V3, I2

"I am the Allower of my own Wellbeing"

A monthly newsletter written by Sherry Dell, PhD, CN

Volume 3, Issue 2
November, 2009

The Flu

If you get the flu....

"According to a recent CBS News study, when you come down with chills, fever, cough, runny nose, malaise and all those other "flu-like" symptoms, the illness is likely caused by influenza at most 17 percent of the time and as little as 3 percent. The other 83 to 97 percent of the time it's caused by other viruses or bacteria."*

Statistically, then, the odds are you don't actually have the flu. But that's little comfort if you're feeling like crud. And in regards to what to do when you're under the weather, the following ideas are going to be helpful no matter which of the many, many viruses or bacteria might be upsetting your own personal applecart.

	Go to bed and stay there; sleep, read, sleep, watch tv, sleep, but by all means stay in bed
	Hydrate; drink enough purified water to keep you having to urinate every 1-2 hours
	Avoid all dairy foods, sugar, coffee, and alcohol
	Emphasize natural symptom relief; hot pads, hot soup, hot herbal tea to loosen the chest; hot salt water or diluted apple cider vinegar gargle for sore throat
	Keep up with your supplements; Vitamin C, Vitamin D, zinc, and antioxidants in general should probably on your bathroom sink counter long before you get sick
	Reframe this down-time; you've needed the rest and recuperation for a long time; your body has obliged and given you a retreat (albeit forced)

Louis Pasteur, generally considered the father of germ theory, is quoted as having recanted his beliefs on germs on his deathbed, saying, “ the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything.” What is the terrain? To germs, the terrain is the world they live in, to us, the terrain is another word for our bodies. In other words, Pasteur was telling us that bacteria and viruses are all around us at all times. It is the status of our immune system or the internal “terrain” created by our body’s biochemistry that makes the difference between illness and health.

Right now, germs are the topic of the day. Seasonal flu, H1N1, colds and all manner of respiratory distress are the leading story on the nightly news. But is this really news? Hasn’t your mother always told you to wash your hands before you eat, keep your hands away from your face, stay warm, get your rest, eat right, drink your water? She and your mother’s mother and your mother’s mother’s mother, etc. throughout time immemorial have been saying these things, because there have always been germs to contend with. And humanity has multiplied and thrived.

So on behalf of mothers everywhere, let me just remind us all, that there is a flu prevention diet. And there is a flu prevention lifestyle. In fact, I bet you already know what it is. It is pretty much the opposite of the current American lifestyle of too much stress, too little exercise, too little sleep, too much sugar and processed food and alcohol and coffee, which all make our internal terrain a very happy home for any passing germ of the day. The basics of the flu prevention lifestyle are managed stress, daily exercise, plenty of rest, whole food, and optimal hydration.

And here’s my version of the flu prevention diet. If you can’t commit to this for the long run, try to hang with it through the cold and flu season and you will have a much better chance of missing all the fun of the infections that are scaring the pants off of everyone:

	Lots of non-chlorinated water each day (divide your body weight in half and drink that many ounces each day);
	Three meals per day to include more high quality protein and much less simple carbohydrate (emphasize vegetarian protein such as legumes and nuts and seeds plus chicken, turkey, fish);
	NO SUGAR; NO COFFEE, NO ALCOHOL (somebody has to say it; these are the most acidifying components of our diets and an acid pH is what makes a good terrain for germs of all kinds)
	Very limited dairy especially if you are in any way congested;
	Very limited fried and other rancid or saturated fats --eat adequate amounts of good essential fatty acids such as those found in fish and fish oils and safflower and olive oils.

The other big topic in the news today of course is the swine flu vaccination. My reading of the literature suggests that the effectiveness of the flu vaccine has not been well established. In other words, getting the shot itself does not necessarily guarantee you protection against the flu. Any flu. And they only have vaccination available currently for two types. Please take a look at www.swineflu.mercola.com and www.russellblaylockmd.com to get access to the detailed research.