Home Hydrotherapy for Colds and Flu

Hydrotherapy, the use of water as a healing therapy, is a powerful tool to add to your home health kit, especially during the cold and flu season.

The physiological basis of hydrotherapy is that cold water causes constriction of superficial blood vessels which is stimulating, while hot water causes expansion of vessels and is relaxing.  When used in alternation a pumping effect is created which can increase circulation, decrease inflammation and improve elimination.

You probably use hydrotherapy and don't even realize it. Anytime one places a cool, wet washcloth on a feverish forehead hydrotherapy is being used.  Taking a cold shower after a sauna, soaking in an epsom salt bath, using a tepid bath to bring down a fever and taking a cold rinse after a hot shower are all examples of hydrotherapy.

While there are many hydrotherapy treatments there are two that are commonly used in our home and serve as powerful healing tools.  The first one, called "Warming Socks", is great to use when someone is "coming down with something" as it is relaxing and can help increase circulation removing the potein byproducts of inflammation which cause stagnation.   The second "Alternating Hot and Cold Compresses to the Chest" is used when an illness goes into the chest or lungs as it creates a pumping effect as the cold constricts and the hot open vessels creating a pumping action which helps the lungs to clear excess fluid and congestion. It is great for soothing coughs and relaxing someone who is uncomfortable.

Warming sock treatment 

Supplies:

• white, cotton socks
• wool socks

1) Take a hot bath, shower or foot bath.  Dry feet.

2)  Soak socks in cold water or run under cold water in tap.  Wring out.

3) Place cold, wet socks on your feet followed by wool socks.  It's ok to put adult sized wool socks on the wee ones.  I just fold down the cuffs.  Don't worry about getting the bed wet as the wool will prevent that.

3) Go to bed.

 While you sleep your body will warm up the wet socks creating a warm compress on your feet which will increase circulation and help draw congestion out of other parts of your body and can help to improve fevers, sore throats, sinus infections, headaches and head congestion.  This is a great treatment for children as it is very relaxing and helps them to sleep, plus they think it’s fun to go to bed wearing wet socks!  You will be amazed that when you wake from your nap or sleep your white socks will be completely dry!  Check out my friend Dr Heather Manley's video (performed by her daughters) - a step by step guide on how to do "Magic Socks."  I like that in lieu of a shower or foot bath their family does a little foot massage to warm up the foot before applying the cold wet socks.

Hydrotherapy for Chest Congestion and Cough 

A great way to bring increased circulation to chest.  Also relaxing and tends to quiet cough allowing for sleep.

Supplies:

• dry hand towel
• 2 washcloths
• 1 sheet
• wool blanket

1. Place wool blanket on a bed
2. Place a cotton sheet on top of the blanket
3. Have child lie on the sheet and wrap child up like a burrito (feet first then sides), first with sheet, then with wool blanket.
4. Open covers quickly to expose patient’s chest and place a hot, wrung-out washcloth on patient’s chest from armpits to belly button. Place dry towel on top to prevent sheet getting very wet.  Wrap back up in sheet and blanket as before and leave on for 5 min.  Let patient relax.
5. Quickly remove warm cloth and replace with a wrung-out cold wet washcloth with dry towel on top, re-wrapping as before.  Leave on for at least 10 minutes or until patient warms washcloth with body heat.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 on the back while child lies on stomach.  If you prefer you can perform treatment twice on the chest while they remain on their back is ok too, especially if coughing is quelled with treatment as it can start back up when turning over totheir stomach and breathing may be more difficult.
7. Remove anything wet so patient can sleep.  They will often sleep very soundly with less coughing after this treatment.

This treatment can be modified to use on the throat or areas of the body where circulation needs to be increased, such as after a bite, muscle strain or sprain or injury.

Homeopathic Remedies for Common Ailments

These are the remedies that I have used the most in my practice and at home with my children. Of course there are hundreds of homeopathic remedies, this is the minimum amount that I suggest you keep on hand so that you have them when you need them. Homeopathic Remedies are safe and non-toxic. They do not react with any other medications or herbal preparations. You do not have to wonder about drug interactions with homeopathics the way you do with herbal medicine and even nutritional supplements. Don’t be afraid to try them as they will not hurt your child. They do act on a very deep, energetic level and will affect the overall balance of your child’s body. Whether a child receives the right or wrong homeopathic remedy he will benefit from having taken a homeopathic medicine. You can experiment if you don’t get the right remedy the first time and try another one. Generally wait an hour or so between remedies and don’t give more than three different remedies in one day.

Aconite (aconitum napellis). This is the homeopathic remedy, next to Arnica, that you will use the most. With Aconite think: suddenness of symptoms, restlessness, fever, anxiety, agitation, thirst. Your child wakes in the middle of the night with a fever, earache or croup, go to Aconite first. Suddenly your child has a hot fever and is whiney and restless, think Aconite. After playing outside without a coat on an unpredictable spring day your child comes in complaining of not feeling well, is warm and can’t find a comfortable position on the couch, think Aconite. The fever can alternate with chills. Exposure to wind, cold or shock can precede illness. This remedy is only for the first 24 hours after onset of symptoms. After that try a different remedy.

Sudden onset of symptoms
Child goes to bed fine but wakes around midnight with a cough, earache, croup, cold or fever
Restlessness, agitation, anxiety, fear
Symptoms after exposure to cold, dry winds or in seasons when days are warm and night is cold
Asthma, bleeding, fever, cold, cough, influenza, sore throat, etc

Belladonna. Also comes on suddenly. There is a fever, red face, hot dry skin, sensitivity to light and jarring and headache. A very red sore throat, pounding headache, nagging cough or other throbbing and inflammatory symptoms. Hands and feet are often cold despite high fever. Chills and heat may alternate. Glassy-eyed. Over sensitive to pains, pains feel unbearable, then they disappear for a while, suddenly reoccuring. Pains throbbing, stitching, stabbing. All senses hypersensitive – noises too loud, light too bright, touch hurts, etc and this worsens pain. Starting, jerking, twitching, spasms even in sleep. Pupils dilated. Anger. May bite, hit, groan. See lights and colors, or monsters when eyes closed. Delirious. Wild dreams, restless, jerky sleep. Tends to be thirstless. (think: strep throat)

Mucous membranes dry and very red (angry red)
Very intense emotions: delirious, anger
Unbearable throbbing, stitching, stabbing pains
All senses hypersensitive
Usually thirstless but may desire tiny sips of ice water
Earache, teething, strep throat, headache, cough, (colic) etc.

Chamomilla. Irrepressible irritability associated with teething. Nothing but rocking and carrying child brings relief. One cheek red and hot, other cold and pale. Head warm and moist with sweat. This is the typical picture of the teething child/toddler where they are refusing sleep around 9 PM and are very fickle and capricious. Nothing pleases them. Very demanding yet fickle, you give them what they ask for and they throw it on the floor. Pointing at things they can’t have and having a tantrum when they can’t have it. Sour smell to sweat, body fluids. Don’t over prescribe (it works so well) because they can build up a tolerance to it.

Very irritable, capricious, fickle
One cheek red and hot, the other not
Angry/temper tantrum
Hypersensitive
Sleepless
Greenish stool that looks like spinach
Teething, toothache, anger, earache, (diarrhea, colic, indigestion) etc

Gelsemium Sempervens. For the very weak child who is content to lie still and has a mild fever with chills. Limp, listless, apathetic. Half-open eyes, eyelids feel heavy. Partially flushed face. Wants to stay in bed as much as possible, may be too tired to fall asleep and stay asleep. Hands, feet, tongue, voice may tremble. Chills up and down back. Profuse urination and feels better afterward. Symptoms come on slowly, unlike Belladonna and Aconite.

Physical and mental weakness and exhaustion
Heaviness of eyelids and extremities
No thirst
Trembling and quivering
Listless, drowsy, apathy

Ferrum Phosphoricum. Good for initial stages of inflammatory conditions when you aren’t quite sure yet what is going on. Child is clearly not feeling well, may be slightly flushed, not themselves, but there are no outstanding features to describe how they are looking, acting or feeling. Throat may be a little sore, some fever. This remedy can either help the disease process along to the next stage or it can head it off at the pass.

Headache, fever, sore throat, cough, earache
Early stages of illness without outstanding features
Apis. Swelling. Think very boggy, swollen, red, shiny tonsils. Burning and stinging pains worse warmth and better from cold and cold applications. Hives and skin rashes relieved by cold.
Sore throat, conjunctivitis, chicken pox, allergies, hives, insect bites
Swelling, burning, stinging pain better cold applications

Oscillococcinum. A must for every medicine cabinet. As soon as one has the common symptoms of a viral infection or influenza: achiness, chills, throat becoming sore, becoming feverish, etc. follow the instructions on the box. This has been scientifically tested and it really works when used in the very earliest stages of illness. Can take preventatively after having been around people with influenza.

Early stages of illness with chills, fever, headache, stomach discomfort, achiness that you fear could become aviral infection or influenza

Pulsatilla. Child clingy, crying, wants to be held constantly and craving emotional attention. These kids are very sweet, not angry or irritable. Thick yellow or greenish discharge from nose worse at night or in a warm room. Nose gets congested when lying down causing child to breathe through mouth. Child feels better in open air, may ask to go outside or being outside improves symptoms. I have seen this remedy work great for kids in the early stages of congestion and cough when they are clingy and whiney. Also one of the first remedies to think of with earache. Symptoms often come on after consumption of very rich food (birthday party).

Lack of thirst
Whiney and clingy, want to be held
Congestion, cough, earache, common cold,
Symptoms better in open air

Arsenicum Album. The diarrhea remedy. Take with you when you travel if you could get Montezuma’s revenge. No trip to a third world country is complete without it. Frequent bouts of offensive-smelling, burning diarrhea and nausea with burning vomit. Child is restless and anxious with great discomfort and might exclaim that they are dying. This person is high strung and anxious about their condition and desperate to feel better. Also for watery, profuse nasal secretions that produce cold sores accompanied by sharp burning sensations of the mucous membranes of the nose, where the nose is blocked and sneezing does not bring relief (sinusitis).

Physical and mental restlessness with anxiety that condition will worsen (am I dying, I feel like dying, I am never going to get better)
Burning pains and discharges
Traveler’s diarrhea
Very chilly
Very thirsty but only for sips at a time
Diarrhea, influenza, food poisoning, sinusitis, fever, indigestion, anxiety

Spongia Tosta – for croup if Aconite doesn’t work.

Dosing suggestions:

1 dose= 2-3 pellets under tongue (can also dissolve in filtered or spring water and give by teaspoonful. Great for babies. The water just needs to touch the mucous membranes of the mouth. )

This is the hardest part of homeopathy as you will wonder how much to give and how often. Less is more. Please try to take remedies 15 minutes after or before eating to give the remedy time to settle into the body. I suggest using lower potencies such as 6x, 6c and 30c. Give a child a couple pellets under the tongue. If child responds to first dose but starts complaining again soon after, keep repeating the remedy every fifteen minutes until the response holds. Usually three times in the first hour is enough. An hour after the first dose you should have a good idea as to whether this remedy is having an effect on your child, the first place that you see this is usually on the emotional plane. A good remedy will help your child to become less restless, less angry, less clingy, less whiney, etc. A good sign that you have found the right remedy is if your child can sleep. Generally speaking if a remedy seems to be helping, give once every couple hours or when child appears to need another dose because symptoms that improved with remedy have reappeared. Don’t give a dose because it’s been a couple hours, wait until it is needed as often child’s state has changed and you won’t need to dose as often.

If new symptoms result, or if child is experiencing no relief, or the child’s overall symptom picture has changed greatly, try a new remedy. Or if the child says that the pain or discomfort is gone and that they are feeling better, stop giving remedies as the vital force is rebalancing itself and nothing more is needed. Good luck and happy healing!

Keeping the Swine Flu in Perspective

I have never been comfortable being a "dissident" and I don't identify myself as one. It isn't my nature to be comfortable standing out in a crowd because my beliefs differ from those of the majority. Those who know me would say that I am usually most comfortable blending in and making my waves behind the scenes.

At this moment, however, I find myself sticking my neck out during the biggest mass-vaccine campaign in American history with the counter-message of "Make your own decision." Is that really so radical? And while there is some discomfort for me personally in being identified as one who is sharing a message that is not universally held, my need to educate and assuage fear is overpowering my need to protect my ego.

I have been immersed in research about the Swine Flu steadily for a month now. I have read scientific studies, watched television reports, followed the CDC and WHO, read mainstream medical advice, read alternative medical advice, read articles and interviews, and personally interviewed medical professionals whom I trust. In my post of Oct. 5 on the Swine Flu I made a blanket statement that one should not get the swine flu shot. Due to my continued research on the topic I feel the need to qualify that statement for several reasons:

1) Squalene is not present in the swine flu shot in the US although it was present in the trial vaccine and is present in doses in Europe. The presence of squalene was one of my reasons for cautioning against the Swine Flu shot. There is Thimerosol present however, a mercury-based preservative, in the multi-dose vials of the H1N1 vaccine. It is not present in single dose vials. People who want to avoid thimerosal-containing Swine Flu and seasonal flu vaccines must get the FluMist or the single dose shots. medicinenet.com While everyone should have this choice, single dose vaccines may not be available for every person in every location during every week of the vaccination campaign. The FDA has stated its continuing efforts to remove thimerosol from all vaccines, in particular for children under the age of 6. The reason that it is present in the H1N1 vaccine, and in the regular flu shot in general, is due to expediency of vaccine production.

2) The uncertainty of this disease is more than some people can take. Will I get it? Will I not? What if I do? What if I don't get the shot but I get really sick or make someone in my family really sick? How do I best protect my family and who will take care of the kids if I am sick? The list goes on and on. I feel that for many people their belief in and sense of security around vaccines can outweigh the "what-if's" of developing the disease, and in these cases the ease of mind that comes with the belief system "I am vaccinated therefore protected" can mitigate a lot of stress which could make one more susceptible to illness. These are people who, after doing their work around the safety and efficacy of flu shots, may consider getting a vaccine simply to ease their mind. I have great concerns about children under the age of 9 receiving two Swine Flu shots, which is what has been shown in trials to be necessary for an immune response for that age group. Especially if they are also receiving 2 regular flu shots this year. I would caution parents to exercise their right to request thimerosol-free vaccine, and to ask their doctor a lot of questions, including seeing the package insert that comes with each vial of vaccine and making note of the company who makes the vaccine, the lot and batch number, date of production and any other identifiying information, a list of all ingredients, and possible side-effects, in case there is a vaccine reaction.

3) I can be naive when it comes to the general health of most Americans. While the optimist-naturopathic doctor in me would like to think that most folks take probiotics, Vitamin D3 and cod liver oil every day, stock up on Zinc and Vitamin C, eat whole foods, exercise, rest, drink water and generally pay attention to their overall health and well-being (see my blog posting of 10/5/09), I know that most do not. So perhaps it was irresponsible of me to suggest that one not get the vaccine without better knowledge of the immune and overall health status of my readers. I do believe that one can turn one's health around quickly by making simple dietary and lifestyle changes and this is ultimately what I urge my readers and my patients to do, but if one isn't willing to do the work, perhaps they should protect themselves and those around them with a vaccine.

4) I have since learned more about why pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the flu. In addition to being generally immune compromised there is an increase of blood and fluids in their bodies everywhere including the lungs. As well the diaphragm pushes up on the lungs during pregnancy causing compression and decreased lung volume, decreased lung function and compromises the lung's ability to clear out pathogens leading to a greater possibility of secondary infections. Keep in mind that these physical conditions are present for all pregnant women whether or not a flu epidemic is brewing.

While pregnant women are, along with other immune-compromised folks, or perhaps more importantly their family members, the only people on my list who might consider the swine flu vaccine if this pademic ever really gets off the ground, I feel very strongly that these populations (and anyone at all receiving a Swine Flu Shot) request a vaccine WITHOUT THIMEROSOL.

Having said that, the H1N1 vaccine has not been tested on pregnant women, nursing women, and children according to vaccine package inserts. Also according to flu vaccine package insert, immune compromised folks and those taking immunosuppressive drugs may not have a beneficial and protective immune response from the vaccine. Yet children, pregnant women and immune compromised people are the populations being targeted by the H1N1 Vaccine campaign.

Getting a vaccine does not guarantee prevention of the flu. A vaccine will help the body launch an immune response which may be enough to prevent one from getting sick or it may give the body's body's immune response a head start so that symptoms are lessened; you get sick, but less severely and for a shorter duration.

Yet in July the CDC stopped tracking the spread of Swine Flu and created a new reporting system. The rationale was: why waste resources testing for H1N1 flu when the government has already confirmed there's an epidemic? The new reporting system, up and running as of Oct. 1, lumps together all influenza-like illness including influenza A (of which Swine flu is one) pneumonia, and influenza B. As an example: I was looking at the U.S. statistics for the week of Oct 10-17 on the CDC website. There were 12,943 cases tested for influenza nationally, 4,844 were positive for H1N1, 11 were Influenza B, the rest (8,000) were undetermined. If 8,000, or 2/3, of tests performed were negative for Swine Flu, where is the epidemic? And why are we lumping together all influenza-like illness (ILI) when we haven't even hit the high season for Influenza B yet? And what about the other 8,000 unidentified illnesses? Aren't they the cause of most illness?

A study released by Purdue University Researchers and published in the Oct. 15 edition of the European Scientific Journal Eurosurveillance, claims that at this point the vaccine will have little effect on the number of infections because as much of 60% of the population has already been infected. The researchers went on to report that up to 60% of seasonal influenza infections are asymptomatic. That means that one may not present with classic flu symptoms, or have any symptoms at all, but will still be building antibodies against the seasonal virus.
Yet, although the CDC is no longer counting cases, they are recommending that anyone with "presumed" H1N1 without a lab test, even if diagnosed by a doctor, still get the H1N1 vaccine.

So let me make sure I got this right: the CDC stopped counting H1N1 cases in August saying that it wasted too many resources to keep up with the mounting pandemic, so they suggested that all influenza-like-illness be lumped into one category. Many, including CBS news after three months of investigation, believe that H1N1 numbers are overestimated as the cause of most ILI this fall. And the Purdue researchers say that most folks have already been exposed to H1N1 and as a result the timing of vaccine so late in the pregression of the epidemic may not prove to help quell numbers at all. The CDC says that Swine Flu numbers are underrepresented due to the small fraction of cases being tested and reported, suggesting that much higher numbers have been infected, yet still recommends mass-vaccination except in cases where one has had a positive H1N1 test.

If your head isn't spinning by now you aren't paying attention!!

Many scientists believe the cause of death in the Swine Flu pandemic of 1918 was primarily bacterial due to secondary illness, not viral. The theory is that the swine flu weakened the immune system making it more vulnerable to further attack by the regular slate of opportunistic pathogens such as respiratory syncytial virus, bocavirus, coronavirus and rhinovirus that cause the symptoms known as "influenza-like illness". It is common, in a flu season, to have no known cause for up to 2/3 of "flu" cases.

The other thing that really concerns me about this supposed epidemic and its relationship to the vaccine, is the protection, or immunity from liability, that the American government has granted the five vaccine manufacturers. If we are so certain about the efficacy and safety of this vaccine that we are putting our pregnant women and children on the front lines, why then aren't the vaccine manufacturers held responsible?

Ultimately I believe that the public health goal is a noble one, to protect the rights and lives of all people. I believe that individuals, under expert advisement, should make their own decisions about their health, not the government. I believe that there is no better way for the American Government to ensure the safety of the American people than by educating them about their health options and empowering them to choose what is best for themselves and their children. So far we still have that freedom despite the current pressure of the U.S. vaccine campaign. Let's stick our necks out and make ourselves uncomfortable to keep it that way.

No Need To Panic About the Swine Flu

The media is a powerful tool with influence over great masses of people. The Swine Flu scare is a perfect example of hype and misinformation. There is only one perspective made available in the mainstream media, one of fear and alarmism. When it comes to health information sometimes one must dig to get both sides of the issue.

To my suprise I didn't have to dig very deep to find a reliable source for the actual statistics of this disease: the CDC.

The good news

The CDC website claims that there is an increase in ILI or "influenza-like illness" for this time of year characterized by classic influenza symptoms: fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, body aches and sometimes vomiting. Hospital rates are higher for this time of year but lower than during a seasonal influenza outbreak. A very interesting statistic is the number of deaths from influenza and pneumonia are "low and within the bounds of what is expected for this time of year." This is significant because this time of year is not one where we typically see influenza - so if the deaths are low to normal while H1N1 is spreading, that is encouraging and reflective of a milder illness than we have been fearing.

More good news: H1N1 is proving to be sensitive to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. You may find it reassuring that if you or a family member becomes very ill with Swine Flu, these conventional medications are available to thwart the progression of the virus. It is important, however, that one not use these medications unless very ill, as resistant strains of the virus can develop if antivirals are overused.

The bad news is that the the rates of infection continue to rise as this is a very contagious illness. The other bad news is the hype is causing people to unnecessarily visit emergency rooms with mild illness, creating the need for temporary tents to handle the increased demand for care and to keep the infected away from those with more serious health problems for whom H1N1 could be disastrous: the immune compromised, those with asthma and heart conditions, the very old and the very young.

The CDC states the following guidelines for when to seek medical care:
"A person should seek medical care if they experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, or if a fever continues more than three days. For parents with a young child who is ill, seek medical care if a child has fast or labored breathing, continuing fever or convulsions (seizures)." The CDC also states: "supportive care at home, such as resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and using a pain reliever for aches - is adequate for recovery in most cases."

The Vaccine
This disease is proving mild enough that the vaccine is not necessary and could have long-term effects much worse than the temporary inconvenience of the illness. It is important to keep in mind that the H1N1 vaccine is still experimental and short and long-term risks have not yet been identified. H1N1 vaccine trials began August '09 and will continue for 13 months. In 1976 during the last Swine Flu outbreak, 43 million people were vaccinated with a then still experimental vaccine. In addition to the outbreak never really materializing (the illness did not spread beyond 240 soldiers at Fort Dix, NJ), 500 Americans came down with a rare neurodegenerative condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome which many experts believe was linked to the vaccine. Twenty-five of those 500 died. In addition some experts believe that "Gulf War Syndrome" is related to the antibody reaction to the adjuvant "squalene" in the then still experimental Anthrax Vaccine. This has been a hotly debated topic over the years especially since soldiers who never saw combat also had symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome.

The Seattle Times reported 10/1/09 that the State of Washington's Health Dept has temporarily suspended the FDA rule that limits the amount of mercury preservative Thimerosol given to pregnant women and children under the age of 3. The stated reason for the additional mercury is to kill bacteria that could be be present on the needle when it is introduced to withdraw the medication. We do not have good studies that explore the effects of thimerosol on pregnant women and young children as these are populations excluded from vaccine trials.

As well there is a laundry list of additional potential ingredients including preservatives, antibiotics and additional viruses. The vaccine for the swine flu trials contains MF59, or "squalene", an adjuvant (substance added to a vaccine to improve the immune response so less vaccine is needed) that is not FDA approved. This ingredient is not listed in the ingredients list of the swine flu vaccine available to the public, therefore the vaccines used in the trials and the vaccines for the public are different. Changing the ingredients from trial to mass production is a common practice in vaccine development. The public will be unwilling members of an experimental drug trial by receiving the vaccine.

There is recent information from Canadian scientists indicating that those who received the regular flu shot last flu season are twice as likely to contract the swine flu this season. This is considered controversial information as the data has not been officially published and is being debated by the experts. I do feel that it is significant information however and should be factored into the decision to vaccinate or not.

More Good News: Natural Treatment and Prevention

1) Probiotics (good "gut bugs") - are an effective way to reduce the effects of illness in children. A recent study published in the Journal Pediatrics revealed that daily dietary probiotic supplementation is effective in warding off colds and flu. In the study the children aged 3-5 who received probiotic therapy had 50-70% fewer colds and flu compared to the control group who did not receive any probiotic therapy. This is a very significant finding as up until now the only natural agents that I have known to be proven to shorten the duration of viruses are Vitamin C, Zinc and Elderberry. There is now good data to show that probiotics prevent AND shorten the duration of illness. Yee Haw! One per day for adults and children.

2) Vitamin D3 - almost two-thirds of the children who have died of the Swine Flu have had epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or other neurodevelopmental conditions like mental retardation. What these conditions have in common is that they are all associated with Vitamin D deficiency. There is a great story on the Vitamin D Council website of a residential care facility in Wisconsin which treats with and regularly monitors the vit. D levels of its residents. Recently the Swine Flu hit their area very hard and only 2 of 275 residents contracted it, while 103 staff members whose vitamin D levels were not monitored and treated did contract the disease. It is important to remember that the active form of Vitamin D is "D3 or Cholecalciferol" - D2 is not as biologically available and may not convert to the active form of Vit. D in the tissues.

Dr Waddell of the Vitamin D Council suggests 1,000 IU Vitamin D3 per 25 lbs of body weight as a maintenance dose. It is important to monitor serum levels of Vitamin D3 to make sure that they are at optimal levels.

3) Elderberry Extract - Long-used as an immunity enhancer, we now know that it also prevents viral replication by smoothing down the spikes (hemagluttinin) on the surface of a virus used to puncture through healthy cell walls. A product called DART Immunity Take Care by New Chapter/New Mark is something that my patients and family have benefitted from for a couple years now. It is your own personal anti-viral in a delicious, berry flavored tablet. Most kids are happy to chew them and one/day is all it takes when you are feeling ill or have been exposed to a virus. A must for every home medicine cabinet. Take one lozenge when you have been exposed to a virus or someone in your home is ill.

4) Vitamin C and Zinc - These two time honored immune soldiers don't get enough appreciation. Both have been shown to shorten the duration of common colds and viruses by boosting natural immunity. Vit. C also acts as a natural antihistamine that helps dry up watery eyes and reduce nasal and chest congestion. It is also a powerful antioxidant that can help prevent and clean-up the damage that a body endures when fighting viruses and bacteria. Vitamin C, with bioflavonoids: 1,000 mg every few hours throughout the day, up to bowel tolerance. (Vit C can cause loose stools, so reduce amount as necessary).
Zinc lozenges, preferably with 3 mg copper, every few hours, up to 70 mg daily during a cold and 30 mg daily as a preventive.
Children: under 25 lbs take ¼ of adult dose, 25 – 50 lbs take 1/3 of adult dose.


5) Homeopathic Remedies - Homeopathy is a deep-acting and profound system of medicine that is based on the Law of Similars that has been in use for over 200 years. Homeopathic remedies do not treat the disease directly but stimulate the body to re-balance and heal itself. See separate posting on homeopathic remedies for colds and flu.

6) Oscillococcinum – Studies have shown that this combination homeopathic preparation is effective against the very first signs of flu. To be taken as soon as chills, fever, aches, etc start. Found in health food stores. Follow the directions on the box. Completely non-toxic and safe for kids.

The Take Home

The H1N1 flu, or "Swine Flu" - is a virus. It is a new one, so in addition to the "flu" virus that goes around every year (Influenza B) we now have another one to contend with (Influenza A). The good news is that most health authorities, including the CDC, agree that it is "mild" and in most cases even milder than the annual flu that we hide from every year. Prevention is the best medicine, so by boosting your vitamin D levels, taking probiotics regularly, and stocking up on natural remedies such as DART immune, vitamin C, Zinc and homeopathic remedies you and your family can breathe a sigh of relief that you are taking steps that can increase your family's chances of staying healthy. Good old fashioned hand-washing is also a very effective way to prevent spread. I have my children wash their hands as soon as they come home from school every day, and take a probiotic...

Easy Chicken Broth and Chicken Soup

Now that you know how to Roast a Chicken, making broth couldn't be simpler. You will need a large soup pot or medium sized crock pot. I prefer the crock put because I put the ingredients in after dinner, turn it on, and when I wake up the broth is done.

Chicken Broth

1. Cut the remaining chicken off the carcass and store in frig.
2. Place the chicken carcass, drippings, leftover bones and any leftover vegetables in the crock pot or soup pot.
3. Fill with filtered water until the water just covers, or almost covers, the top of the chicken. Add 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar which will break down the bonds in the bones releasing minerals into the broth.
4. You may add fresh onion, celery, parsley and carrots as desired. This will add additional nutrition and flavor to the broth.
5. Turn crock pot on high until boiling, skim any scum that accumulates on the top, then turn to low overnight. In soup pot: bring to boil then simmer for at least three hours.
6. Remove bones and strain vegetables. You may use the broth as is or refrigerate and skim off the fat that congeals on top. The broth may be kept in the refrigerator and stays viable for up to two weeks, or freeze for months. I prefer to store my broth in glass containers. Leave room at the top for expansion in the freezer.

Chicken Soup

The preparation for this meal is minimal when you have broth and leftover chicken.

1. Simmer broth in soup pot
2. Add desired chopped vegetables such as carrots, onion, broccoli and kale. Cover and cook until al dente.
3. Season with sea salt and pepper, lemon and other desired herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, cilantro, basil, etc)
4. Add pre-cooked brown rice or potatoes as desired. These can also be cooked right in the broth but rice will absorb much of the broth and potatoes will make the broth starchy. I prefer to cook them separately and add them at the end.

That's it! Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken Recipes

One of the most delightful and satisfying meals is roasted chicken. It's hard to get it wrong, the most important detail is the cooking time, which is 20 minutes/pound. If you don’t under or over cook the chicken you can’t go wrong. Find a whole, organic chicken. It will often contain a bag of giblets in the cavity so be sure to remove that before cooking. There are MANY ways to roast a chicken. Here are my two favorites:

Option #1 – Roasted Whole Chicken with Vegetables

1. Place the whole chicken breast-side-up in a generous sized roasting pan (at least 9x11)
2. Rub or drizzle a bit of butter or olive oil on the chicken
3. Chop 2 or 3 potatoes, 2 onions and lots of baby carrots or 4 chopped carrots and assemble around the chicken in the roasting pan (broccoli is also good, as is celery and any of your other favorite vegetables)
4. Sprinkle with Trader Joe’s Poultry Seasoning and salt and pepper and place in the oven at 350 F, 20 minutes per pound (a 5 lb chicken will be 100 minutes, a 3 lb chicken will be 60 min, etc.)
5. Every now and then place a wooden spoon into the cavity, tip the chicken so the juices run out into the pan, then baste the chicken (a spoon works fine) and stir the vegetables.
6. Chicken will be done right when the timer goes off! Check for doneness by cutting into the breast and looking for red juices, or tip chicken as in step #5 and notice if the juices are red or clear. When they are clear the chicken is done.

Option #2 – Roasted Whole Chicken with Lemon

1. Place the whole chicken breast-side-up in a generous-sized roasting pan
2. Rub or drizzle a bit of butter or olive oil on the chicken
3. Quarter 3 or 4 lemons and place inside the cavity
4. Sprinkle with Trader Joe’s Poultry Seasoning and salt and pepper and place in the oven at 350 F, 20 minutes per pound. (A 5 lb chicken will be 100 minutes, a 3 lb chicken will be 60 min, etc.) Occasionally will take longer when the cavity is filled so check for doneness by tipping as described above in #6.

Gravy Option: Pour some drippings into a saucepan or frying pan. Add a little boiling water to thin consistency. Simmer over low/medium heat stirring constantly adding cornstarch 1 Tbsp at a time to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with brown rice and a crunchy salad and enjoy!

Roasting a Chicken and Brothmaking 101

In my posting The Goods on Fat I wrote about the importance of including healthy fats in a well-balanced diet. One of the first nutritional suggestions I make to all my patients is to roast a chicken once a week. A roasted chicken is soul food – it is ridiculously simple to prepare yet yields a succulent main dish that is full of protein, minerals and healthy fat that is so exceedingly satisfying that you feel you’re getting away with something.

After the roasted chicken is consumed I make broth. My parents who tend toward the sarcastic used to joke about “consecrated chicken soup.” In my childhood naivete I didn’t understand why that was so funny, but later as I learned about the truly nutritive and healing qualities of chicken broth, and became aware of how it has been revered over time as a cure-all in cultures all over the world, the joke made sense. The old wives’ tales made claims of healing the sick and aiding digestion. Modern science confirms that chicken broth high in minerals such as calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, does serve as an excellent mineral source and electrolyte replacer, and it contains enzymes that contribute to the immune process and aid digestion. Chicken broth also contains gelatin which is healing to the digestive tract as it aids in digestion and ultimately decreases inflammation.

A roasted chicken is an incredibly economical meal choice as you get at least two meals out of the chicken. Please see my very simplified versions of how to roast a chicken and make chicken broth.

And yes, you are getting away with something – an epicurian pleasure without guilt. Now how often does that happen? Enjoy.

The Goods on Fat

Today a patient and I were discussing a whole foods diet. She was already aware of the importance of eating whole foods and had, she thought, transitioned her family to eating that way. She just about fell out of her chair when I suggested she try my Kid-Friendly Baked Chicken with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs.

I went on to explain the importance of eating the skin and cooking with the bone in: the fat in the skin helps to assimilate the nutrients in the meat (and adds flabor), and the bone adds moisture and minerals.

I often find that my patients are feeling “deprived”- that there is something missing in their diets, a “soul food" - that they often seek outside of their meals. These are the people who are reaching for the chips and the ice cream. Perhaps what they are seeking is fat which helps them to feel satisfied and nourished from a meal and less likely to snack afterward.

Believe it or not, saturated fat, like that in chicken and meat, butter, eggs and olive oil, plays an important role in body chemistry. According to the Weston A Price Foundation saturated fat makes up more than half of the cell membrane as it is needed to provide the proper integrity to keep nutrients in and toxins out. It is needed to incorporate calcium and other minerals into tissues and bones. It protects the liver from toxins and enhances the immune system. Certain short and medium chain fatty acids (butter and coconut oil respectively) have properties that are antifungal and antimicrobial

I found a great article in The New York Times that discusses a study where researchers found that people on a relatively low-fat diet lost less weight than those who ate a low-carbohydrate, higher fat Mediterranean diet. The article goes on to discuss the effects of saturated fat on cholesterol levels suggesting that diets higher in saturated fat lead to better cholesterol levels than lower saturated fat diets.

Yes, you heard it correctly; in addition to tasting really good and contributing to overall health, saturated fat may actually be heart-protective. So go take a bite out of a drumstick and chew on that one for a while.

Trampolining for Good Health (and fun!)

The other day I had 30 minutes to kill until one kid awoke from a nap and two others needed to be picked up from school. I was eager to get some exercise and remembered the kids’ miniature trampoline of which my massage therapist speaks so highly. So I cranked some tunes and jumped and danced and gyrated and moved parts of my body in funny ways that felt good to me. It made me so happy! The half hour flew by and left me feeling much better than I had before.

"Rebounding" is great for lymph drainage. The lymph system is the detoxification system of the body made up of fluid, vessels and ducts. It allows for the fluid in-between the cells, which contains dead cells and toxins absorbed from the environment, to be carried into the blood or circulatory system, which then carries it away.

An example of your lymph system at work is when your “glands” are swollen. The last time you had a cold or sore throat you may have felt an enlargement of your glands in your neck. This is a sign that your lymph system is hard at work assisting the body in removing a pathogen or foreign invader of some kind.

The reason the trampoline works so well for moving the lymph is due to the gravitational pull that causes the valves of the lymph system to open and drain. Vigorous exercise such as running, walking and playing tennis will do this too. Other ways to assist in detoxifying your lymph system are manually via massage, castor oil packs and sweating. (My good friend Heather Manley ND has a great explanation of castor oil packs on her website.)

Mini trampolines are easy to find used. New they are $75-$350. Ours is borrowed from a friend, several years old, and it works great. Aside from all these fabulous health benefits, I recommend bouncing on a trampoline because it offers the best therapy that we can offer ourselves – fun. It will put a smile on your face, make you giggle a bit, and make you feel like a kid again.