Cold & Flu Busters!

It's about that time of year. Anyone living in a town big enough to be colonized by Walmart has a 99% chance of catching a cold. If you're a parent, multiply your risk factor by the number of children you have times the number of classmates they have at school. Just the other day on the news, they mapped the spread of this season's flu virus in the southwestern United States. It's safe to say cold and flu season is officially here.

Is it hopeless? Maybe not. We have the traditional options that may or may not ease our suffering. Here's why I'm not happy about these choices. Yes, flu shots are available. But it seems like half the people who get 1 fall sick to the vaccine. Their immunity isn't strong enough to handle even the weakened (or supposedly killed) flu virus in the vaccination. Antibiotics have never been the answer. From a technical perspective, the overwhelming majority of antibiotics are equipped to fight off bacteria – not viral illnesses like the flu.

Then we have over-the-counter cold remedies. Do not be mistaken. These products don't actually cure you. They only mask the symptoms by blocking your body’s natural response. For example, your body develops a fever to create an inhospitable environment for the virus. You should also note there have been some recent health warnings regarding any cold medicines that contain Acetaminophen. While this ingredient is marginally more effective at relieving symptoms when compared to other over-the-counter drugs, it is very toxic to the body and can even cause organ failure. It’s just not worth it. As the saying goes, there is no cure for the common cold.

However, there are some natural remedies that can fight off the cold and flu (or at least lessen the symptoms) more effectively than drugs and without the side effects. Honey is already known for its antioxidants, soothing an itchy throat, and antimicrobial activity. But there is a special kind called Manuka honey that is revered for having the highest level of immunity-boosting properties and is perfect for colds. There are whole scientific research units dedicated to the study of its health properties (the most referenced being Waikato University in New Zealand). This can be taken preventatively or at the time symptoms occur. Look for 1 with a minimum UMF rating of 10+. UMF 16+ to 18+ is ideal. Averaging $20 for a small bottle, it’s not exactly cheap. So far for me, it has lived up to its hype making it well worth the price. Its far more effective than zinc lozenges, vitamin C, or Echinacea as well. Note: do NOT feed honey to a baby less than 1 year of age. It can cause botulism.

For the flu, Elderberry extract is the best thing to take. This should be taken while symptoms are occurring. The flu will still run its course. Although you should notice a significant improvement in the way you feel. Learn to recognize the difference between cold and flu symptoms. Otherwise you may not see the recovery time you were hoping for. Common flu symptoms include:
• Severe fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Coughing
• Congestion
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Alternatively, you can take a short quiz on the Mayo Clinic website to assess your symptoms ... http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/flu-symptoms/FU00013.

Hopefully I got this post out to you just in time to beat the cold and flu.

UPDATE: I'm usually 1 of the first to get sick when cold season comes around. I no longer use cold medications because of the bad ingredients and how they work. And I've had no noticeable improvement with zinc lozenges, Airborne, or echinacea. This is my personal experiment to see if my new combination of cold fighters does the trick. From what I can tell, the manuka honey has helped me fight off 3 colds before they could go full-blown. The last 1 had stronger symptoms, so I took some additional steps to make sure I didn't fall ill. First, I began supplementing with Host Defense (made by New Chapter) which is a formula of medicinal mushrooms. There are quite a few recent studies that report the immune-enhancing abilities of mushrooms like Maitake, Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, and others. They are excellent for boosting your body's natural defenses (increased production of interleukins, NK cells, etc). This complements the manuka honey well, which prevents colds with its natural antimicrobial compounds. Second, I took a long, hot shower. Hot showers increase the core temperature of your body, simulating a fever in a way. Most bugs can only handle a small temperature range. The result? The cold didn't stand a chance. I think I figured out the magic formula to beating the cold! ;)

Memoirs of an organic man

I'm the primary author of the Beyond Organic website, and welcome to our blog! I'm sure you're all wondering, is this guy for real? Was he always living this healthy? Let me start with the latter. There was a point in my life when I was the quintessential fast food junkie. Microwave chef of TV dinners. A "save the vegetables" advocate. And coming from Seattle, savant of strong Starbucks coffee. I still looked good based on outwards appearances, and I liked to joke it's from all the preservatives I've been eating. But I had a little problem that amounted to chronic fatigue. After 14 years of living an unhealthy lifestyle, I grudgingly woke up 1 morning and thought to myself ... "I wonder how I'd feel if I just took care of myself for once. Some of my 40-something acquaintances are racking up another health problem, another prescription drug. That's going to be me soon".

So I had this brilliant idea of doing some online research to figure out what the ultimate multi-vitamin would be. Found some other great supplements along the way too. And then I can keep eating what I want, right? But the more I researched, the more I realized that there's a problem with the processed foods I'm eating. I need to start eating better too. I began looking for all-natural food items (which initially was very hard to do, by the way, in a normal supermarket). Your choices are fruits, vegetables, and meat. Almost everything in the other isles is tainted with chemicals, additives, and preservatives. Should I not be surprised? Luckily I found stores that cater more to what I'm looking for. The bigger problem though is I'm no cook. I got to thinking ... my ex-girlfriend could cook. Why couldn't I appreciate that more about her? What have I done? Well, I was willing to give it the old college try. I just hoped that there were no food ingredients that can cause reactions like in chemistry class. Laugh if you want. Hot oil and water is 1 of them, as I learned very quickly.

My research began to take me on different tangents. What do you mean sewer sludge is used in conventionally grown vegetables? What? Plastic is bad for us? No! Not Viagra and pain killers in tap water! So all this led me to start eating organic, then filtering my water, and even switching out my personal care products. It was a quick, but gradual progression.

I'm sure your next question is, "And how did all these changes make you feel"? You know, when you're used to feeling like &#&%! all the time, you never realize you felt bad to begin with. But at the onset, seems like every 3 months some aspect of my health noticeably improved. And seeing each improvement was encouraging. It made me want to get more serious about it, learn more, and just revel in my new healthy feeling. Sure, I still treat myself on rare occasions. Not much you can do when travelling. But now I find that I don't even want fast food anymore. It turns my stomach. So here I am ... the new me. I started the website, because I'm excited about sharing what I know. And if you have some health tips - I want to hear about it. Share it with everyone here at the Beyond Organic Blogspot. Until next week, Ciao.