Sam's Unofficial Guide to Dealing with Respiratory Infections

Hi Dr. Sam here. Just kidding. Before I get started with this post, I do want to emphasize that this post should not be considered medical advice and for any additional questions please see your care provider. (I highly recommend seeing naturopaths and functional medicine doctors). The information in this post is a result of years of researching how I can take better responsibility for my own health. Please feel free to do additional research on your own and if you find any good information, please feel free to send it my way! 

With so many people getting sick with viral respiratory infections this time of the year, I thought I would share my sick-time routine and what products I find useful and which one's can cause further harm or illness. In this post you will find information on what I do to prevent illness, what I do when I know I've been exposed to someone who is sick and when I develop symptoms. 

The best preventative to illness is a healthy and functioning immune system and overall wellbeing. 

FOOD

The best ways to support and nourish your immune system is through healthy, nutrient dense foods. Eating plenty of leafy greens, and naturally bright colors (fruits and veggies) is vital as well as foods high in Vitamin D, C & Zinc

Foods high in Vitamin D: fish, beef liver, eggs, white mushrooms and pork chops are recommended (as well as getting some Vitamin D by exposing your skin to the sun for a few minutes a day). If you take a cod liver oil supplement, you should be getting a good dose of Vitamin D as well.

Foods high in Vitamin C: tomatoes, kale, kiwi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, lemons, papaya, strawberries and oranges

Foods high in Zinc: lamb, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, grass fed beef, chick peas, lentils, cocoa powder, cashews, kefir or raw milk and yogurt, ricotta cheese, mushrooms, spinach, avocado, chicken and almonds. 

Other foods I eat to support my health: Bone broth, herbs and spices like turmeric, oregano, basil, cilantro, garlic, onion, peppers and 

HYRDRATION

Drinking enough water and staying hydrated is crucial to good health. A woman should be drinking around 11-12 cups of water a day and men should drink around 16-17 cups of water a day. 

Herbal teas are also a great addition to your daily routine. There are herbs to help support your body in almost every way possible. There are herbs to help fight colds & flus, herbs to support a healthy immune function, to detox your liver, to support uterine health, etc. Some anti-viral herbs that I would recommend include Oregano, Fennel, Sage, Garlic Lemon Balm, Peppermint, Rosemary, Echinacea, Licorice, Astragalus, Ginger, Ginseng and Dandelion. You can create herbal teas in a few different ways, you can make an herbal tea (check out this video to learn new techniques of infusing or decocting herbs) The teas I use most I buy from a local amish farm who makes all of her own loose leaf teas, but you can also buy similar teas in your local grocery store or online. 

Elderberry Syrup is also a great product to have on hand. Whether you make it yourself (it's seriously so easy) or you buy it already made, taking a shot or two of elderberry daily in the winter months is a great idea. There is a lot of science and studies done on the benefits of elderberry, like this one and this one and this one and many, many more which all conclude that elderberry has anti-viral properties that help protect you from colds and the flu. 

You can also make or take fire cider (A delicious combo of Apple Cider Vinegar, Raw Honey and any combination of the the following: horseradish, garlic, peppers, onions, oranges, lemons, turmeric, black pepper, and habanero or jalapeno pepper) this combination, although a bit hard to stomach at times, is the perfect combination of foods and spices that will help protect and nourish your immune system. There are many recipes online, like this one.

LIFESTYLE

In addition to eating well, staying hydrated and drinking herbal teas, elderberry & fire cider, it's vital to also be spending time outdoors in the sun absorbing vitamin D, grounding your bare feet into the earth, spending time moving around and getting exercise throughout the day.

Another important aspect of good health and a healthy lifestyle is to get good, quality sleep. It's so easy to lay in bed late at night scrolling on your phone, or stay up a little later than normal to finish the laundry or to watch another episode of your favorite TV show, but our body needs sleep. During sleep your body can focus on healing or fighting against any germ you were exposed to that day. 

 If you struggle developing healthy habits, try changing one or two things in your daily routine at a time and build up to a healthy lifestyle! You can add a walk outside over your lunch break or creating a bedtime routine to help you get a good night sleep. 

Oh no! I've been around someone who is sick, what should I do now? 

No worries, you're already focusing on healthy habits right? But it doesn't hurt in instances where you know you've been exposed to a virus to up the ante. If you take a shot of elderberry daily, maybe add a second shot for the next few days. If you sip fire cider, maybe double that dose for a few days. Continue to eat well, stay hydrated and exercise! It may be beneficial at this time to take an inventory of what you have on and run to the store to stock up on any herbs or remedies you may need. A small list of the things I make sure I have are garlic, lemons, raw honey, ginger, tissues and my herbal teas. 

I am starting to feel run down and I am developing symptoms, now what? 

Now is the time to really start listening to your body. What symptoms are you having? How severe are they? Modern day allopathic medicine will have you believe that all symptoms are bad, but they truly are not! Symptoms like coughing, sneezing, stuffy nose, fever, etc. are your body's way of defeating whatever toxin is in your body. It's important that we don't use products that will inhibit our bodies natural abilities (more on that later!)

As soon as I feel sick with a symptom I put myself in the mindset that this is my body doing exactly what it needs to do. It may be annoying that my nose is stuffed up or I keep coughing or sneezing, or that my throat hurts but being in a mindset that your immune system knows what to do, helps to make the symptoms a little less annoying. Below is a list of products or remedies I use for specific symptoms. 

Coughing: 

Garlic Salve. Rub that smelly stuff all over your chest/neck and on the bottoms of your feet (then put on a comfy pair of socks) 

Garlic Shots. These can be done in a few different ways depending on your preference. I have taken these shots in two different ways. #1- grate a clove or two of garlic, a bit of ginger and mix in with honey, place a spoonful in your mouth and swallow. #2- grate a clove or two of garlic, some ginger and add a small bit of olive oil and chug. This is the option I least prefer, but it does go down smoother than with honey. 

Herbal Tea with Honey. I always use a local raw honey in my teas. Honey can help with congestion and it also tastes delicious! When picking an herbal tea, I usually go with a cold & flu blend, usually something with echinacea.

Pineapple. I know this sounds like a weird option, but pineapple contains bromelain which helps to suppress coughs and it can help loosen mucus in your throat. If you don't want to eat a pineapple you can also buy bromelain supplements at your local vitamin/natural food store. 

Sore Throat: 

Again, garlic shots are your friend. Garlic has such strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that you can't go wrong with garlic.

Gargle salt water. Get a small cup of water, add in a spoonful or two of salt (I use pink Himalayan sea salt) gargle and spit into a sink. Do this a few times throughout the day

Hot herbal tea and Honey. Not only will the temperature of the tea soothe your throat, but the herbs also have many benefits. You can use a throat coat tea or a cold & flu tea. 

Stuffy Nose/Congestion:

I personally find congestion to be the absolute worst part of being sick. 

Never stop doing garlic shots (I am going to be honest, my friend Staci turned me on to these just recently and as gross as they are, they help so much!) 

Neti Pot. Most people find neti pots to be gross, but they do a great job of flushing out your sinuses. 

Take a hot, steamy shower. The steam from a hot shower helps to loosen up mucus and it opens your airways so that you can breath more easily. You can also tie some eucalyptus steams in your shower as the eucalyptus oil will aid in clearing up your respiratory system. 

WHAT TO AVOID:

There is a lot you should avoid when you're sick. Mucus producing foods like dairy, sugars and gluten would be good to limit when you are already sick with a large mucus production. Dairy is usually the most well known mucus producing foods but foods that are fried, soy products and alcohol should also be avoided. 

Unless your symptoms are so severe you can't function, I would also avoid products that are created to dry up mucus. Although this may make you feel better temporarily, mucus production has a very important role in healing your body. As I mentioned above, your body rids itself of toxins through mucus, so you do not want to inhibit this from happening. 

Fever reducers should also be avoided UNLESS your fever is too high or has lasted too long. High fevers can cause many issues if left untreated, including brain damage so it's important to pay close attention to how high your fever is and for how long. But when you are sick, a fever is your body's way to killing off the germs. If your fever does creep too high for your comfort you can take a cool bath to try to cool down, take fever reduces and if that doesn't work, contact your health care provider. But don't panic at the very first sign of a fever, your body is working hard to kill off germs. 

I am on the mend now, what other steps can I take? 

If you're anything like me, when you produce mucus you stuff tissues up your nose to avoid the drippage (sorry for the gross visual) but that leaves your nose red and sore. Rubbing a Calendula Salve over your rough, sore skin can help to reduce inflammation and help heal the dryness. 

Continuing to drink herbal teas, taking shots of elderberry and/or fire cider and making sure you are getting sufficient amounts of sleep is also vital for your body's healing process. Continue to eat well, exercise, spend time outdoors and stay hydrated. 

In conclusion, there is a lot you can do for your own health before relying on pharmaceutical products or doctors. Of course, doctors and pharmaceutical have their time and place, but as a country we rely too heavily on them. Did you know that the United States makes up 5% of the world's population but consumes 65% of the world's pharmaceuticals? Becoming informed of alternatives to pharmaceuticals and having some of these remedies on hand will put the power of your health back in your hands. 

I hope you found this post helpful and informative. Again I stress that this should NOT be considered medical advice. But I do encourage you to become informed and educated on health and how to advocate for your health. However, please seek the care of a trusted care provider if you are experiencing severe or worsening symptoms of illness. 

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

I'm Just in the Winter

 

I was recently having a conversation with a friend, sharing some deep struggles that I am going through and she shared the song Seasons by Hillsong Worship with me. 

The season of life I am in right now is one I never wanted to be in, I would have never chosen this for my life. I never wanted these struggles, but God has a different plan than my own. So what do I do? Do I sit around angry at God for not granting my wish? Do I become increasingly frustrated and bitter? Do I stop praying because it feels like God isn't listening? Or do I recognize that the harvest is going to be so much richer after this winter that I am going through. Do I continue to trust God as I know His plan, His timing, His vision for my life is going to be so much better than I could have ever planned myself. 

As the song goes:

"I can see the promise
I can see the future
You're the God of seasons
And I'm just in the winter
If all I know of harvest
Is that it's worth my patience
Then if You're not done working
God I'm not done waiting"

I don't know why I feel led to share that I am going through tough personal struggles at the moment. I don't want anyone's sympathy or attention, but I feel so strongly that we need to do a better job being open and honest about what we are going through. Maybe someone reading this needs to hear these words and know that they are not alone. Maybe you have been struggling lately or you have felt anger or bitterness towards God, you feel like He isn't listening and you're struggling to trust Him. That is okay. It's okay to be angry and frustrated, but with those emotions it's important to recognize that there is so much more. The God of the universe, the God who created us, Who knows all the stars in the sky and how many hairs are on your head, cares deeply about you. We need to trust Him and offer up our struggles to Him. 

As the song continues:

"Though the winter is long even richer
The harvest it brings
Though my waiting prolongs even greater
Your promise for me like a seed
I believe that my season will come"

Winter may be cold and dark, but we don't live our whole lives in the winter. Eventually the harvest comes, yielding life giving crops. Our life experience is much the same. Although we may go through dark and cold moments in our lives, there will always be better, more fruitful times. We need to get better at trusting God through the winter and acknowledge that times seem tough now and we don't understand but that spring is on it's way. 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11