Colds and Flu: A non-Brewer Suggestion
1. Before you've been exposed Eat a healthy breakfast and multivitamin every morning. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Wash hands frequently. Don't touch your face or nose. Drink lots of fluid, and don't refill and re-use your water bottle (unless you rinse with bleach solution between re-fills). Eat a daily cup of yogurt. Do aerobic exercise regularly (as in 45 min three times a week). Adjust according to the needs of the pregnancy. Get fresh air regularly. Don't smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke. Avoid alcohol consumption. Relax for at least 30 min a day. Get at least 8 hrs of sleep every night. Make use of the disinfectant wipes found near the grocery carts at many grocery stores (for cart handles). 2. When you know you've been exposed (no symptoms yet) Eat a healthy breakfast and a multivitamin every morning. Take 500 mg Vitamin C with each meal (If you get diarrhea, cut each dose in half; this happens when your body is saturated with Vitamin C. If the diarrhea continues, cut each dose in half again.) Take 2 full-sized carrots with each meal. (If diarrhea is part of your illness, the fiber in carrots would probably not be a good thing for you.) Take Cold-Eeze (consult your midwife for dosage). Make sure that you don't take more than a total of 100 mg of zinc a day, from all your sources. Take garlic oil capsules or a clove of garlic with each meal. If you are on "blood thinners", or if you are having surgery soon, skip this one, since this much garlic could lengthen your clotting times. (According to Susun Weed, taking 2-10 capsules of garlic oil daily also helps alleviate elevated BP) 3. When you get the symptoms Eat a healthy breakfast and a multivitamin every morning. Take 500 mg Vitamin C with each meal (if get diarrhea, cut doses in half). If you cut your doses in half before you had symptoms (above), go back to the full dose now until you get diarrhea again (chances are less that you'll get it now, since your body is using it up faster). If diarrhea is part of your illness, discontinue the Vitamin C. Take 2 full-sized carrots with each meal, or the equivalent in carrot juice, unless diarrhea is a part of your illness. Take Cold-Eeze. Consult your midwife for dosage. The zinc still helps your body fight the illness, even after the first symptoms have passed. Take care to not take more than a total of 100 mg of zinc a day, from all of your sources. Take garlic oil capsules or a clove of garlic with each meal. If you are on "blood thinners", or having surgery soon, skip this one, since this much garlic could lengthen your clotting times. Start taking Echinacea capsules. I do not recommend Echinacea teas or other Echinacea-enhanced foods. Also, Echinacea is less effective after 2 weeks of taking it, so save using it for when you are sick (it's not useful to take it as a prevention regularly every day). When pregnant, make sure that whatever Echinacea preparation you choose does not also contain Goldenseal. "Echina-force" does not contain Goldenseal, and it's safe for pregnancy. For Flu and fever take "Oscillococcinum", available at Whole Foods stores, instructions on package. It cuts down the fever and body aches in 24 hours or less. It's safe to use this remedy in pregnancy. As much as possible, avoid all sugar when fighting colds or flu, or when you've been exposed. Sugar lowers your body's immunity and ability to fight off illness. If you are also taking prescription medications, take the homeopathic remedies, or herbs, or vitamins just before a meal and the prescription ones just after, to have the food as a buffer between them, so they don't interact (or the other way around if your prescription requires you to take it before meals). When taking homeopathic remedies, put nothing in your mouth for 30 min before taking them and for 10 min after they are finished dissolving. Do not touch them while taking them, and dissolve them under your tongue, rather than biting or swallowing them. Cough into your sleeve, not your hand. Stay home from work and crowds, especially if you have a fever, which means you are probably contagious--no need to spread your illness to others.
