Cold season has started again and the flu is on its way too. Each year, millions of people get sick in Canada and worldwide.

As you probably heard, the most “popular” cough and cold over-the-counter medications for children had been recently pulled off the shelves.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than 1,500 toddlers
and babies required emergency room visits over a two-year period because of the
drugs.  The FDA has stated that children under 2 should receive no cold medicine
and an outside expert panel states that no cold medicine should be given to
children under 6.

Is there a safer alternative?

Yes, there are many natural ways to stay healthy in winter time. Healthy eating habbits and physical exersise will make a difference.

In my practice I have been successfully using the Cold and Flu Prevention Program for children and adults starting every October.

This program is carefully designed for every patient individually. It might include a healthy diet, homeopathic medicine, medicinal herbs and supplements.

Homeopathic medicine at home

Do you have your first aid homeopathic kit ready? Ask your homeopathic doctor how to use homeopathic remedies for your family for minor problems.

Below are just a few examples of homeopathic remedies that encourage your body to heal itself quickly.

• Allium Cepa  is useful in case when you have burning nasal discharges and watery burning eyes.  Symptoms are usually worse in a warm room, and in the evening; better in open air and in a cold room.
• Euphrasia   relieves cold that has been settled down mostly in eyes. The eyes are watery all the time, copious burning tears. You might feel worse in the evening, and in a warm room.
• Natrum Muriaticum   helps in case when you nose is running non-stop. Nasal discharges are clear and might look like raw egg whites. Lips may be dry and cracked.
• Metallum Album  is beneficial in case if you feel very chilly, restless, and change places frequent. The nose is constantly running and the watery discharges are burning, so the wings of the nose become irritated.
• Aconite  is very useful at the onset of cold and fever, especially if they are caused by exposure to dry cold wind. The onset is sudden and accompanied by red face, burning heat, intense thirst for cold water.
• Belladonna  is the first remedy to think of  in case of sudden onset of symptoms. You might feel very hot, congested, with a red face and a throbbing headache. Throat might feel dry and painful. It’s a great children’s remedy.
• Colubrina  might be needed if you feel very irritable and chilly. Your nose can be stuffed up, especially at night.

Supplements:

• Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory, immune boosting/antioxidant qualities.
• Zinc increases immune system function.
• Beta-carotene helps clear mucous membranes of bronchi
• Garlic is a natural antibacterial

Medicinal herbs:

• Echinacea/Goldenseal: Increase and support the immune system and are natural antibiotics.
• Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus Senticosus) is a very unique immune regulator

A little bit of Aromatherapy:

• Thyme Steam

Thyme is an excellent decongestant for the nose and lungs. 4 drops of thyme essential oil can be added to a humidifier or aromatherapy burner. Fresh or dried leaves of the herb can be added to a bowl of hot water for older children who know how to inhale steam in this manner.

• Eucalyptus Oil

Is a fantastic natural decongestant and can be used in a vaporizer, oil burner or dabbed on a cotton ball and placed in your child’s pillowcase.

Are you stressed?

Meditate, don’t medicate! Stress-reducing therapies, such as hypnosis, have been found to improve immune function. Meditation and yoga may achieve similar results. Relaxation has proved effective in treating recurrent symptoms of cold and flu in children

Good nutrition:

• Balanced diet is essential for resisting and recovering from a cold. Fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, garlic, pulses, beans, fish, nuts and seeds increase resistance to infection and improve vitality.
• Take plenty of fluids to flush toxic by-products out of the body as quickly and efficiently as possible. The ideal liquids are water and fresh vegetable juice. Red beet juice makes the flu virus inactive. Parsley, celery, watercress, garlic, lemon, carrot and coconut juices are nourishing and help to cleanse and promote healing.
• For a day or two, consume only liquids-water, juices, teas, and soups. Digesting liquids requires a lot less energy than digesting foods. This means that your body has more energy to fight the flu.
• Consume easily digested foods such as juices, lemonade (hot or cold), herbal teas, applesauce, and lots of nourishing broth and homemade soups.
• Avoid dairy products and sugar. They increase and thicken mucus. Study shows that a compound in milk triggers the release of histamine, a chemical that makes chest, sinus, and nasal congestion worse.
• Garlic can also help ward off a cold by inhibiting the growth of staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria
• Did you know..

Mothers everywhere have been offering chicken soup to sick people for centuries. A prominent Jewish physician and philosopher Maimonides recommended it way back in the 12th century.

A scientific study performed by the University of Nebraska Medical Center showed that chicken soup stops the movement of certain white blood cells -neutrophils, that eat up bacteria and cellular debris.

"What we showed was that chicken soup has a very mild effect at slowing the migration of one of these cells,” said Dr. Stephen Rennard, professor of medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. "Therefore, chicken soup may have a very mild anti-inflammatory action, and this potentially could contribute to some of the so-called medicinal activities that people have attributed to chicken soup," Rennard said. Adding pepper to chicken soup also can help to clear a stuffy nose, doctors say.

• Ginger Tea

Ginger promotes perspiration and helps eliminate chills. Place an amount equal to one and a half teaspoons of peeled and coarsely grated fresh ginger root in a teapot or bowl and pour over one and a half cups of boiling water. Cover and let it cool down to warm. Add a dash of honey and a couple drops of lemon juice to taste.

• Chicken soup

When a cold or flu begins making the rounds in my family I do what my mother and my grandmother used to do: I cook a batch of chicken soup.

Here is a secret of a wonderful Recipe from my Grandmother:

Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot, and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to boil. Skim off the foam. Add one large onion, three carrots, three celery sticks, one bunch of parsley, and leek. Reduce the heat and simmer very slowly for about 1.5 hours. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Remove the chicken. Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine. Or strain the broth and drink it from a cup. Enjoy the taste and aroma! Stay healthy!