5 Amazing Cold and Flu Remedies You Don’t Want to Miss!

Now that cold and flu season is in full swing, I thought I would let you in on some great measures to take to beef up your immunity. This will help you to  have fewer sick days and less doctor visits. If you do catch something, you’ll fight it quicker, too!

For the first 10 years of our marriage and parenthood, most of our family would get sick in December with some kind of serious cold, flu or stomach bug. It was miserable. Christmas was spent with illness year after year. I couldn’t figure out why we had this recurring problem, but I had to do something. Three years ago I made some changes that have kept us well during the holidays, and we have had much fewer illnesses throughout the year, with less healing time when we do catch something. Also, one of our daughters has mild asthma. She used to have a wet cough for 4 months during the winter.  These 5 things that I’ve added to our lives has beat that chronic cold for the past 2 winters!

Here is my protocol for keeping us well:

1. Vitamin D3  –  This one is crucial for staying well. It’s the first one we added (3 years ago) that made a huge improvement on our health. Vitamin D fights infections as it regulates the expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. An article by Dr. Mercola states that [a study done in Japan, showed that schoolchildren taking 1,200 units of vitamin D per day during the winter time reduced their risk of getting influenza A infection by about 40 percent.

He goes on to say, “I believe it’s far more prudent, safer, less expensive, and most importantly, far more effective to optimize your vitamin D levels than to get vaccinated against the flu.”]  In our home, most of us take 4000 iu’s in the morning. Our 12 year old takes 3000 iu’s and our 6 year old takes 400 iu’s (here is a good one for little ones).  Here’s our favorite Vitamin D3. Make sure you get enough magnesium in your day to properly absorb the vitamin D3 without side effects.

We use Natural Calm at night, which you can find here.  Some of us had insomnia taking vitamin D3 until we added the magnesium at night. Here’s a great article about the possible side effects of Vitamin D3. And here’s another great article about how vitamin D3 helped us with colds and flu.

2. Beta-1, 3-D Glucan   –   I recently had the privilege of hearing A.J. Lanigan speak about the importance of Beta Glucan in boosting immunity. He is the immunologist that discovered Beta Gucan. I was fascinated by the many benefits of Beta Glucan, but in a nut shell, Beta Glucan increases our immunity by up to 30%. Our first experience with Beta Glucan was 6 years ago when the Swine flu swept our area.

My girls and I got the swine flu together and were down with it for days, while my husband was completely untouched by it. He was taking Beta Glucan and the rest of us weren’t. One of Beta Glucan’s uses is specifically for preventing the flu. Now we all use it and not only do I have more energy, but I also have fewer headaches. Apparently, Beta Glucan also regulates Corticosterone which helps with stress and pain, hence the improvement with headaches.

My husband takes 200-500mg per day.  My teens and I take 100mg, and my 6 year old takes 1/3 of a capsule mixed into nut butter. Here’s where we get our Beta Glucan.

3. Colloidal Silver  – Colloidal Silver is a flu preventative, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory. It is great for pink eye, sinusitis, pneumonia, wound care and skin health. This product is a staple in our house. We use it at the onset of cold and flu symptoms, and continue to use it until our symptoms are gone. It has truly helped us to get well much quicker with less symptoms.

We use it at the onset of cold and flu symptoms, and continue to use it until our symptoms are gone. It has truly helped us to get well much quicker with less symptoms.

Dr. Axe has a great article on the 8 Colloidal Silver Benefits and Uses. Check it out here.  Here’s one that I recommend using. You can also get it in nasal spray here.

4. Goldenseal  –  If you haven’t tried Goldenseal, it’s time! This powerful herb is essential for fighting off anything bacterial. Goldenseal has numerous uses that are attributed to its antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. It soothes irritated mucus membranes aiding the eyes, ears, nose and throat. Taken at the first signs of respiratory problems, colds or flu, Goldenseal  can help to prevent further symptoms from developing.  It has also been used to help reduce fevers, and relieve congestion and excess mucous.  I use this one in conjunction with Colloidal Silver if the symptoms seem to be getting worse. It really makes a cold or flu go away quicker and with less severity. It really cuts down on the use of antibiotics, which have been shown to increase cancer risk after just 2 doses! You can read more about that

It soothes irritated mucus membranes aiding the eyes, ears, nose and throat. Taken at the first signs of respiratory problems, colds or flu, Goldenseal  can help to prevent further symptoms from developing.  It has also been used to help reduce fevers, and relieve congestion and excess mucous.  I use this one in conjunction with Colloidal Silver if the symptoms seem to be getting worse. It really makes a cold or flu go away quicker and with less severity. It really cuts down on the use of antibiotics, which have been shown to increase cancer risk after just 2 doses! You can read more about that

It really makes a cold or flu go away quicker and with less severity. It really cuts down on the use of antibiotics, which have been shown to increase cancer risk after just 2 doses! You can read more about that here. It also destroys our bodies good gut flora, which is essential for optimal health and digestion. Here’s the one we use.

5. Coconut Oil  –  This is the oil that I use the most. It has so many health benefits that it’s astounding! For this article I’ll focus on the fact that coconut oil has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

It is a powerhouse for keeping our immune systems strong. I use it for sautéing, I put it on my steamed or roasted veggies, and I use it in my baking.  According to this article by Dr. Axe: Coconut has a special ingredient, which makes it excellent for fighting microbes, called lauric acid. In the body, lauric acid is converted into monolaurin, which has anti viral, anti protozoan and anti microbial properties. Monolaurin can help fight the following lipid coated viruses:•    Measles•    Influenza Virus•    Herpes•    Different kinds of infectious bacteria•    Parasites such as Giardia and Lamblia.

You can read more about the amazing benefits of coconut oil here. I highly recommend that you add these remedies to your routine to keep well and stay well. And, let me know what your favorite all natural remedies are. I’d love to hear from you!