Building and Protecting your immune system

My background is in western medicine but my patients over the years have been on the receiving end of advice from me that includes some more natural or holistic suggestions.   This post in particular strays a bit from the basic western medicine path and includes a combination of conventional wisdom, along with some anecdotal remedies shared with me by healers from a variety of modalities. Some of the things that I suggest can be found, as my husband laughingly describes it, down the “placebo aisle” of the local drugstore, but as we are in the full throes of a variety of illnesses, many families are ready to try anything.   My kids grew up with my husband's grandma’s recipe fondly referred to as Muggala Guggala, (see below for recipe*) I imagine many families have their own health rituals. As long as you are not ignoring a condition that warrants medication such as asthma inhalers or antibiotics, there is little harm in exploring some natural options. Who knows, you might find something that helps.   Good Hand Washing is the cornerstone to staying well.   If you were out and about in a crowd of sniffling,coughing people make sure you scrub up and change your clothes as soon as you get home. Try not to touch your hands to your eyes. I just did my post on habits. If you are someone who is constantly touching your face, this might be a good habit to try to conquer. Recently, in the news, was a story about how Purell and hand sanitizers are NOT as good as soap and water. Those are convenient to have as a back up when you are out and about, but as soon as you are near a sink, scrub up.   Getting enough sleep is essential. If kids seem tired, you might need to start the bedtime routine a bit earlier. For older kids and adults make sure you limit the screen time for at least an hour before going to bed. Most experts suggest longer than that, but I accept that it often isn’t that realistic. Sleep tips Nutrition Make sure you and your kids are getting enough Vitamin D. Many folks have vitamin D levels that are significantly below where they should be and would benefit from a daily supplement .   Make sure you are getting enough Iron. Magnesium, iron and vitamin D are all connected to sleep as well as to a healthy immune system. (Magnesium also helps with pooping.)   I don’t love to binge on most vitamins, but a multivitamin that has A and C is especially important during the cold and cough season. Check out Ester C. This is an exclusive form of vitamin C that is designed to give round the clock immune support. Sandra Roddy Adams, my chiropractor, gives this a big thumbs up.   Zinc is an important cold fighter and some studies show that it can decrease the duration of a cold by 50%. Zicam lozenges are what I like. I actually think that the generic orange flavor tastes the best. These work better if you catch it early! With any zinc product, it might be best to take with something in your stomach to avoid nausea. Kids need to be old enough to safely take a lozenge or chews   I asked my cousin Sam, who is a retired family practice physician if he had any favorite supplements. Echinacea, ginger, garlic, myrrh, cayenne, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and bioflavonoids all made his list. For the grown ups out there, he recommended a Source Naturals Wellness Formula that has a lot of the good stuff in one capsule.   More and more experts are suggesting that having a healthy gut is essential to the immune system. My friend Sari is a craniosacral therapist in Arizona. When I reached out to pick her brain about this post she concurred with me that many current studies are finding that having a healthy gut is essential to the immune system.   Probiotics are good for any age For newborns The product evivo is a good one to look into.   Oil of oregano is thought to be a great immune booster. I would recommend this for grown ups or kids over 6 who are very cooperative. It has a very strong taste and causes some oregano burps but can work pretty well   Omega 3s are mostly found from eating fish, but most people probably don’t get as much as they should. This supplement makes it to most of the lists as a worthy supplement.   Local honey has antioxidants and is thought to be helpful for the immune system. Dr. Anne was the one who added this to the list. She actually adds honey to her coffee! I tried it and it isn’t bad. Remember that infants under one year should NOT eat honey   Chinese Medicine As I mentioned in a post several weeks ago, I was poised to fall into the abyss and was coming down with a cold and cough. I ended up getting an acupuncture treatment and started taking some herbs. The cold ended up quite mild and didn’t go down into my lungs.   There are some Chinese formulas that are very safe and effective. Choosing which one to use isn’t easy without the advice of an expert. The right herbs depend on exactly what type of cough is going on. Chinese herbs are not a one size fits all answer. Our local acupuncturist Den Bremond in Noe Valley is also an RN. She is a lovely resource for not only helping build that immune system, but also helping you get back to health if you are already ill. theacupunctureden.com   My amazing friend Anita is another acupuncturist on my team of healers. I wish she was local, but she is based in Colorado. She encourages warming foods for her patients. These keep the internal temperature up. Viruses prefer the cold environment. She suggests that drinks be room temperature or warm/hot. Don’t add ice to drinks. Use warming spices and herbs such as garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Soup is always good! Here is a bonus acupressure point good for boosting the immune system: acupressure point stomach 36   While staying warm and eating and drinking warm foods is good when you are sick, there are studies that suggest that for healthy folks who are trying to stay that way, doing a cool water rinse at the end of your shower can be an immunity booster. Herbs and Homeopathy Sambuccol is at the top of my list when it comes to my personal self care. This is an elderberry base, fairly widely available that has some scientific studies backing up it’s immune boosting properties. (Even Sandy doesn’t scoff at this one.) I actually start taking these the moment that I feel the scratchy throat feeling that makes me worried that I am starting to come down with something.The earlier you start, the better it works. The bottle says for children over 2. The UK version gives the dosage for over 1.   oscillococcinum  These are homeopathic sprinkles that I refer to as fairy dust. I don’t understand homeopathy, but many folks swear by these. I take a tube every time I fly. Sandy tried to figure out what’s in them and the only ingredient he recognized was duck liver.   Echinacea This herb is on many folks list of remedies. The studies have been mixed as to whether or not it works. Make sure you are a label reader when getting this supplement   Reflexology My friend Oran is a wonderful healer who lives in Israel. Both of my daughters had moments during their travels there when they showed up on her doorstep with various illnesses and she nursed them back to health. She has the ‘No White’ rule when people are sick. No white sugar, no white flour and no dairy. All of those can contribute to inflammation.   Environment It is very important to avoid secondhand smoke. If you are someplace where the air is dry, or in SF you have turned the heat on, consider using a humidifier at night. Make sure you keep it clean and turn it off during the day. Running it 24/7 can create a mold situation. Another breeding ground for germs in your house is the pet food bowl. Your pet’s food bowl could actually be making you and your family sick if you don’t wash it frequently. A study by NSF International showed that pet food bowls ranked as the fourth dirtiest place in the house. Regardless of if you feed your pet dry or wet food, the bowl may have a residue that can harbor bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. I am guilty of this one but Sandy has it covered. When our grand-dog Bowie is over, he scrubs out the bowl every time he leaves!   It is fairly common for parents to call the doctor, incredibly frustrated when their kids seem to be sick all the time. It makes sense when you think about it. If they are depleted from illness number one, when illness number two comes around they are more vulnerable. Everyone is being exposed to so much this season. Unfortunately most viral syndromes simply take time. Antibiotics are NOT useful for a virus.   If you are stuck in a cycle of catching one thing after another and the above suggestions haven’t helped, explore your options and see if you can keep your child out of daycare for a week or so. Sometimes that break makes a big difference. Don’t forget to swap out the toothbrush or put it in the dishwasher.   * Muggala Guggala - 1 cup milk, 1 Tbsp of butter, 2 Tbsp honey - heated in a saucepan.