Coughing? Sneezing? Know someone who is having cold/flu symptoms?

Flu season is definitely upon us. Even though it doesn’t generally peak until those cold winter months (December-February), everywhere I go I’m already hearing those dreaded coughs and sneezes. As a naturopath, I am certainly not immune (no pun intended) to these little buggers either. In fact, just yesterday I felt a bit of a sore throat and headache coming on. So how can we protect ourselves this flu season?

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate… 

The CDC states that “the single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.” This blog post is not intended to be a long discussion on the efficacy of the flu shot, or whether you should get the flu shot or not. (For the record, I am not anti-vaccines. I am, however, pro educated decisions). Whether you choose to get the flu shot or not, there are still other ways to enhance your immune system. The flu shot may protect you against the 3 or 4 strains of viruses deemed to be most common in that season. However, the flu shot does not protect you against those strains if they have mutated, or all of the hundreds of other strains that are not covered, and any non-flu viruses that cause influenza-like illnesses. So, if we can’t protect ourselves against all of those other potential hitters, it makes sense to me to strengthen our body’s defense system.

How do I stay flu-free this season? 

OK, so we all know about rest, fluids and washing your hands. I’m not here to preach about things that we all know already. Nothing is more annoying than going to your doctor’s office, and them telling you just to get some rest and drink water. I mean, we all know that already right? So I’ve created a short checklist of 5 items that I think are important, but may be missed in the general population. You can check out the brief checklist in my previous post, but I will be writing a longer post on each item over the next couple weeks, so stay tuned! These are by no means the ONLY ways to protect yourselves, and you should always consult your friendly Naturopathic Doctor for more specific and tailored approaches to your immune system.

I can’t wait. I need to see a Naturopath now.. 

If you want to get immune ready now, I am currently running my annual flu clinic at my Mississauga (Meadowvale) clinic . The initial immune consultation consists of a wellness assessment, a zinc tally test, individually tailored flu flighting tips as well as a free immune booster!. The cost of the consultation and treatment is only $40 and is covered by your extended health benefits. Click here to book online now. Or click here to contact me for any further questions.

Stay tuned for more… 

In Health,

Dr. Maria