It’s cold and flu season! Are you wondering how to better support your immune system, especially now that there are so many different viruses going around, including the one that has disrupted our lives for the past two years?
I’m going to share with you what I do for myself and my family. Some of these suggestions are things you may already be doing. Not only will I share my basic daily protocol for winter season, but also what I add on if I start to feel like I’m catching something.
Here’s my daily cold and flu season mix:
Vitamin C – this is an absolute must for keeping your immune system strong. I like different kinds of Vitamin C, but when it comes to capsules, I prefer buffered options. Buffered Vitamin C protects your GI and keeps it from getting too acidic. Another favorite of mine is Liposomal Vitamin C from Designs For Health. This one is a liquid and needs to be refrigerated after opening. What I love about it is that it bypasses your digestive system and gets right into your bloodstream when you hold it under your tongue for about 30 seconds.
Vitamin D is an immune support powerhouse. I like Premier Research Labs Vitamin D serum. It comes in a drop form which is a great option, especially if you’re like me and get pill fatigue. Additionally, a drop formulation makes dosing super easy to control. Increasing or decreasing dosage (as needed) is very simple. The Premier Research Labs Vitamin D drops are dosed as one drop equals 1000 IU’s. There are also other excellent brands like Energetix Vitamin D3/K2 spray, Seeking Health D3/K2, Designs for Health and Nutritional Frontiers.
Zinc and Quercetin. Did you know that whenever you’re taking quercetin, you should also be taking zinc? It’s true! Quercetin is amazing for your immune system and is an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. One of the reasons quercetin is so helpful is because it is a known ionophore, meaning it helps the zinc to get into your cells faster and more efficiently! Zinc’s job then is to go in and kill the virus. So whenever you’re taking quercetin, make sure you have zinc on board at the same time. Side note: zinc should always be taken with food. If you’ve ever taken it on an empty stomach and experienced zinc nausea, you won’t soon forget it. Taking zinc after eating is most effective, so that the food coats your stomach first, preventing you from experiencing that miserable nausea.
My recommendations up to this point are the basics that I typically take on a daily basis during cold and flu season. But what do I add on when I or someone in my family is starting to catch something?
Elderberry. There are many great brands of elderberry available. Often, I like elderberry gummies as an option, because as I mentioned, I get tired of swallowing pills. One bonus to many of the elderberry gummy blends is that they also usually include vitamin C and zinc in the formulations as well. Brands I like include: Gaia, Nature’s Way Sambucus, Zand, and Nature’s Sunshine.
Viracid by Ortho Molecular is a combination of different herbs and vitamins that are very powerful in fighting off illness. Viracid is a synergistic blend of zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, L-lysine, and other nutrients which each play a major role in maintaining a healthy, functioning immune system. Because the zinc and vitamin C levels are not exceedingly high, Viracid can be taken while also taking zinc and vitamin C separately.
Immunomax by Nutritional Frontiers is another excellent immune blend that features multiple vitamins and nutrients such as Arabinogalactan and beta glucans. When starting to fight off some sort of illness, I’ll take either Viracid or Immunomax and follow the directions on the bottle.
Another trick up my sleeve is a homeopathic formula called V Clear EPs by Integrative Therapeutics. It is a cough syrup-like formula. You can take it for a cough, but it’s best used when you first start noticing that you’re catching a bug. Many times, you can knock out an upper respiratory illness before it starts by using V Clear EPS.
Another absolute game changer when starting cold or flu symptoms is Immune Season by Herb Pharm. I love this product and always have it in my purse. I carry it at my office, and also have it at home to start as soon as we feel a scratchy or sore throat coming on. It is sprayed in the back of your throat and can be repeated throughout the day. If caught early enough, this one has saved me many times from a full blown viral infection.
And I saved the best for last. I don’t ever like to be without this one because it gives the most powerful immune punch. VIVI Virox from Systemic Formulas. It smells almost like cherry because it has bitter almond in it along with Pau D’arco and a few other ingredients. This one has stopped a full blown upper respiratory illness in me and my family more times than I can count during cold and flu season. Because it has to be purchased from a practitioner, and it can be tough to find. If you’re looking for it, I carry it at my office. I believe in it so much that I carry 3 different formulations: capsules, tincture, and homeopathic drops.
As a quick go-to, I keep all of these supplements in a bag at home that I affectionately refer to my cold and flu season bag (aka “the black bag”). I also carry the infamous black bag every time we travel. You know how it is traveling with family, it’s not unusual for someone to start coming down with a scratchy throat or a stuffy nose, and the sooner you can give your immune system some extra support, the better.
If you’re looking to start on any of these supplements, reach out to your healthcare practitioner first. We are all bio-individual, and what works well for one person may not be a great fit for another. So please make sure you do check with someone on your healthcare team first before you start adding new herbs that can be powerful.
Keep in mind, I don’t take all of these at one time. Please do not stock up and start taking all of these supplements! I will take vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and quercetin all at the same time. Then, I pick and choose depending on what I have going on at any particular time. Immune Season spray is my number one go to first, because typically, if it’s mild, this spray will get rid of the illness right away. The other recommendations I do have on hand in case I start having to add more power.
I hope you found these suggestions to be helpful. It’s always good to have effective immune supports on hand during the winter months. Please reach out if you have any questions!