Getting Ready for the Upcoming Cold/Flu Season
& Responsible use of Herbs & Complementary Medicine

2009-09-12
by SchaOn Blodgett, Co-Owner of Psinergy LLC
Complementary & Alternative Health Practitioner

No matter where we turn, what we do, we are likely to hear a topic concerning health, whether it's Health Care Reform, or H1N1, or maybe even just the seasonal cold/flu season coming up. H1N1 is a very big concern for many people as it attacks, and sometimes kills, the people normally the least likely to die from such an infection. In Western (Allopathic) medicine, they are working on a vaccine, which many people are very concerned about the potential side effects of it (some being reported at this time is death), so many people are turning to herbal, ayurvedic and Chinese medicines, folk remedies and more. So, what are some of the things to watch out for, and steps that you should take before taking or doing any complementary remedies?

1. Do your research

• Do a Google, Yahoo or Bing Search on the herb(s) or other remedies that you are considering,
  • There is a lot of good information scattered all over the net, though you want to be careful when reading information on herbs, as good solid information can be a little harder to find. A good level of skepticism is recommended when doing research. Read information from several sites.
• Find and set an appointment with an Herbalist that is well respected and knowledgeable,
  • Some good ones in the Twin Cities Metro area that I personally know are Liz Johnson at Magus Books & Herbs in Dinkytown, as well as the ones at Tao Foods in Uptown. There are others in the Twin Cities as well, and always feel free to ask for references. Also, be aware, for an Herbalist, talking with them is how they make their money as they are helping to guide you in what they specialize in, so be ready to pay a consultation fee (which they will inform you of before hand). In the State of MN, any herbalist that will be doing a consultation (free or for a fee) must provide their client with a Complementary and Alternative Health Care Client Bill of Rights as subject under MN Statute 146A.
  • Many Herbalists have been doing this for years, and can help lead you to what will work potentially better for you than what would work for your friend, neighbor, or the "herb/health junky" on the net. Please realize, there are MANY herbs that work on the same thing... though, some will work just a little better than others for some things, and with some people, or in certain combinations. This is why it is so important to visit your local herbalist.
• Take in moderation and as empirically/scientifically acceptable! You don't want to over-do something, like Colliodal Silver, and turn out like the "Blue Man." Please realize, over-doing some herbs can seriously harm you (heart attack, seizures, etc) or actually kill you, even though in small doses are very beneficial. This is where your research via Google/Yahoo/Bing and visiting an Herbalist is very important.

2. Relax! De-stress! Sleep!

• Find something to help you relax. For some people, that can be as simple as taking a hot bath, or playing a video game. Find what works for you, and truly helps you relax (relaxing to the core of your body).
• Get good sleep. Sleep is so vitally important to the immune system as many studies have shown (if you do a Google/Bing/Yahoo search on "Importance of Sleep on Immune System" you will get many results on the subject.
• Find an alternative therapy that can help "force" your mind/body to relax, may help re-align proper circadian (sleep) rhythms, like:
  • Massage
  • Reiki
  • Esogetics (Colorpuncture, Crystal Vision, Color Sound) Therapies
  • Hot Stone Therapy
  • Meditation
  • Acupuncture
  • Chiropractic
• Do a Moist-Heat Liver Pack
  • The liver is a vital organ that helps to cleanse the body of toxins, and aides in a healthy immune system and good metabolism.
  • Get a Hot Water Bottle (Walmart carries them for about $5 to $6), fill with Hot Water (not too hot, not too warm, but what is comfortable for you, though, it must stay hot/warm for 30 minutes). Now, take a wash cloth, and get moist (not dripping wet) with hot water as well. Place this over the liver area on the skin (on the right side of the body, on the edge of the rib cage from the sternum to the floating ribs), then place the Hot Water Bottle on top of the moist wash cloth, then on top of that, place a dry towel to cover the Hot Water Bottle and wash rag (this helps keep everything else dry). Now, sit there for 30 minutes, and watch TV, read a book, or whatever. This should be very relaxing, so doing it about 30 minutes before bed will help relax you into sleep. Continue doing this for a week, to 30 days.

3. Get your lymphatic and circulatory systems moving & draining

• Your lymphatic and Circulation systems are vitally important to a healthy immune system as they help to move waste and toxins out of the body.
  • Exercises like walking, weight lifting, jogging, yoga, etc, have shown to help maintain a strong immune system as well as helping to boost a weaker immune system,
  • Massage (like Myofascial release, cranio-sacral, lymph drainage massage) helps move the lymphatic system, allowing to "break-loose" stuck toxins held within the body,
  • Acupuncture has many therapies that are believed to get the lymphatic system moving,
  • Esogetics Colorpuncture (based partially on Acupuncture) has a lot of very powerful therapies that are believed to help get the lymph system moving, draining, and more,
  • There are many herbs that have also shown some great results in getting the lymphatic system moving, though, they can be very "assertive" so you will want to talk with a seasoned Herbalist before taking most of these herbs, and they can be even more beneficial when used in conjunction with Acupuncture or Esogetics.
• Are you constipated? Being constipated really inhibits the lymphatic system's ability to remove the waste that is floating around your body. If the lymphatic system cannot "dump" the waste via normal means, it will continue to float around the body, and sometimes will settle into other organs (causing additional stress on the organ), joints (potentially causing arthritic-like symptoms), weaken the immune system, cause acne breakouts, and more!
  • How can you become "un-constipated" naturally? Great question! Many of the things mentioned above can really help a lot with constipation, as well as a high-fiber diet may help.
  • How do you know if you're constipated?
    • A common way of knowing that you're constipated is that you're not having a bowel movement at least once per day, though that is not always true... as to put it best, a close friend of mine says "Poop can go around Poop."
    • Another sign of potential constipation is dark circles or lines under the eyes. This has been seen a sign that points to potential constipation in many holistic forms of medicine,
    • Cracked/chapped lips has also been seen as a potential sign to point towards deficiencies within the small/large intestines.

4. Things to watch out for...

• One of the things to realize is that sometimes when you get things moving and flowing, you can sometimes feel "sicker" or achy. Why is this? One of the most common reasons is that either you did not drink enough good fluids, like water... or it could also point to a potential weakness within the digestive system not allowing for the toxins that got released to be disposed of properly. You may also see an acne "break-out" as a result of the toxins being forced out through the skin since they are not properly being disposed of through the digestive system.
• "Reactions" are not always bad. Sometimes after things have been moved and "dumped" out of the system, the system isn't use to not having those things in there... which can sometimes come as quite a shock if there was a good amount "locked" in your system. Continue to drink plenty of good fluids, and you will notice each day that things keep getting better and better.
• If you see a CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) Professional, check their credentials, what trainings they have had, ask for references (some are not able to give these for legal reasons), read testimonials, and feel free to ask questions.
• You should never feel pressured or unsafe.
• If you are taking herbal remedies, know what the potential side effects are. With other therapies, ask if there are things that you should do after the session to "optimize" the results, or watch out for.
• Make contact with your CAM Practitioner a few days after your session to let them know how you are reacting to the treatment. This helps to give good feedback to your CAM Practitioner, as well as it gives them an opportunity to do a quick assessment on how you are reacting and if something needs to be changed before your next appointment.
• If something is feeling "off" contact the CAM Practitioner right away.

As always, feel comfortable speaking with a trained, licensed medical professional (your doctor). Natural/Holistic Medicine and Practitioners in many areas, are not able to diagnose or treat diseases. For more information on that topic, please click the Legal & Disclaimer link below.