5 Things YOU Can Do About "Flu" and "Cold" Viruses

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Mardy Ross's picture

It is mid October now and I'm hearing reports of MANY people ill with viruses: cold or flu.  I spoke with an ER provider last week who said they're seeing 3x the usual number of people and was frustrated by people coming in who didn't need to come in.  So for all: contact your local health department by phone or website if you wonder about the symptoms of influenza versus cold viruses and then what 'secondary' illnesses can happen that might need treatment if you chose to go that route (such as antibiotics).  Other clinics may have helpful websites:  Our local Primary Care Partners has a website that they update about 'what we're seeing' in Grand Junction, for instance.  

Let's get back to focusing on influenza (and cold) virus.  So far what we are hearing is that H1N1 in it's current form (that has not mutated) is not being any more problematic to any one person statistically than the influenzas that go around every year.  There are a lot of people who have it and it does appear to be more problematic for younger than older.  There also are cold viruses going around, and the strategies below can work on your behalf for any type of virus.  If a person has a cold virus it is not appropriate to treat it with antibiotics unless it has gone into a 'secondary infection' such as bronchitis or there is a sinus infection.  Consult your medical provider and local health information sources (such as health department) if you have questions.

It's great if people read this BEFORE they get exposed, as these are somewhat preventative or you'll want to have them on hand.  Milton Hammerly, MD, provided this information related to an article about influenza virus.  He was my 'integrative medicine' MD in Denver back in the mid 1990s and influential on my health (in a good way!) which eventually provided the direction of my career path in creating Lumigrate.com).  He went into hospital system administration as the director of innovation, and went on to begin a PhD in conflict resolution.  (So the link to his website, which was originally furnished with this blog in 2009 was removed in our 2011 flu season review.)

"It goes without saying that the usual recommendations for good hygiene and preventive immunizations (if available, effective & safe) will reduce the likelihood of getting sick during flu season.  I'm glad to hear you're writing something that will share additional steps people can take to improve their odds of staying healthy this coming flu season.  ... Any self-care measures people can use to prevent or minimize illness could be very valuable.  In the bigger scheme of things, self-care has an important role to play in health care reform.  Continuing down the path of passive treatments for illness, after the fact, is unsustainable and illogical."
 
The five interventions Dr. Hammerly suggests are

  1. Relaxation techniques lower stress response/cortisol and improve immune function
  2. Vit D 1,000-2,000 IU per day compensates for the seasonal decline in sunshine we receive in fall/winter that reduces immune function
  3. Umcka at the first sign of infectious symptoms to stimulate immune function, if there is no underlying autoimmune disease, shortens both duration & severity of symptoms
  4. Colostrum during flu season for passive immune support
  5. It is also important to make sure you get adequate rest (7-8 hours of sleep per night) for optimal immune function.  Insufficient sleep has been shown to raise cortisol levels and lower immune function.

Thanks, Dr. Hammerly!  Now, for YOU reading, please help other people learn about this by forwarding this link to people, posting on your facebook tweeting, and good old-fashioned 'talking it up', and let's hope people stay as well as possible this flu season!  

Link to the previous/first blog about flu I wrote on Lumigrate.com: 

www.lumigrate.com/blog/news-coverage-h1n1-and-health-care-generally

Link to The Denver Post article by Nancy Lofholf, Western Slope Bureau Staff Writer:

www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_13284305

__________________

Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!

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ladayno213
Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Minimal
Joined: Aug 19 2009
Posts: 2
User offline. Last seen 14 years 25 weeks ago.
Re: 5 Things YOU Can Do About the Flu

Mardy's Note: This is something contributed back in 2009 which might not apply any longer but it was definitely a nice idea and smart marketing by Avon so I'm wanting to have people still have it available, I just wanted to point out the timeframe, as it is now the 2011/12 flu season! (as of this 'notation') ~ Mardy

Please, do not look at this as a sales pitch. It is NOT. I have not told you what district I am in, and this is not a company wide offer. I am just telling you what is being done in my area to help fight the cold and flu viruses.

I am an AVON representative. In my district, we have decided to hold an opportunity for organizations to raise money and help fight cold and flu viruses at the same time. We are offering any organization the opportunity to sell our Anti-bacterial hand gel and they will recieve 100% of the profits (Avon or it's reps will NOT make a profit from this). This way, a non-profit organization can raise money for their cause, and help fight germs that cause cold and flu at the same time. I thought this was a great idea when I got the e-mail from our district manager.

Remember, whenever you purchase ANY anti-bacterial hand gel, make sure it has at least 60% alcohol content. This is the minimum for it to be effective. Make sure you rub it around your hands for a minimum of  15 seconds then let it dry on it's own. Be generous when applying.

I also have fibromyalgia, and whenever I get sick, I feel it so much worse than the rest of my family, it also lasts much longer than it does for them. We have all gone to get our flu shots already, and we have asked our doctors office to notify us when the H1N1 Vaccine becomes available in their office.

I love the information I get from this site and the NFA site on Facebook. Thank you for being here.

 

Mardy Ross's picture
Mardy Ross
Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole
Joined: Feb 16 2009
Posts: 2032
User offline. Last seen 12 weeks 18 hours ago.
Great Avon Idea! Fundraiser helpers AND germ reduction.

That's a really neat offer, and thanks for coming in and commenting (and as always, supportive feedback about Lumigrate is welcome!).  I'm not sure about the alcohol piece though ... I thought I had heard that there are some that do not have alcohol that are effective and that have the advantage of not drying/cracking the skin, which of course then makes one more at risk for OTHER problems from the open area.    This is where the facebook page comes in handy, as I can survey the audience and I also will zip an email off to Dr. Hammerly and see if he knows.  So STAY TUNED I guess... and in the mean time, love our 'Avon Lady' writing and please follow up on their offer if it sounds like a thing your organization would be interested in!  Thanks! ~~  Mardy

__________________

Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!

DeeDee Shaw
Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Frequently
Joined: Oct 5 2009
Posts: 9
User offline. Last seen 12 years 32 weeks ago.
Re: 5 Things YOU Can Do About the Flu

I totally agree about good hygiene. I also use a colostrum-based immune support product called Immunostart. I think Colloidal Silver should also be in the cabinet. My family hasn't been to the doctor sick in over ten years. Good nutrition on the front end is key. If your immune system is properly tooled, you won't get sick. I have fibro too, but don't suffer from any of the symptoms anymore unless I slack off on supporting myself nutritionally or fall off the deep end eating junk food.

Mardy Ross's picture
Mardy Ross
Title: LumiGRATE Poster - Top of the Totem Pole
Joined: Feb 16 2009
Posts: 2032
User offline. Last seen 12 weeks 18 hours ago.
May 2015 Interview I like about colostrum

This has a lot of information in under an hour of time if you go and listen to the interview.  I like the way they usually give the overview in a visual, readable way at OneRadioNetwork and I think that Patrick does an excellent job interviewing people -- he has a big knowledge foundation but comes across as 'much like us', asking questions that he figures people would ask if they were the one interviewing THEN doing a few questions from the phone or emails that come in. 

oneradionetwork.com/health/anthony-kleinsmith-the-immune-building-and-anti-aging-benefits-of-colostrum-march-17-2015/

And here's what you'll find about this interview at this topic at The Morning Show with Patrick Timpone's website, OneRadioNetwork:

 

Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith

A Leading Authority on Colostrum


Dr. Anthony Kleinsmith is the President and founder of Immune Tree, Inc. He holds a Ph.D in Nutritional Science. He has 21 years of experience in the research of nutritional health. He has been formulating for Immune Tree as well as other companies around the world for the past 19 years. Dr. Kleinsmith has formulated and been involved with research for both human and animal health; and his product development has reached into Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America. His specialty and focus have been on anti-aging, immune enhancement/regulation, and weight loss. His work with recombinant forms of growth hormones lead him to solidify research on natural forms on the IGF-1/GH Super Family found in abundance in his colostrum.

 

Show Highlights:

-You cannot overdose on colostrum and is one of the few things that can cross the blood/brain barrier

-Doesn’t IGF1 cause cancer? Dr. Kleinsmith says ‘no’

-Why does bovine colostrum work in humans?

-Regrowing the thymus gland by using colostrum

-How do calves get their fill of colostrum if we’re taking the first milking?

-What’s the minimum dose to get the hgh effect?

-Colostrum’s benefits for the heart and arteries

-Is it normal for colostrum to have a cheesy smell?

-What does undenatured mean?

-How can we find out that the colostrum that we buy is sourced from humanely treated, grass-fed cows?

-If demand of this product really increases, how can we be sure that the quality of the product can be sustained?

and so much more!!

Kleinsmith

 

 

 

__________________

Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!

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