Are you Winter-Ready?

As November rolls in, flu season begins to rear it’s *sniffly* head, and we see signs of winter approaching everywhere. People scurry to get their flu shots, families stock up on kleenex, and doctor’s offices brace themselves for the rush of runny-nosed, feverish patients. Depending on your surroundings, sometimes acquiring the winter sniffles seems inevitable. We don’t usually hesitate when it comes to “winter-readying” our cars… but what about our most important vehicle: our bodies?

Flu Shot or Not?

A look at the scientific evidence regarding the flu shot will eventually lead you to a recently published meta-analysis that found that the flu vaccine is effective… in only 59% of adults aged 18-64 (there is not enough data on children or the elderly to make a conclusion). This has created a stir of questions and controversy: is it worth it to get the flu shot? What are the risks and the benefits? How can I decide? Informing yourself and considering your individual needs and susceptibilities is key. (This conversation is the topic of a whole other blog post, to come).

I do not advocate for or against the flu vaccine; as with everything in life, this issue is not simply black-or-white. There are definitely cases in which flu shots are highly recommended – when the person involved is at great risk of further complications. In those who are physically robust, there are still personal reasons for going to get vaccinated. As naturopathic doctors, we recognize it is a personal choice and will support you either way. In either situation, the treatment goals stay similar: we need to support your immune system.

Tune your Immune System

Naturopathic medicine recognizes that viruses are not the only reasons we get sick: there are a multitude of factors that determine health. Stepping back, looking at the big picture, there are a few general goals that we want to achieve before the winter bugs start a-flying. Let’s take a look at these, and the little things we can do to fine-tune our bodies.

1. Remove any obstacles to health: anything that might be preventing the immune system from working at it’s fullest.
• STRESS. Stress depletes every system of the body, including our immunity. Fall is the time to draw inwards a little: rest, relax. Treat yourself to a massage, up your yoga and meditation practice, take calming walks through the beautiful fall colours in the park. Shut down the computer a little earlier and go home to enjoy some tea with your loved ones.
• SUGAR and REFINED FOODS. Not only are these things the “usual culprits” in most conditions, these negatively affect the immune system. Cut back, more than usual if not completely, and see your immune system thank you. Get good, wholesome, real foods to fuel your body instead.
• FOOD INTOLERANCE/ALLERGIES. What would you like your immune cells to be focused on this season- your food or those viral invaders? If you have known allergies or intolerances, you want to stay away from these foods (preferably all the time, but especially now). If you don’t know if you do, find out.
• OTHER TOXINS. I don’t have to remind you, but I will. The more optimal your detoxification systems, the more efficient they will be at helping to turnover any foreign invaders. Excessive caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and other toxic habits will impair your detoxification and block your way to health.
2. Replace things that are missing to help the immune system function optimally.
• SLEEP WELL. If this is missing from your life, get it back. Your body’s key recovery time is at night, especially if you get to sleep before midnight. If you have troubles with sleep, this should be your priority- visit your naturopathic doctor to help restore this vital function.
  
• NUTRITION, NUTRITION, NUTRITION. Yes, you can take supplements (e.g. Vitamin C, the old faithful), but real food is key. Not only does whole food contain a synergistic combination of required vitamins, minerals, and other required nutrients, it will give you real, long-lasting energy to fuel your system. Colourful fruits and veggies, seasonal foods, and warming meals are highly recommended. In addition, food can be medicine. From a traditional Chinese medical standpoint, pears have a moistening and warming quality that will help combat the dry, wind invasion so common in fall; beans, pulses, and mushrooms help to bring grounding and yin. Turnips strengthen lung qi and almonds are very balancing.
• THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN. What are we also missing? The warm summer sun. And with that, our vitamin D stores start to suffer. Vitamin D is just as important as Vitamin C (maybe more) for immunity (and many more things!).
• REPLACE YOUR FLUIDS. Drink lots of water, warming teas (see below for good types), and clear soups. Fall and winter are very drying, and your cells need fluid for proper function and smooth sailing. A large part of your immunity lives on your mucous membranes- make sure they stay hydrated and intact! In addition, it will help in flushing out your organs and increasing detoxification.
3. Reduce exposure to the potential invaders.
• HYGIENE and FLU ETIQUETTE. It IS that important to wash your hands with soap. By minimizing the contact our body has with potential invaders, the less likely they will be to invade, no? Remember: if you ARE sick, be considerate of those around you and use the sleeve sneeze and good cough etiquette!
• NETI. If you haven’t yet heard of a neti pot (nasal irrigation), find out. By flushing out the nose daily, you’re helping to protect the gates to an important viral-entrance route into the body.
4. Strengthen and stimulate the body’s natural defences.
• REJUVENATE. Not only does catching some extra z-z-z’s help rejuvenate the body, but there are also a lot of simple home-care rituals that will add a hop to your step AND stimulate your body’s natural processes. Hydrotherapy practices like dry skin brushing and alternating hot-cold showers are great to add to your day, and helpful in more ways than one!
• REPOPULATE. Gut flora helps to protect another entrance route into the body: our intestinal mucosa. Not only will probiotics help at the defence-lines, they have also been shown to support immune cells body-wide.
• REINFORCE. Nature has supplied us with so many fascinating herbs that have immune-stimulating and/or immune-modulating capabilities. Boost fluid intake with warming teas containing herbs like cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. Check with your ND to find out if licorice tea is safe for you. Change of Seasons Soup (recipe if you follow this link) contains important herbs from traditional Chinese medicine to strengthen your body’s response to seasonal changes and tonify your lungs, which are responsible for the energy that defends your body against external invasion.

Lastly, remember, if you do get the flu, take care of it properly. REST IS KEY. Do all of the things your grandmother told you to do.  There are also specific herbs, homeopathic remedies, and nutrients that your ND can recommend to take care of the virus, your immune system, and your unique symptoms. (Make sure you check with a professional before self-dosing on natural substances!) You have NOT been defeated. In fact, think of it as an “immune system bootcamp“: you’re working it hard now to strengthen it in the long run. Believe in your body’s capability to eradicate the invading forces. Celebrate that you have an immune system strong enough to make a response. However, if you do feel as if the symptoms continue to worsen after 2-3 days or if you have a pre-existent condition that may put you at risk for more serious complications, visit your primary healthcare practitioner.