You’re starting to feel sick and you want some natural remedies to help you recover faster…what should you do? Here are the best supplements I see work for colds, flu, and other common viruses.
Supplement Protocol for Colds
- Astragalus – 2 droppers-2x a day if exposed, 4 droppers-4x if sick
- Elderberry – 2 droppers-2x a day if exposed, 4 droppers-4x if sick
- Zinc – 30 mg once a day; 2x a day if sick
- Vit A – 10,000 IU a day of vitamin A during the cold & flu season. 25,000 IU 2x a day if you feel as though you’ve been exposed to a virus and 50,000 IU 2x day if you become sick (high dose only for up to 2 weeks)
- Vit D – 6,000 IU once a day during the cold & flu season and 6,000 IU 2x a day if you become sick
- Thymus PMG (Standard Process) – 2-4 per hour if sick.
- Glycine – 1,000 mg 4x a day. Begin taking after a few days of being sick. This is an amino acid that helps the body break down cytokines.
For children I recommend half of the dosage listed above.
You should not feel worse on any supplement – if you do, stop taking it.
Can I Prevent Getting Sick By Taking These Supplements?
The short answer here is no. These supplements will not necessarily stop you from getting sick, but they will help support your immune system if and when you do get sick. You do not need to take these regularly to try to prevent illness. I recommend beginning them if you know you have been exposed to someone who is sick or after you start not feeling well.
What Else Can I Do to Support My Immune System?
To avoid getting sick and keep colds as mild as possible, it is important to prioritize your health throughout the year, and do your best to support a healthy immune system throughout the fall/winter “flu season.”
Get enough sleep. Getting enough rest and allowing your body to heal will help improve your immune strength and overall health. Ideally you should be getting 8-10 hours of sleep. You should be able to fall asleep without difficulty, stay asleep throughout the night, and feel well rested when you wake up. The time that you sleep also matters. Sleeping from 10pm-7am is better for you than sleeping from 1am-10am, even though they are the same number of hours.
Eat well. Your nutrition can make or break your health. Focus on real, whole foods and limit the ultra-processed foods. Cook at home when you can. Decrease your sugar and alcohol intake. Increase omega 3 fats such as red meat, fish, and butter. Decrease seed oils such as vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower/safflower oil, soybean oil, and peanut oil. Make sure you are eating enough protein – most people are not!
Decrease stress. This can be a tricky one. Often this time of year people are stressed about going back to school, work and feeling too busy/overwhelmed, financial stressors with the holidays, traveling or hosting events, and spending time with extended family. Do what you can to manage stress. That may mean saying no to some events, taking some extra time for self-care and relaxation, prayer, meditation, etc.
Exercise. Keep moving regularly! This doesn’t always have to be intense exercise and you don’t need to spend hours in the gym. Even 20 minutes of strength building exercises will have benefits. If you like having a social outlet or want some accountability, consider joining an exercise group. Find simple ways to get moving each day – get outside and go on a walk after dinner!