It is upon us.  Here on the West Coast the drizzly, grey flu-ridden fall is in full force.  If you haven’t gotten the yearly bug yet, you’ve probably thought a lot about it.  Every time we turn on the news or pass by newspapers we see how concerned the media is about the annual flu, H1N1 and how the supply of the vaccines is falling short of the demand.  But is it all worth the hype? Is avoiding the flu really that hard?

I’ve had a number of calls from worried parents over the last couple weeks.  Little one has a cough or a fever or both - a likely H1N1 diagnosis.  Should they get a prescription for anti-virals?  Should they vaccinate their other children or themselves?  Before they know it, they’re worked up into a tizzy, questioning their jobs as parents and expecting the worst.  Part of me understands their concern.  Both the seasonal influenza and the H1N1 variety can be serious and can kill people.  But lets look at the facts:

In an information bulletin from the Ministries of Health Services and Healthy Living and Sport in British Columbia, Canada, dated November 10, 2009, we learn that in the past week there have been 202 new, severe cases of H1N1, leading to 8 deaths for a total of 601 confirmed severe cases and 23 deaths since April 2009.  Twenty-two of those deaths occurred in people who had underlying medical conditions such as heart or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma and chronic lung disease, suppressed immune systems, neurological disorders, liver disease, blood disorders and severe obesity. “To put the H1N1 outbreak in perspective, 400 to 800 people die in British Columbia from the seasonal flu or pneumonia each year.”

Should we be really worried about avoiding the flu or the swine flu?

“The majority of lab-confirmed cases in B.C. have been mild or moderate in severity, with the patients either having already recovered or currently recovering.”

Most people who are exposed to either virus and/or catch it are completely fine.  Read that again.  Just to be sure.

That being said - it is important to stay healthy and a solid baseline is a good start.  So, what can you do to protect you and your family?  The following information is what we are telling our patients at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor:

PREVENTION - Avoiding the Flu:

1.  Proper hygiene is important and simple.

Wash your hands:

• frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds;
• before or after you eat or after using the washroom;
• before touching your mouth, eyes or face;
• after you blow your nose, sneeze or cough

Cough or sneeze into your sleeve at your elbow (not your hands)
Toss used tissues into the garbage immediately
Don’t make close contact with people that are sick

2.  Important lifestyle factors to help in avoiding the flu:

Get 7-8 hours of sleep (a night not over two nights or even worse, three!)
Move your body every day.
Practice Stress Reduction Techniques.  A lowered immune system is one of The Symptoms of Stress.
Choose to eat nutritious, whole foods especially colourful vegetables
Drink ample water for your body weight (1/2 your weight in pounds is the number of ounces you should drink per day)

3.  Other things you can do to improve your chances of avoiding the flu:

Talk to your local Naturopathic Doctor about your individual immune and vaccine needs.

Consider taking an appropriate dose of Vitamin D and a high quality echinacea or mushroom supplement.

IF YOU GET SICK OR START TO SHOW SYMPTOMS:

Stay home, until you are feeling better.  Get plenty of rest.  It’s drizzly and grey and dull outside… cozy up with your favorite slippers and a good book.  You and your co-workers will be thankful.

Drink lots of fluids, like home made chicken soup (momma knew what she was doing) especially if suffering from vomiting or diarrhea.

Don’t fear the fever!  Fevers are the body’s way of fighting off the bugs and are vital to a complete recovery.  Suppressing the fever with drugs is taking away the body’s fighting chance.  Fevers of 38.9 degrees Celsius or 102 F) are optimal.  Typically, I tell my worried moms to only worry about fevers if they get to 40 C or 104 F (after which central nervous system damage and seizures might occur so it is advisable to get to an emergency room or clinic - pronto - especially if dehydration is a concern).  We can work WITH the fever to improve our chances of a healthy recovery. Check out Home Hydrotherapy - Get Stimulated for ways to help optimize a fever.

There is a plethora of information out there about avoiding the flu.  The best thing you can do is get informed and make the best choices for you.  If you need professional help with that choice try a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor.   Naturopathic medicineis a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

For more information on disease surveillance in British Columbia:

www.gov.bc.ca/h1n1

www.healthlinkbc.ca

www.fightflu.ca

www.phac-aspc.gc.ca

www.bccdc.ca

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Cutting right to the chase (and not the cheese), it’s really important that our bowels move 1-3 times per day.  We eliminate toxins, metabolic waste products, microorganisms, hormones, cholesterol and heavy metals through our stool.  If you’re not moving your bowels regularly (every day) then toxins will build up in your body and make you sick (ranging from headaches, to skin diseases, to colon or rectal cancer).  It’s serious so I’ll say it again.  It’s really important that our bowels move 1-3 times per day.  It is the best way to naturally detoxify on a daily basis.

Use of over the counter and even herbal laxatives can cause dependence so it is best to avoid these.  I will discuss some easy, natural cures for constipation that not only relieve rectal rut but will also help to optimize our digestion so we get more food (nutrients) out of our food.

Natural Cures for constipation:

1.  Lemon water: Upon rising, drink a glass of room temperature water after adding one quarter to one half of a freshly squeezed lemon.  This acts to prime your digestive system so it is ready for the day’s food.

2.  Apple cider vinegar: Fifteen minutes before every meal, take 1 teaspoon of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.  This sour mouthful will stimulate the enzymes in your gut to start them working.

3.  Castor oil massage: Purchase Castor oil from your local health food store or pharmacy.  Try to find an organic one as it will be absorbed into your skin.  Pour about a tablespoon onto your belly and do an abdominal massage.  Using a small, circular motion, with the pad of 1-2 fingers, start on the lower, right side of your belly and then move up towards your ribcage and across to the top left side then down to the lower left and then across again to the right.  This is the direction food travels in your colon, so in this way you will help the food to move through.  Do a couple of cycles rather lightly and then increase the depth of the massage to your comfort level for a few more cycles.  Finish with one or two lighter cycles (see image below).

4.  Water: Often people get constipated because they are dehydrated.  Part of the function of your large intestine is to absorb water out of the food as it is being broken down and passed through your colon.  If you are well hydrated then your colon knows to absorb less water.  Conversely, if you are dehydrated your colon sucks up as much water as possible out of your stool which dries it out, compacts it and makes it harder to pass.  Drink half your weight (measured in pounds) in ounces of water per day.  If you weigh 150 pounds drink 75 ounces of water a day.  And nope, coffee or juice do not count.  Drink pure water, filtered or spring water; ideally out of glass and not Bis Phenol-A-laden plastics.

5.  Deep breathing: Not only is it relaxing, mood-modifying, detoxifying and stress-reducing you will find deep, abdominal breathing helps your nervous system and digestive system function better.  In combination with the rest of the items on this list of natural cures for constipation this will help your digestive system function optimally.

6.  Exercise: Even just brisk walking for 30 minutes a day can be enough to help with constipation.  Without trying to sound like a nagging doctor, you really need to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.

7.  Fiber: I’m not talking about creepy, viscous powders or cereals.  I’m talking vegetables which should be the focus of everyone’s diet.  Vegetables are packed full of nutrients and different types of fibers that help optimize the consistency of your stool.  Eat a rainbow of vegetables every day and aim for 5-10 servings a day.

8.  Acupuncture: Acupuncture can be really effective to improve constipation.  Talk to your local, licensed health care professional to find out how it can help you specifically.

9.  Colonics hydrotherapy: Another helpful tool to move your stool is getting a series of colonics treatments.  Click here to find out more about colonics hydrotherapy.

Naturopathic Medicine is a safe, effective and natural approach to you and your family’s health.  Naturopathic doctors can and will empower you to live a healthy lifestyle while treating and preventing disease.  Find more information on the services I offer at Arbour Wellness Centre at Nanaimo Naturopathic Doctor.

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