The flu season of 2017-18 has been a doozy in the Wellness
aisle at Weaver Street Market in North Carolina -- a steady stream of folks complaining
of odd throat sensations, coughs, headaches, sinus pressure, or worse. Folks
describe their whole family as under the weather, with some members feeling
lousy, some recovered, and some down for the count. They are afraid because
their young children are being hit hard. And they are concerned about their
elderly parents, I hear about some nursing homes in Tennessee that are
requiring all residents to be quarantined in their room, only permitting visits
by face-masked aides who deliver meals and check on their wellbeing.
I listened closely as folks describe to me what they’re
looking for. I always ask them what is working for them now and what has worked
for them in the past. The answers are diverse, but telling.
Sleep? Required! Folks who sleep for 12 hours a night on
consecutive nights often bounce back quickly. (Note to self: Go to bed early.)
I watch as they point towards bottles of Elderberry, Echinacea, Andrographis, Oregano
oil, Olive leaf extract, Oscillococcinum, Colloidal Silver, Vitamin C, Vitamin D,
Zinc, or herbal complex products with names like Wellness Formula and Quick
Defense. They tell me that this or that works for them every time. The
consistent drumbeat of success from these herbs and nutritional supplements is
so confirming to me. I feel so privileged to hear success stories from people
who have tried something new. Sometimes I hear failures – this didn’t do
anything, or that stopped working after a while. I’ll discuss this later. But
let it suffice that when folks take supplements properly, they have a good
chance of working.
Notably, Elderberry earns her distinction as the Queen of
Herbs. This cold season of 2017-18 the Elderberry has overtaken Echinacea as
the herb of choice. An extract sweetened with honey and flavored with cinnamon
and cloves acts immediately to render the flu weak and to minimize the length
of her unwelcome visit. Over and over and over again I hear stories of people
infected with the flu from contacts in boardrooms and bedrooms. Wives whose
husbands were down with the flu time after time with a pernicious flu that just
won’t let go of its grip. But the wife’s episode would last a mere 3 days, if
she gets it at all. The lesson here is that people who take immediate action
get immediate results. The bigger picture lesson here is that people who build
up their immune system hardly suffer at all. The sad and unfortunate lesson is
that those who don’t prepare, well, they tank. There may be other ways to build
the immune system, but I’m talking about herbs and nutritional supplements
here, so let’s hold off on using alternate modalities for the sake of focus.
The difference between the soarers and the tankers? The most
common scenario is that she’s been taking elderberry extract daily for weeks.
Then she switched to elderberry syrup when her husband got sick. He continues
to go downhill, toughing it out, and poo-pooing anything resembling alternative
(read: fake) medicine. She rolls her eyes saying she can’t change him. And
snatches a new bottle of elderberry. How does the elderberry work in our
bodies? Naturally occurring bioflavonoids and vitamins A and C act as
antioxidants, preventing invaders from entering the cells. Sounds like good
science. Cool beans!
Herbs are most effective when they are taken properly. As a general rule, this usually means that
they are consumed between meals, when the stomach is empty. To get the full
therapeutic value of blueberries, for instance, it is counterproductive to eat
them as a topping for ice-cream. Herbs prefer that they have the whole
attention of the body. I like to take my elderberry tincture first thing in the
morning, before I’ve begun making my coffee and toast.
Lets talk about flexibility. As you become more familiar
with herbs, you will notice that they can lose their effectiveness over time.
They work for a while, and then they don’t. I’ve heard people complain about
this they way they complain that their shampoo doesn’t work well for them any
longer. In both instances, a lesson regarding flexibility is at play. Consider
our food, for instance. It is common knowledge and even intuitively correct
that eating a variety of food is healthier than eating the same meal over and
over. Have you noticed that even when you binge on your favorite meal, over
time you become less excited about it? Take it away for a week or a month, and
then reintroduce it, and the taste is so much more exciting. We like the
difference. Vive la difference! Same
with herbs. Nature has provided us with many means to help us with what ails
us. So after a few months taking elderberry tincture, you might be drawn to gargle
with Colloidal Silver for a spell. When the winter sun gives you the blues, how
about some extra Vitamin D to keep your levels up? Or something from the
kingdom of mushrooms -- how about Reishi in August just to get things going in
the right direction, anticipating the slower energy of Autumn and preparing for
the upcoming winter winds? Going on a trip? How about a couple solid rounds of
good quality Probiotics? After all, science has shown that our gut is the
powerhouse for our immune system. I have a gut feeling that they’re right. There
are a lot of shared germs on airplanes… people breathing the same air over and
over again. Ugh! Makes me want to pop some Bifidobacterium
Lactis. I like to take a teaspoon of elderberry tincture in the springtime
because the Quercetin in it helps mitigate my spring allergies. Technically it’s
reducing the histamine response. The inflammation is reduced and we experience
less discomfort. Some folks take Colloidal Silver regularly for a spell. See
how rotating through herbs and nutritional supplements builds a powerful immune
system, and how herbs can make you a more flexible person? Who wants to be
rigid anyway?
I’m not saying that every one of these remedies is right for
everyone. In fact nothing is right for everyone all the time. So choosing which
remedy is right is the tricky part. Keeping a journal about what’s working and
what’s not working is helpful as a reference guide. Working with an herbalist
and a nutritionist is also an excellent way to receive professional guidance.
Paying attention your intuitive skills is a wonderful way to listen to your
internal guidance, and a great place to hone your intuition is in the Wellness
aisle.
A discussion about taking herbs properly wouldn’t be
complete without discussing the surprise attack. Taking the supplement upon the
first sign of invasion can pop the invader clear out of the system. I enjoy hearing
from folks who tell me that they took one round of (you fill in the blank) and
the tickle in the back of the throat just went right away. It makes me laugh
because I look at the bookcase of shelves we have to choose from, and they
point to this or to that, and they swear by it. It’s kinda like auto repair
stations. Obviously every one of them have loyal customers or they wouldn’t be
in business. But in this case I am wondering which of the answers the wheel of
fortune is going to land on, and they are so very convinced and convincing. I
love witnessing their joy. Have you ever experienced anything like this? It’s
kind of like remembering an imaginary event. You wake up at the crack of dawn,
noticing that there is a little tickle in the back of the throat. You take one
or another remedy that you have on hand. (Note to self, have SOMETHING to
take.) You go back to sleep cause the alarm clock hasn’t rung yet. You wake up
and wonder if that throat thing was real? Did I go the kitchen, or was that a
dream? If you haven’t experienced something like this I hope you do. And tell
me about it. Makes my day.
