With Cold & Flu season on our door step I wanted to share a list of herbal, homeopathic, and nutritional products that I have successfully used and trusted for many years. These are all available to my clients thru our dispensary, Wellevate/Emerson Ecologics, with our 15% office discount. (if you are not yet set up on our dispensary, and wish to be, contact Dana). Emerson Ecologics has been a trusted supplier to naturopaths and offices like ours for many years. They carry top of the line nutritionals geared to health offices and patients. This is important because your health depends on the best sourced materials without harmful fillers and additives common to many vitamins and nutritionals found elsewhere.
Nutritionals, homeopathics, and herbals can be used to strengthen your immune system so that you are not as suceptable to viral and bacterial infections to begin with. This is the basic premis of natural health. But when you feel the onset of a cold or flu, this is the best time to support your body with additional help.
The following list contains suggestions based on my experience and current research in the categories; Homeopathic, Herbal, & Nutritional. Your Access to Our Despensary Program
Homeopathic
Homeopathy is used by over 500 million people around the world. It is a natural medicine (Homeopathy, because it contains the word Homeo, which actually means "similar", is not herbal or nutritional, but actual medicine, though made from natural materials in the plant, mineral, and animal kingdoms). Homeopathy has been in use for over 200 years and is relied upon from anything from acute illness & injuries to chronic disease or epidemic disease.
In this post I am only discussing the use of homeopathic medicines for treating acute colds & flu. (Sylvia and I host homeopathy study groups to introduce people to this wonderful and effective way of natural medicine).
Homeopathy for Cold and Flu.
There are a number of combination homeopathic remedies available at local stores that can be significantly helpful for colds, flu, and associated symptoms. In many cases these remedies will help shorten the duration and intensity of these symptoms, if not completely abort the onset if used early on. At first symtoms begin using these various options.
Homeopathy is generally safe without side effects. Unlike conventional medicines, you cannot overdose, and will not cause any harmful side effects. If you select the wrong medicine, it simply will not work or do anything. If after 4-6 doses there is no improvement or symptoms continue to worsen, then stop the remedy and select a different one based on your symptoms. Homeopathy will not interfere with any medications you are using.
Listed below are products with product ID numbers from our Wellevate Dispensary. If you are a client of ours and wish access to our dispensary, contact me and I'll help you set up your account. This is only available to our active clients. For everyone else, these are typically available to the general public onine from numerous websites, though some are only available thru professional offices such as ours. (pricing shown may not reflect our 15% client discount)
Occilococcinum. for cold and flu support. This works terrific when used early onset. This has been our go to remedy for years. Safe for children and the elderly.
Cold Calm. Helps calm down symptoms of the cold or flu.
Sinusalia. Colds, allergy, sinus support.
Influenzium. Flu symptoms. (this is a generic homeopathic influenzium for a broad range of influenzia. There are also specific strain influenzia created every year for the prevailing strain going around. Contact me fmi).
Aconite/ Bryonia combination. these two remedies, taken together at first signs of a cold or flu, have proven to be extremely effective in aborting the viral process or at least severely limiting it. This combination is my first go-to choice when I feel the onset of a illness coming on. Expecially effective for illness following exposure to cold/damp weather that caused a chill. Taken together at onset. Typically dosed every 3-4 hours, but can be every 1/2hr or less depending on severity of onset, spacing as symptoms improve.
FMI on using homeopathy for colds and flu:
https://center4wellbeing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ahh-Choo-the-Flu-2013.pdf
http://www.homeopathycenter.org/coughs-and-colds
Herbal support for colds/flu/immunity
Herbal Suport has potentially a huge array of options/choices, however that said, I have listed a few items that I personally use and rely on.
Elderberry syrup
Resources: (just a sample of the large amount of research into this wonderful herbal)
34 citations: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/substance/elderberry
Randomized study of the efficacy and safety of oral elderberry extract in the treatment of influenza A and B virus infections. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016
The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11399518
Very concentrated! Only 1/8th tsp per dose. Available in other sizes.
Made in Maine. Contains water so not as concentrated as the Wise Woman Herbals product.
Oregano Oil is a very powerful natural antibiotic with many uses.
References:
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/search/google-cse#gsc.q=oregano
https://www.healthline.com/health/oregano-oil-for-cold
Imuneivor
Promotes normal healthy immune system function*
Ingredients: Echinacea angustifolia & purpurea (echinacea), Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort), Hyssopus officinalis (hyssop), Lomatium dissectum (lomatium), Spilanthes acmella (para cress), and Thuja plicata (western red cedar) in a base of organic alcohol and spring water.
Usage: Take 20-60 drops, 2-4 times a day. (Note: Dropper included with 1 & 2 ounce size only.)
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/search/google-cse#gsc.q=goldenseal
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/substance/ashwagandha
Nutritional
There are also a lot of nutritional supplements for supporting immune function, detoxification, energy, etc. But here again are a few that I use and find especially helpful during the winter months, or anytime my immune system needs a boost.
Vitamin D3 with K2
D3 10,000 + K provides 10,000 IU per softgel of vitamin D (as D3), designed for greater absorption. This high potency formula also includes bioavailable forms of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) to complement vitamin D.
Vitamin D is one of the first things the body looks for when faced with a viral threat. The importance of a bioavailable D3 cannot be understated, along with K2 (see references below). We, in the northern hemisphiere, do not get suffecient sunshine for our bodies to generate D3. A simple blood test is recommened (specifically for D3) to get your baseline.
References:
D3: https://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/keyword/25-hydroxyvitamin-d
Vitamin C (buffered)
Multi-vitamin: A multi-vitamin helps ensure a complete range of micro nutrients that can be missing from dietary limitations, especially here in the northern climate zone in the winter months. There are many choices available according to your needs and goals (just search multi-vitamin in the Welevate search box).
Here is the one I use myself. It was created by Dr. Martin Paul of Washington University to help support the high oxidative stresses of our American diet and environment. It has very good oxidative support and also a good range of minerals in proper balance.
Essential Fatty Acids: along with stress (whether from illness or life's challenges) comes inflammatory conditions. Left un-check this can develop into long term chronic pain and limitations. We all need a balance of omega 3's and 6's. Omega 3's are the healthy fats like butter, coconut oil, animal fats, etc. Omega 6's are represented by carbohydrates, like breads, vegetables, grains, etc. It is all to easy to throw our body off balance with over consumption of omega 6's. This effects the funtion of our immune system, the bodys ability to repair itself, emotional wellbeing, along with a whole host of other issues. When our diet is short on omega 3's, supplementing with a high quality fish oil is a excellent way to support it. Once again, quality manufaturing is of essence with this segment of nutrients. A company that certifies it's product free from heavy metals and toxins is absolutely critical. Along with that, essential oils are subject to rapid oxidation (which causes oils to go rancid very quickly). Here is where high quality manufacturing processes is of essense.
There are numerous omega 3 products availalble on the market. This is the one I use, but there are others from this manufacture that do not have such high levels of omega 3s. based on your needs.
Probiotics: much of the immune system is located around the gut (the GALT), and functional immune support depends upon proper probiotic colonization in the gut. There are many options available based on potency and types of friendly bacteria targeted. This is a area that, once again, requires attention to the quality of manufacturing. Much of which is on the market comes from China. It is produced in large barrels with no assurance of the specific species, quality of the product, or even the potency. I myself, after a lot of time looking at various manufacturers, use and trust the products made by Klare Labs. ( https://klaire.com/aboutus/about-probiotics/) As a general rule the Ther-Biotic®Complete is my overall choice. However Klare Labs has a extensive offering of specific formualtions suitable for specific gut and health issues. If you are choosing probiotics for your health you do not want to take chances on inferior products.
Emerson Ecologics / Welevate patient dispensary
For more than 30 years, Emerson Ecologics has been providing integrative practitioners a convenient way to select and purchase from over 300 brands of professional-quality nutritional supplements, vitamins, prescription medications and natural health products.
With the Welevate patient dispensary I am able to provide direct access for my clients to this valuable resource. I am able to send my clients product recommendations based on our conversation and their needs. This makes it easy for them to purchase and reorder as needed and have their orders shipped directly to their home. It gives my clients access to professional grade nutritionals, herbals, homeopathy, and natural health products that they would otherwise not have access to. With this system I am able to pass on a 15% product discount for their orders. Shipping is free for orders over $49.00.
Emerson is also widely recognized for their innovative Emerson Quality Program (EQP) which helps you have the information, and the confidence, for the products you are using and relying on for supporting your health.
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