We fell victim this year to the sneaky ninja virus lurking around every corner. You know the one. It takes down even the strongest of contenders, with a nasty attack to the back of the throat or chest. It’s the one that makes you feel like you’ve been run over three times by a Mack truck, and has you actually searching for visible bruises because of the way your muscles and bones ache. I’m talking about THE FLU (cue the creepy horror music).
I’m not even sure how it happened. We were happy, healthy, and enjoying life when out of nowhere, in the dead of night, with the same cause for concern as the shrill sound of a baby’s cry, I heard a noise arise from one of the kid’s bedrooms down the hall. Someone was coughing. Not your average quick, throat clearing kind of cough, but a croupy, lingering, deep one. “Oh no!” I remember thinking. “We’re all going to be sick.” Sure enough, by the morning, fevers and lethargy abounded, and from there it just spread like wildfire through the rest of the family.
Under the auspices of healthy eating, and immune boosting practices, we normally forge our way through the winter season, scarred only by a few colds and minor infections. However this year, I found myself in a very peculiar predicament. We had fallen prey to “busy-ness.” It was the tail end of the holiday season and we were enjoying family visits, birthday parties, and get togethers. I slacked off on making sure our diets were as nutrient-rich as they normally were; I ran out of elderberry syrup and and had no time to make more; and the oils, vitamins, and supplements I normally had on hand were either gone or running out.
Then the unthinkable happened. Mom got sick. That would be me folks. I often joke, that healthwise, when mom goes down, the whole ship goes down. Well this time it was no joke. We were in a bad way. There were days I couldn’t even muster up the energy to get up and make sure everyone was staying hydrated, let alone look in the pantry for the vitamin C.
The moral of the story is – don’t wait until you are sick to make sure you have all that you need for when the sickness strikes. Nutritionally speaking, much of what we need to fight an infection should already be in the body’s system anyway, so that when a pathogen is present, the load on the body is reduced and healing can happen faster. You might be wondering about these Martino maintenance and flu-fighting protocols. Here they are:
First Things First
First of all, eating a diet of whole, unprocessed foods will ensure that the optimal amount of nutrients are available to the body. I think many people underestimate this point. For example, I was recently reading about how the current recommended potassium level for adults is 4,700 mg a day. Considering that some of the best whole food sources of potassium out there are about 1000 mg per serving, this would mean consuming something from this best source category of foods at least four times a day.
We can’t afford to waste our calories on processed food and still expect to be nourished well. If the whole foods we are eating are organically and locally grown to ensure optimal nutrient content, that’s even better. Also, at the first sign of sickness, I will often immediately eliminate sugar and white foods (sugar, grains, and dairy) from our diet, as these can negatively affect how the immune system functions. I kid you not that I can chew a piece of gum, unknowing of the pathogens (bad bacteria) lurking in my system, and immediately feel my throat get sore.
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry is a plant that has many health benefits and a history of being used medicinally to treat flu and other viruses. Elderberry syrup is very easy to make and keep on hand in the refrigerator. I use this recipe found here. During flu season, kids take a teaspoon, and adults take a tablespoon daily. When someone is sick, we increase this daily dose to every few hours until they are well again.
Monolaurin
Monolaurin is naturally converted from lauric acid, which is a component of both coconut milk/fat and breast milk. It is highly antibacterial and antiviral in nature, yet extremely safe, which makes it very effective in the treatment and prevention of cold and flu. The chemistry of how it works in the body is fascinating. Essentially, it absorbs the fat molecules of a virus into its own, preventing the viral cells from replicating. Similarly, it breaks down the cell membranes of bacterial cells, stopping the spread of the bacteria and allowing the immune system to maintain the upper hand.
It would be virtually impossible in one day, to consume enough monolaurin from coconut oil or coconut milk to have it work therapeutically like this in the body, so herein lies the importance of supplementing. We use Inspired Nutrition brand, which comes in easy to swallow pellets. Even the littles in my family have learned to swallow them with water. We take a full scoop for adults, ⅓ of a scoop for the youngest children, and a ½ a scoop for the oldest child. During flu season, we try to spread our intake out to two times a day since it takes several hours for the body to break down monolaurin, and when sickness looms, we increase to three scoops a day.
Essential Oils
There are so many oils that are antiviral, antibacterial, and antimicrobial in nature. However, we go through quite a bit of Thieves, Oregano, and RC oil during flu season. These are definitely on our list of must-haves. We diffuse oils daily and apply them topically. Take a look at this post to find out more information about essential oils.
Water Kefir/Probiotics
Probiotics help to reinforce the intestinal tract, preventing bacteria from entering the blood. They are an important key to the body’s overall immune function. We drink water kefir daily, which is full of probiotic goodness. We also eat other fermented foods (fermented foods are full of probiotic benefits) and occasionally take a probiotic supplement.
Vitamins
For us, vitamin rich foods are the first line of defense. But during flu season, at the onset of illness, I especially tend to supplement vitamins D and C. My kids and I also regularly take cod liver oil, which among other benefits, provides about 5000 IU (kids) and 10,000 IU (adults) of vitamin A per serving. Vitamins A, D, and C are all important for immune system function.
I often joke that the remedy for a cold is outdoor play! The body desperately needs vitamin D, attained from sunlight, to enhance immunity and fight infections. I recently found tiny Vitamin D tablets at the health food store that dissolve as soon as you put them in the mouth. I will also pop these into their mouths when they feel sick.
The form of vitamin C with which we like to supplement, is sodium ascorbate powder. It dissolves into juice or water. Start with a ¼ or ½ teaspoon once or twice a day and increase the frequency and/or amount to the degree that your bowels can tolerate it. That’s how you know what is a good amount to take.
Vitamin and Garlic Teas
There is a mix of dried leaves and flowers that I combine and put into a large mason jar, so that we have it on hand to steep by the tablespoon, in hot water for tea. We like to add a little raw honey for sweetness. The ingredients of the tea are red raspberry leaf, nettle leaf, peppermint leaf, and rose hips. These leaves contain an impressive combination of vitamins and minerals, which together include: calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, iron, sulphur, selenium, manganese, zinc, beta carotene, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin C, vitamin K1, vitamin D2, chlorophyll, and flavonoids that act as antioxidants. Sick or not, this is a tea that we drink many times throughout the week. Garlic tea is reserved for recovery from an illness, and is currently only tolerated by my oldest child and the adults.
Miscellaneous Flu-Fighting Items to Keep on Hand
These are some other items that are in the medicine cabinet or kitchen cabinet – more weaponry to arm ourselves against those sneaky ninja virus attacks.
- A tonic of ginger, horseradishes, hot peppers, garlic, and onion steeped in raw apple cider vinegar for weeks and then strained. If you are brave, you take a large spoonful to help rid the body of the nastiness. Note: this is NOT for kids.
- Oscillococcinum – this is homeopathic and can be found at drug stores and health food stores.
- Zinc
- Echinacea (I like this in a tincture)
Stay healthy my friends! Let me know what other natural flu-fighting protocols you’ve tried.
