That Time of Year

It is that time of year again!!  The dreaded flu season.  Everywhere I look the signs are out - "Get Your Flu Shot!"  "We Have Flu Shots!"  In fact, yesterday Bryce was bombarded and very nearly dragged to the back of the store by a pushy salesperson at CVS who insisted that she needed to immediately get a flu shot.  My daughter is a MINOR!!  That really, really ticks me off!!  She is also MY daughter and of course, vehemently denied her need for a flu shot.  We are now all armed with a list of flu shot ingredients and warnings, straight from the FDA.  I fully intend to ask the next pushy clerk that I encounter if she/he is seriously comfortable with injecting all those chemicals straight into his/her bloodstream?!?!  Really, I try not to jump up on my soapbox to total strangers (remember, YOU don't have to read this!!) - but, others really need to do the same.  When I walk into CVS to buy personal items, I do not appreciate being subjected to this type of harassment.  And believe me, they would call it harassment if I took to standing outside the door passing out a list of the vaccine ingredients that they don't share with you to every potential sucker customer, that comes in.

Anyway, enough of that.  On to the important stuff.  If you choose not to take the flu shot (and you do yet have choices in our country), then what should you do?  I take it very seriously that we opt out of the flu shots each year and I do my best to keep our immune systems boosted with natural supplements and herbs.  Since the first week of school seems to almost annually coincide with the first rash of viral infections that wind through our group of friends, this is the week we start our "Fall Vitamin Schedule."  During the summer, I am a little lax about vitamins.  I pass them out, but we might skip a few days or even a week or so here and there.  I don't typically insist on daily supplements for the summer months unless our eating habits have been way off.  Summer is the time for cold, crisp watermelon, juicy berries, and ripe peaches - so our Vitamin C levels are usually kept high. It is also the time for long mornings at the beach and plenty of Florida sunshine, so our D is high as well.  Add that to the fact that they kids are outside most of the time and there are no crowded classroom conditions, and they usually stay pretty healthy.

Once school starts back, though, it is another story.  Even though we home school, we still have weekly classes (daily college classes now for the older ones) and other occasions to be in close confines with large groups of people.  So, the germs begin to pass.

Our vitamin regiment is a little stricter this time of year.  Everyone must take their whole food multi-vitamin every day.  We also take extra Vitamin C (in the form of pills or EmergenC drinks - their choice), extra liquid D3 (plus sun time daily), probiotics (because all disease begins in the gut), digestive enzymes, and an elderberry immune booster.  We also severely limit sugar intake this time of year.

At the first sign of illness, there is NO sugar allowed at all.  Then I add garlic (pills or fresh), extra C, D, and A vitamins, and an herbal viral fighter called Congaplex.  Usually this will knock out whatever we have.  I do not try to break a fever, I let it run its course.  If it gets too high (over 103) I use homeopathic Belladonna and tepid ginger baths.  After a couple of days the fever usually breaks and the patient is on the mend.

Even today, I am fighting my first cold/virus of the season.  My throat is kind of sore, I feel run down.  I have treated with mostly food today - steamed greens, juiced carrots and beets, and no sugar.  I have also taken extra Vitamin D and EmergenC drinks.  I am hopeful that I will be fine by the end of the weekend.

So, there is my annual Flu Season post - and my disclaimer....remember, I am not a doctor, so use your own common sense when you make health choices for your family.

Be Healthy!