Flu

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Flu

Not again! That deathbedlike fatigue. That brain-smashing headache. The feeling that you’ve been run over by a truck.......or rather, General Motors.

It’s flu season again. Time for vomiting, fever, sweats and shivers. Time for a few days of agony and more than a few curses over your failure to get a flu shot. Like colds and other viruses, the flu is spread from person to person, usually in the winter and early spring, and getting a vaccination is the best way to avoid it. The other way, unfortunately, is to avoid other people, especially indoors. Since the latter option usually isn’t an option, the odds are good that the flu bug will bite you—at least on occasion. But the natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help relieve the symptoms of the flu, according to some health professionals.

See Your Medical Doctor When... You want a flu shot, which you should get before flu season begins. You get the flu and are over age 65. You get the flu and experience hoarseness, pain in your chest or difficulty breathing.

Aromatherapy

When everyone around you seems to be coming down with the flu, mix a blend of essential oils to use in your diffuser, suggests John Steele, an aromatic consultant in Los Angeles. “Scenting a room with the right essences can stop the spread of airborne viruses,” he explains.

In a five-milliliter bottle, says Steele, blend together three parts ravensare, one part naiouli or eucalyptus, one part lemon, one part rosewood and one part lavender. (Ravensare and naiouli have antiviral properties, according to Steele, while the other essential oils act as antiseptics and give the blend a wonderful aroma.) Add about 50 drops of this blend to your diffuser at a time.

For a steam inhalation, Steele suggests adding six to eight drops of this blend to a bowl of just-boiled water. Place a towel over your head and inhale. Repeat this treatment two or three times a day, if necessary, he says.

For chills, Steele suggests 3 drops of rosemary and 3 drops of ginger or black pepper essential oils added to your bath. Or, he says, make an energizing massage oil blend using 5 drops of ravensare and 15 drops of rosewood in ½ ounce of carrier oil such as olive or almond. Carrier oils are available in most health food stores.

For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.

Ayurveda

At the first sign of the flu, switch to a bland diet, says Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc., director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He especially recommends soft-cooked rice (rice that has a very soft, moist texture created by a longer cooking time with more water) with a pinch of cumin, ginger powder and turmeric for seasoning. The ginger and cumin heat up your body, so you can sweat out toxins, he explains. And, he says, turmeric has antibiotic and antiseptic qualities.

To ease the congestion that can accompany the flu, Dr. Lad suggests this formula: Mix just under ½ teaspoon each of sitopaladi powder (available from some Indian grocers and through mail order; refer to the resource list on page 634) and sudarshan (available from Ayurvedic practitioners), with ½ teaspoon of honey to sweeten. “Take a teaspoonful of this mixture every few hours,” says Dr. Lad. “You’ll be amazed at how quickly your symptoms disappear.”

Food Therapy

Feed your flu with fluids to replace what you lose through sweating and vomiting, suggests Julian Whitaker, M.D., founder and president of the Whitaker Wellness Center in Newport Beach, California. Besides water, which should be sipped regularly even when you don’t feel thirsty, Dr. Whitaker recommends vitamin-rich beverages such as apple juice and vegetable juice, as well as soups. Once your stomach can handle it, stick with easy-to-digest, high-nutrient foods such as dry toast and bananas and rice, he says.

Herbal Therapy

To ward off the flu at the first hint of symptoms, take echinacea, an herb with powerful antiviral and immunity-boosting effects, says Barre, Vermont, herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, author of Herbal Healing for Women and other books about herbs. Echinacea is available in most health food stores in supplement form, as a tincture and as a tea, according to Gladstar; she advises following the dosage recommendations on the label of the product you choose. Echinacea works best over a short period of time, she says, and isn’t an effective immune strengthener when taken long term. She suggests using the herb for no more than a week.

Homeopathy

Oscillococcinum, flu Solution and other commerical combination remedies containing duck liver and heart extract are excellent flu fighters, says Mitchell Fleisher, M.D., a family practice physician and homeopath in Colleen, Virginia. “Combination flu remedies work for a lot of people, particularly if you take one in the first 4 to 12 hours after you start having symptoms,” according to Dr. Fleisher. He says to follow the dosage recommendations on the label of the remedy you choose. If it’s going to work, you should feel relief with a single dose, he adds.

If the flu persists, however, Dr. Fleisher says that you’ll probably need a more specific remedy, such as a 12C or 30C dose of Eupatorium perfoliatum, which is good for a flu that causes aches and chills in your back and bones, fatigue, thirst and bad headaches. If you feel dizzy, drowsy and weak but momentarily better after urinating, he suggests trying a 12C or 30C dose of Gelsemium. Take up to four doses of one of these flu remedies in 24 hours. Then if you don’t feel better, see your medical doctor or homeopath, says Dr. Fleisher.

All of these remedies are available in many health food stores. To purchase the remedies by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.

Hydrotherapy

A hot bath followed by a cold mitten friction rub, two to four times a day, loosens congestion, improves circulation and strengthens the immune system, speeding healing from the flu. That advice is from Charles Thomas, Ph.D., co-author of Hydrotherapy: Simple Treatments for Common Ailments and a physical therapist at Desert Springs Therapy Center in Desert Hot Springs, California.

To do a cold mitten friction rub, follow these instructions from Agatha Thrash, M.D., a medical pathologist and co-founder and co-director of Uchee Pines Institute, a natural healing center in Seale, Alabama: Dip a small towel or washcloth into cold (50° to 60°F) water, curl one hand into a fist and wrap the cloth around it. Use your fist to rub your other arm in a vigorous circular motion, beginning with the fingers and finishing at the shoulder. Dip the cloth in the cold water again and repeat. Your skin should be pink. Dry your arm with a towel using the same vigorous circular movement, then repeat the process on your other arm and on your legs, feet, chest and abdomen.

Juice Therapy

Both apple and dark grape juices may be beneficial to those fighting the flu, says John Peterson, M.D., an Ayurvedic practitioner in Muncie, Indiana. Apple and dark grape juices have properties that work against congestion and runny nose, according to Dr. Peterson. And, he says, dark grape juice is rich in tannins, substances that have been shown to kill viruses under laboratory conditions.

Do not blend the juices, says Dr. Peterson, but you may dilute them if they are too sweet. He says to drink them at room temperature and at any time other than meals. He also suggests that pear, cranberry and pomegranate juices may be helpful.

For information on juicing techniques, see page 93.

Reflexology

Pay special attention to the following reflexes on your hands or feet, says St. Petersburg, Florida, reflexologist Dwight Byers, author of Better Health with Foot Reflexology: chest and lung, diaphragm, intestine, lymphatic system and pituitary and adrenal gland.

To help you locate these points, consult the hand and foot reflex charts beginning on page 582. For instructions on how to work the points, see “Your Reflexology Session” on page 110.