Prevention is important. Eating whole foods, reducing sugar intake, drinking plenty of water, movement/exercising, and getting sleep and rest when you need it is important. But even with a healthy, wellness-oriented lifestyle sometimes you're going to get sick.
Last month, we got the flu. My husband (Craig), our 3 year old daughter, and I all had it. Thankfully, our 5 year old son managed to avoid it and "helped" us all get better.
We were able to get over the symptoms fairly quickly while supporting our immune system with natural solutions.
First rule: support the immune system.
Everything we did had the purpose of boosting and supporting our immune system. Our goal was not to treat the flu, our goal was to support our immune systems so our body could do what it needed to.
Diet:
-Lots of water.
-Lots of chicken broth (organic, all-natural).
-Mug of warm water with 1 tablespoon each of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, raw honey, and lemon juice a couple times a day.
-No sugar, no processed foods, no wheat, and no dairy for at least the first couple days.
-Mug of warm water with 1 tablespoon each of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, raw honey, and lemon juice a couple times a day.
-No sugar, no processed foods, no wheat, and no dairy for at least the first couple days.
~Germs feed off sugar.
~Wheat, sugar, and processed foods are inflammatory and work against our immune system.
~Dairy increases mucus production and nobody wants added mucus with the flu.
Supplements:
-Probiotics (with a really high culture count and prebiotics, like doTERRA's PB Assist+)
-Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3 (with olive oil included, since D3 is a fat soluble vitamin)
-dōTERRA On Guard®+ Softgels Protective Blend (includes On Guard® protective blend, black pepper, oregano, and lemon balm)
Essential Oils Applied Topically:
-I looked up in my big book on essential oils and found that lemon oil is helpful for immune support and is cleansing to the body*. So I began by diluting lemon oil with fractionated coconut oil and applying it every hour to the bottom of my daughter's feet and to her chest.
-We were also using the On Guard® Protective Blend essential oil in a roller bottle diluted with fractionated coconut oil on the bottoms of my daughter's feet and on the back of each of our necks and behind our ears every 2 hours.
-Then, a friend shared with me an awesome roller bottle recipe! 15 drops protective blend, 10 drops peppermint, 10 drops lemon, 10 drops melaleuca (tea tree), 10 drops frankincense, and 5 drops oregano topped off with a carrier oil. We didn't have the oregano on-hand but combined all the others and I began using it on each of us (including my son) every 1-2 hours; bottoms of the feet, back of the neck, behind the ears, and on the chest. We used this blend frequently the first 2 days and then occasionally the next couple days. This combination of oils is helpful for immune and respiratory support*.
Diffusing Essential Oils:
We used our diffuser 24/7. We used the On Guard® Protective Blend + the Breathe® respiratory blend or the protective blend + lemon. We wanted to keep the air purified as well as give us another immune boost!
For cough: A teaspoon of honey was helpful with easing coughing throughout the day or just before bedtime for better rest.
For joint pain and aching: Oh the joint pain! It's the worst! The pain that comes with the flu is horrible. Every single joint in my body hurt! Instead of using ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with the pain, I wanted to avoid medications that would lower my fever (fevers are how our body fights off viruses and bacteria) so I used a heating pad on my back, lots of blankets, and PastTense® (a tension blend of essential oils) as needed.
For headache: I used the PastTense® roller bottle across my forehead near the hairline and at the base of my skull at the hairline. This has a nice cooling sensation and helped with my head and neck tension that I had off and on the first couple days.
Fever: As mentioned above, we did not take any medications to lower our fever. Our immune systems were designed to fight off germs, including bacteria and viruses, and one of the ways it does this is with a fever. Fevers are a normal, natural response to infection and part of a healthy immune reaction. To help with chills from the fever, we used lots of blankets and wore lots of layers.
Movement & Fresh Air: After a couple days of being in the house, we made sure to walk outside a little bit during the sunnier part of the day. This wasn't a fast-paced walk, but just a slow walk to let our bodies move, get some sunshine, and breathe a little fresh air. It's so important to not just sit or lay all day. We need to walk around a little bit and stretch your arms up high to get movement throughout your body and your chest. Letting fluid sit leads to slower healing and increased likelihood of pneumonia or other conditions.
If you would like to learn more about the essential oils we use CLICK HERE.
If you have questions about essential oils or anything else mentioned above, send us an email at autryoils@gmail.com
To purchase pure essential oils for yourself, click here to go directly to our doTERRA referral page.
From our doTERRA site you can purchase oils at retail prices or join as a wholesale member to save on oils all year long!
We also carry Nordic Naturals products in our office if you are looking for help with buying high-quality fish oils locally.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
If you would like to learn more about the essential oils we use CLICK HERE.
If you have questions about essential oils or anything else mentioned above, send us an email at autryoils@gmail.com
To purchase pure essential oils for yourself, click here to go directly to our doTERRA referral page.
From our doTERRA site you can purchase oils at retail prices or join as a wholesale member to save on oils all year long!
We also carry Nordic Naturals products in our office if you are looking for help with buying high-quality fish oils locally.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Autry Family Chiropractic
Wellness and Massage
Selena Autry, DC
Craig Autry, LMT
5546 Boynton Drive
Ringgold, GA 30736
(Intersection of Dietz Rd,
Burning Bush, and Boynton Dr)
Just off Battlefield Pkwy
and I-75 from Chattanooga.
706-952-2600