With August racing to an end and September fast upon us, school kids are starting to trickle in for their sports physicals. With the impending end of summer and the onset of fall, our kids will be headed back to school to learn all kinds of wonderful information and bring home every conceivable bug out there.
Now is the time to begin to prepare for and prevent the onslaught of colds and flu which just seems to occur this time of year. There are some great ways to strengthen you and your families immune health. It’s never too late to get started on a prevention regime. You don’t have to be one of the statistics.
At the garlic festival last weekend, one of the vendors noted how many of their customers eat one pickled garlic clove a day, and report they rarely ever succumb to colds or flu. This is a great tasting way to get your medicine if you like garlic. I’ve noted that when I’ve practiced this, I don’t even have garlic breath afterward. Now, eating the raw clove is a different story altogether.
Besides garlic, there are many other ways to protect your family. Echinacea is an excellent herb which carries great immune enhancing properties. It strengthens and regulates the normal function of your white blood cells and the lymphatic system. Your lymph system is the garbage system of your body, and it’s impact on your life is critical to your longevity. Having had patients who have dealt with the issues of lymphatic cancers, protecting this part of your system is important.
When obtaining echinacea, it’s critical to get the herb which contains the active component known alkyl-amides. These should be used as markers of the quality and activity of the herb. Unfortunately most echinacea on the market is very low in this component. The label may claim to have a certain amount of the herb, but if the growing, harvesting, and preparation of the product you purchase is lacking, you might not get the immune potentiating aspect of this wonderful herb.
Following a comparison study of eleven major echinacea products on the market, it was found the majority of them were seriously lacking in activity. This is why I’m often met with the statement of, “tried it and nothing happened.”
The root of the plant is the structure highest in this element. When cut and left to dry without being put into proper environment, much of the active components are lost. Because of this, I’ve avoided all but the echinacea provided by an Australian company which insists on providing only the highest grade of echinacea, loaded with the alkyl-amides. I’ve used this product for some major immune challenges with dramatic results.
Taking echinacea daily isn’t a concern. There are some old wives tales which suggest you can’t take it long term. This is wrong. During times of increased cold and flu exposure, it’s a good insurance plan. Missing a day or more of work isn’t financially sound, and feeling awful isn’t worth ignoring the benefits of this wonderful herb.
Besides echinacea, protecting mucous membrane barriers against microbes can be assisted by getting enough vitamin A. This isn’t just good for protecting your eyesight, it’s critical in keeping healthy mucous membranes. Ear infections most commonly occur in those who are lacking in vitamin A.
Calcium activates white blood cells. The primary reason for fever is to increase calcium mobilization from the bones to assist in the phagocytic activity of white blood cells. Sugar depletes calcium from the system and predisposes it to infection. Too much sugar around the holidays is a real set up for colds, flu, and muscle spasms.
To assist your body in defending itself, I love using the nutritional support Congaplex. For prevention and treatment of colds and flu, I use this along with echinacea. I use the high grade echinacea in my botanical combination called Dr John's Cold and Flu. I've been making this formula and using it on my patients for the last 33 years with awesome results. In fact, it's been shipped to several other countries to deal with immune issues.
Now is the time to begin to prepare for and prevent the onslaught of colds and flu which just seems to occur this time of year. There are some great ways to strengthen you and your families immune health. It’s never too late to get started on a prevention regime. You don’t have to be one of the statistics.
At the garlic festival last weekend, one of the vendors noted how many of their customers eat one pickled garlic clove a day, and report they rarely ever succumb to colds or flu. This is a great tasting way to get your medicine if you like garlic. I’ve noted that when I’ve practiced this, I don’t even have garlic breath afterward. Now, eating the raw clove is a different story altogether.
Besides garlic, there are many other ways to protect your family. Echinacea is an excellent herb which carries great immune enhancing properties. It strengthens and regulates the normal function of your white blood cells and the lymphatic system. Your lymph system is the garbage system of your body, and it’s impact on your life is critical to your longevity. Having had patients who have dealt with the issues of lymphatic cancers, protecting this part of your system is important.
When obtaining echinacea, it’s critical to get the herb which contains the active component known alkyl-amides. These should be used as markers of the quality and activity of the herb. Unfortunately most echinacea on the market is very low in this component. The label may claim to have a certain amount of the herb, but if the growing, harvesting, and preparation of the product you purchase is lacking, you might not get the immune potentiating aspect of this wonderful herb.
Following a comparison study of eleven major echinacea products on the market, it was found the majority of them were seriously lacking in activity. This is why I’m often met with the statement of, “tried it and nothing happened.”
The root of the plant is the structure highest in this element. When cut and left to dry without being put into proper environment, much of the active components are lost. Because of this, I’ve avoided all but the echinacea provided by an Australian company which insists on providing only the highest grade of echinacea, loaded with the alkyl-amides. I’ve used this product for some major immune challenges with dramatic results.
Taking echinacea daily isn’t a concern. There are some old wives tales which suggest you can’t take it long term. This is wrong. During times of increased cold and flu exposure, it’s a good insurance plan. Missing a day or more of work isn’t financially sound, and feeling awful isn’t worth ignoring the benefits of this wonderful herb.
Besides echinacea, protecting mucous membrane barriers against microbes can be assisted by getting enough vitamin A. This isn’t just good for protecting your eyesight, it’s critical in keeping healthy mucous membranes. Ear infections most commonly occur in those who are lacking in vitamin A.
Calcium activates white blood cells. The primary reason for fever is to increase calcium mobilization from the bones to assist in the phagocytic activity of white blood cells. Sugar depletes calcium from the system and predisposes it to infection. Too much sugar around the holidays is a real set up for colds, flu, and muscle spasms.
To assist your body in defending itself, I love using the nutritional support Congaplex. For prevention and treatment of colds and flu, I use this along with echinacea. I use the high grade echinacea in my botanical combination called Dr John's Cold and Flu. I've been making this formula and using it on my patients for the last 33 years with awesome results. In fact, it's been shipped to several other countries to deal with immune issues.
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