This article shares a few resources, some preventative and protective measures and ways to keep your immune system healthy.  This is an overview and doesn’t go into too many details! Each item has many talking points, but I decided to just ‘cut to the chase’!

This is definitely a time to use discernment and critical thinking skills.  We have information at our fingertips, which can also cause pandemonium, fears and anxieties.  Staying calm and allowing our brains to use decision-making, planning, preparation and ancient wisdom is one way towards positive prevention.

Prevent the spread of infection and Protect Yourself:

There are two primary ways that viruses spread:

1. Coughing, sneezing, and other airborne pathways
2. Touching something that is infected with our hands and then touching your face, eyes, nose, mouth, etc…

For prevention and protection, awareness is key.

• Keep your hands clean! Use the 20 seconds rule.  In school, teachers teach children to sing the alphabet or the Happy Birthday song two times.  Maybe you’ll find a more specific tune for yourself.
• Don’t touch your face, if possible. I know this is a hard one. We touch our face so often unconsciously throughout the day for various itches on our face.
• Use tissues(one time use) and/or your forearm for coughing, sneezing, etc…
• Wipe down surfaces, especially where there is frequent use by others and/or yourself. Use an antiseptic spray like hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, or essential oil sprays(tea tree, thyme, oregano, or lavender)
• Eat and drink your own food. Don’t share forks, spoons, drinking glasses, food, plates!
• Stay home if you don’t feel well!

Keep your immune system healthy! 

There is no single pill or supplement that will boost your immune system.  At the bottom of this article are a few herbals however.  An overall approach to healthy living habits is the long-term way to go. Here are a few examples:

• Go outside somewhere in nature! Breath in the fresh air and allow your lungs to fill with phytonicides, airborne plant chemicals that have antimicrobial qualities.  When we breathe in these chemicals our immune system is triggered to activate and be ready to respond to pathogens.
• Exercise and movement! Keep your body health, fit and flexible. Movement keeps your lymphatic system(lymph vessels and nodes removing wastes, draining, absorbing nutrients and flowing as it should for overall immune health!
• Eat lots of colored foods: greens, reds, oranges, yellows, purples – giving you all of your vitamins and minerals to help your immune system! Onions, garlic, ginger – raw are best!
• Supplement your diet with vitamins!  Vit C, Vit D, Vit E, Vit A, Vit B, zinc, iron and copper(but not too much copper) are especially helpful for immunity.
• Get plenty of sleep, which is the time when the stress hormone, cortisol, typically is at its lowest, when our bodies can naturally heal most!
• Practice relaxation activities such as meditation, yoga, prayer, deep breathing exercises to keep your stress level in check.  When your body is under stress, you are more vulnerable to having a lowered immunity. With increased stress, there is increased cortisol and adrenaline, which brings your brain and body focus to survival, fight or flight.  This suppresses the immune system, your body’s natural defense system; cold/flu’s and other viruses can wreak havoc on your body.
• Keep your support system strong – healthy relationships keep you healthier overall.  Spend time with your friends and family.
• Make self-care appointments to assist with your immune system building and keeping your lymph moving – massage, acupuncture, NIS(Neurological Integration System), reflexology, etc.
• Balance your diet with prebiotic and probiotic foods to keep your gut healthy.  Most of our immune cells, up to about 80%, are in our gut.
• Use plants to help your immune system!  Not only eating healthy foods as mentioned above, but plant medicine is the people’s medicine!

There are thousands of plant medicines throughout the world!! Below are a few of which can be locally grown or wild-harvested in the Pacific Northwest, all of which have antiviral properties.  More immune building herbs will be continued to be shared in future posts.  If you’re interested in learning more and/or having these herbals on hand, let me know.

Echinacea purpurea or E. augustifolius, is one of the most famous immune system herbs. Some herbalists describe echinacea as an immune stimulant, which is best used on a short-term basis during the initial stages of a possible infection.  They help the body resist infection and enhance the immune response in the body.  Echinacea has been shown to increase production of macrophages, the body’s army of defense cells to the infected area, while at the same time increasing interferon, which diminishes the capacity for the virus to impact the body.  Tincture or tea form is commonly used.  Other herbalists give echinacea the ok to use as a tonic, meaning ok to use daily, especially during higher risks times for colds/flu season.  Ok for use during pregnancy, breastfeeding and for children.

Elderberry, Sambucus nigra(black), Sambucus caerulea(blue), is an anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-biotic, anti-septic,  and promotes the body’s overall immunity.  This is a powerhouse antioxidant, rich in bioflavonoids(including quercetin, which gives its dark beautiful color in the berries.  Too much elderberry may be toxic, so smaller doses are better.  Ok to use daily.   Tincture and syrup are primary uses.  Ok to use during pregnancy, breastfeeding and for children.

Oregon Grape, Mahonia aquifolia or Berberis aquifolium, is an alterative herb, meaning it cleanses or purifies and stimulates various organs in the body and the blood.  It is an antiviral and antimicrobial with active ingredient berberine, which gives the roots the bright yellow coloring. This herb has similar properties as the more popular Goldenseal, except is less overharvested and is a great herb in its own right.  Tincture used mostly, not a tonic.

Garlic, Allium sativum, is an immune stimulant, antiviral, antimicrobial and is a well-known remedy for colds/flu viruses.  Crushed fresh raw garlic is the best way to use this.   Ok for pregnancy, children and breastfeeding, but it will change the flavor of milk.

Oregano, Origanum vulgare, is an antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.  It has potent properties for respiratory infections with its high volatile oils carvacol and thymol.  Add oregano to your food, make a tea, or tincture.

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinal, is high in oleanolic acid, which is exhibits antiviral properties, and has been shown to prevent the binding of a virus protein to healthy host cells, and is an overall immune system booster.  Using small amounts is best as this powerful herb ask it may cause allergic skin reactions with too over-consumption.  Add rosemary to food, drink in tea, or tincture.

There are so many more immune-boosting herbs locally, and from all over the world!  A few others include Astragalus, Usnea, Pau D’arco, Ginseng(Chinese, American, and Siberian), Gotu Kola, various varieties of mushrooms, to name a few.

I am super happy to talk with you more about these and offer education and herbal formulas to you, if you’re interested.  Just let me know!

Health, Wellbeing & Healing,

Susie

Here is a short historical count of some of our global viral pandemics, if you’re curious:

HIV/AIDS Pandemic 1981-2012, killing more than 36 million people since 1981

1968, H3N2 virus, Category 2 Flu – killing 1 million people

1956-58, H2N2 virus, Asian Flu – killing 2 million people

1918, H1N1, influenza became known as the Spanish Flu, killing between 20-50 million people(10%-20% of the infected population), over 500 million people infected

1346-1353, Black Death or Bubonic Plague – killed 1/3 of the global population at the time, between 75-200 million people

Resources:

https://www.mphonline.org/worst-pandemics-in-history/

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2020/03/09/pandemics-coronavirus-aids-flu