Cold & Flue Season Be Gone!

I love the fall/winter. Unfortunately, this is also the onset of cold and flu season. As the air cools, so does the environment in our nose and throat, making us more vulnerable to those seasonal viruses. As a manager for one of La Montanita’s supplement departments, I will be visited by a steady stream of sick people over the next several months.

Chris Hartsock and Cynthia Behrens probably know what I’m talking about.  Chris is our Nob Hill health and beauty manager, and Cynthia heads the department in Santa Fe.  The 3 of us need to have tough immune systems, to survive all the exposure and to be there when our customers need information.  We all have our go to products.

The strategy that works for me is to build immunity year-round.  I take Herbs Etc.’s Deep Health immunity blend throughout the summer.  I also take astragalus, one of the great tonic herbs.  It’s way easier not get sick than to figure out how get healthy again.

When asked about other products for this season, Cynthia and Chris named black elderberry.  Though its exact action is unknown, there has been research indicating that it does reduce the duration and severity of the flu.  It is traditionally used for excess mucus.

Echinacea is a fairly proven immune builder.  It gently stimulates the immune system to function at a little higher level, normalizing responses.  It’s a key ingredient in the Gaia Quick Response that Chris favors, as it is in Herbs Etc.’s Early Alert, which is my favorite first response.  Both of those products contain elderberry as well.  They also both contain andrographis, which research suggests helps the body in a variety of ways during cold/flu challenges.

Umckaloabo has been the subject of several studies indicating some benefit in acute respiratory events.   It’s an African herb with long traditional use and was even used in Europe at one time for tuberculosis.  Nature’s Way Umcka is one of Cynthia’s go to products.

Teas offer soothing warmth and moisture on dry, irritated throats.  I find most teas help somewhat, so I drink any tea I like when my throat is scratchy, but I especially enjoy raspberry leaf or slippery elm with licorice.   Miso or chicken broth provides amino acids and warm moisture that can be very comforting when you’re home with a cold.

Stay warm, eat healthy foods, and be well.  If you ever want any more information about the herbs in this blog, stop in La Montanita and ask one of us. Valerie