syrup available soon! If you don’t like the syrup, it might be easier for you to take Elderberry Tincture, a dropperful 1-3x daily directly in mouth or drink.
More vitamin C- Really no need to take a giant tablet, just eat your vitamin C! Did you know bell peppers have more vitamin C than oranges! Try eating 1 pepper in raw slices with homemade hummus as vitamin C can be destroyed by heat. 2 oranges would need to be eaten for suggested daily value. You can use the website cronometer.com to monitor macro and micro intake.
Drink herbal tea- or good quality apple juice. Prophylactically, I drink Magpie Winter Tea almost everyday, a very large mug of it. I developed this tea formula during the covid years after researching what helped during the SARS outbreak in the early 2000’s. I was excited about preventing a covid infection because while pregnant I could not take the covid infection regimen as it was unsafe for the baby inside me, and I credit this tea for helping me prevent an infection. When you think you are getting sick drink the largest mug of tea you have. Drinking a small 8oz mug is not a large enough effort to fight off what may be coming. Drinking Red Raspberry Tea and good quality Apple Juice are other great options if you feel you may be coming down with something, act quickly! (Use a tea ball and organic bulk tea from your herbalist, not the bleached tea bags from the store with bottom of the barrel herb powder).
Less sugar- Sugar causes inflammation, inflammation drives and even creates sickness and disease. It’s a no brainer- no wonder it seems everyone is sick Halloween through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Practice self-control and teach your kids to as well. Feast well, not cheaply or at your own expense.
More lymph movement- Lymph carries nutrients to cells and waste away from cells. When we were taught about the body systems, the lymph system should be discussed as just important as the circulatory, respiratory, reproductive. Encouraging regular bowel movements, sweating, respirating (don’t wear masks!) or even purging will get the waste out. Note: it is not odd when we are first getting sick for our body to purge once or twice. This does not mean we have gastroenteritis, but that our body is trying to focus on attacking the illness and not digestion.
Jumping on rebounder/trampoline for just 5 minutes (or longer), take a walk, horseback riding. These are all good exercises to move lymph.
Sipping cold water and then hot water- back and forth. Hot and cold, back and forth, works like a pump. This pumping action can also be used on swollen lymph glands by applying heat than ice.
Mullein and Lobelia tea, infusion, poultice, fomentation. Mullein and Lobelia is the best glandular formula. Ask your herbalist for ratios and best application for your situation. Lobelia can cause vomiting if too much is taken or not taken in ratio, make sure to be under care of herbalist.
Lymph massage- there are several youtube videos showing you how. I do this often, even when healthy and while jumping on my rebounder.
Go for a walk- Oxygen and vitamin D. Oxygen helps are bodies stay alkaline in fight against acidity which causes inflammation. Bacteria and viruses cannot thrive in oxygen rich environments. Vitamin D is necessary to activate our body’s natural immune response. 5000IU daily is what I recommend for adults. 400-2000IU for children.
Immune Support Tincture- This tincture formula is a powerhouse. I have received great feedback about its capability to support and protect personal immune systems when there is sickness about. Every adult, including the sick person, should take this when the first person in the home becomes ill. Take this when illness is ravaging its way through work or church. Immune Support Tincture should only be taken for a few days up to a couple weeks.
Feel Well Tincture- The same idea as Immune Support Tincture, but formulated for children. Feel Well Tincture will continue and support a fever, don’t take in conjunction with pharmaceutical fever reducers.
”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” -Benjamin Franklin
A note about fevers. Fevers are good, as a rule, fever reducers like tylenol or ibuprofen should not be taken. Fevers are useful for T1 cells to tell T2 cells to start fighting! Unnaturally reducing a fever will prolong an illness. Now, sometimes we need a break and modern pharmaceuticals are a reprieve blessing. But I think its fair to educate people about the pros and cons anything they are putting in their body or their childrens’ bodies.
A note about inflammation. Less sugar was already mentioned. Stress, poor food choices (eat whole-some foods!), not exercising, and lack of good sleep are contribute greatly to inflammation.
Herbalist, Meigen