Volume 1 Issue 1
Fall 2006
Welcome to the first edition of Healthy Living newsletter from Daniel Blodgett MD.
This quarterly newsletter is intended to be informative and thought provoking. Some of the ideas expressed here are based on the experience of a small number of people. The ideas in this newsletter are not intended to be a replacement for the advice of your personal qualified health professional.
Preventing Viral Illness
When fall arrives, the days get shorter and the weather cooler. It is also the time of year when colds and flu come more often. The best way to avoid prolonged illness from viral infections is to keep your immune system balanced and strong. The best way to do this is through a healthy lifestyle. The following actions will support good immunity.
- Get adequate sleep (7 to 8 hours for most people).
- Eat a diet high in whole, unprocessed foods.
- Get regular exercise (excess exercise lowers immunity).
- Maintain a daily stress lowering practice such as meditation, nature walks, prayer.
- Keep your Vitamin D level up by daily sunlight exposure for 30 minutes or use of supplements (optimal levels of Vitamin D – 25,OH are over 40 nanograms/ml, visit www.vitamindcouncil.com.
- Avoid excessive fatigue or stress.
- Maintain a positive attitude www.reflectivehappiness.com.
Should you feel a cold virus starting, take action immediately to prevent getting sick. The single most important action is to get more rest. Take a nap. Take a sick day. Cancel engagements. Go home and pamper your body. Drink plenty of hot water with lemon or herbal teas. If a fever starts, do not suppress it. Fever helps the immune system eliminate infection. Take a good quality immune boosting supplement. Standard Process makes several very good ones, including Immuplex, Congaplex and Echinachea Premium (available only from qualified health professionals). Keep these on hand so you can start the same day you feel sick. Be aware of the early warning signs, such as unusual fatigue, scratchy throat, mental fog and other symptoms you may have learned to mean you are getting sick.
A 2005 article by Ottoboni in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine shows how sugar antagonizes the action of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) on the immune system. Excess sugar blocks the ability of the immune cells to make the reactive oxygen species that attack bacteria and viruses. It also blocks the immune system from making new cells that help in combating infection. This confirms that restricting sugar intake during an infection is an important way to boost immunity.
Treating Coughs in Colds and Bronchitis
Coughing is one of the most distressing symptoms of an upper respiratory infection. A dry cough can be suppressed with wild cherry bark extract or licorice extract. Licorice boosts immunity and provides a soothing effect on the mucous lining of the respiratory tract. Other soothing herbs are slippery elm bark and marshmallow root. The over-the-counter cough suppressant dextromethorphan is a synthetic narcotic-like compound that can be very helpful. It is often marketed with antihistamines added to the formula.
A cough that brings up sputum from the bronchial tree (classic bronchitis) is helping the body to clear the infection from the lungs. Antihistamines dry out the mucous linings and should usually be avoided if the infection is in the bronchial tree. Avoid suppressing the cough reflex unless the cough is so protracted or violent that you are unable to sleep or become exhausted.
Stimulant expectorants that help the lungs expel the infection include garlic, thyme and eucalyptus oil. Guaifenesin is a synthetic expectorant that can be helpful.
Breathing warm humidified air is soothing to irritated bronchial linings. A bedside vaporizer or humidifier is helpful. Irrigation of the nasal passage with warm saline water can be useful.
On a Personal Note
Healing is a mysterious phenomenon that I have been studying, observing, and practicing for 30 years. My personal healing journey was catalyzed by a severe bout of Hepatitis A in 1994. I knew that all our experiences have lessons if we are willing to pay attention. As I lay in the hospital bed near death, I asked myself, “What is the lesson I need to learn from this?” Immediately the answer in my mind was that I needed to find and follow a spiritual path. I vowed that if I survived my illness, I would do just that. Since that dark time, my life has had ups and downs, but the overall trajectory is upwards. The inner knowing that I am part of and connected to all life is a source of strength. It gives me the courage to be open and vulnerable. This is a necessary condition for creating loving relationships.
I invite everyone with serious illness who desires healing on the deepest levels of their being to have the courage to ask the question, “What is the lesson I need to learn from this illness?”
When the answer comes, pay attention and follow your guidance.
Daniel Blodgett MD