Preparing for Cold & Flu Season: Herbs and Healthy Habits

[CleanHerbalGuide]

As cold and flu season approaches, many people look for natural ways to support their overall wellness. Along with healthy habits such as quality sleep, proper nutrition, hydration, and regular exercise, traditional herbs such as elderberry, echinacea, astragalus, and ginger are commonly explored as part of seasonal wellness routines. I'm always interested in learning what herbs others grow or use during the colder months. What are your favorites?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

For healthy habits try inhaling hot water vapour. It's good if you already have an infection, but no bad thing for beating one before it gets a hold as well. There are two aspects of it, one is it makes you cough stuff up, but also less obviously, if you keep it up for some time it raises the temperature in your lungs, and the bacteria which infect your respiritary system choose it because they are sensitive to warmth and your throat and lungs are a degree or two cooler than the rest of your body. Warm them up and the bacteria find it most uncomfortable, keep them warm it can even be fatal for them. Not much use just doing it briefly, an electric kettle is better than a saucepan of hot water as you can keep switching it on again as it cools down and keep it going continuously for a really long time.

 

[dirty hands]

Hot peppers and garlic. Ive tried ginger but not sure it helped.

Nothing has worked as good as salt pills though. My sinuses have never been so mucus free.

 

[Sluggy]

Just get my flu jab every winter,

 

[dirty hands]

I always got the flu after I got the shot. I stopped getting the shot and stopped getting the flu for a long time.

I got colds all the time though and was stuffy all my life.

I feel like I found the fountain of youth.

 

[Sluggy]

Does anyone have a herbal cure for asthma? It limits my gardening time.

 

[dirty hands]

My Allergist prescribed me an air purifier. Its an Austen, he said its the only one VA approved. He told me to put in my bedroom. The first few days I had to clean the dirt of the intake vent but now it just runs 24/7 and I never have to touch it. Ive had it maybe 6 years. Our bedroom never even gets dusty.
It helps a lot but nothing ever helped like salt. Just read an article about salt therapy and asthma from the asthma and allergy foundation of America. The comments really hit home with me. One person mentioned how living close to the ocean helped.
I went to Cabo Mexico a few years ago and didnt want to come home I felt so good after a week.
Others mentioned how salt caves gave them relief the Dr's and meds never did. They mention the fear the Dr's push against anything not prescribed.

AAFA Explains: Is Salt Therapy Safe and Effective for Asthma?

In our second post in our “AAFA Explains” series, we look at claims that salt treatment (also known as halotherapy) can improve your asthma. This blog series looks at complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) aimed at asthma and allergies. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America wants to...

community.aafa.org

Salt rooms didnt do much for me but I probably didnt spend enough time in them.

 

[PGB1]

Our low-tech preventative measure is to ventilate the house once a day or so. I'll open a window and turn on the kitchen or a bath exhaust fan.

We also have a high intensity 254 nm UV lamp in a reflective aluminum chamber of the air conditioning/humidifying air handler, the fan in which we run about 16 hours a day on low. That kills every pathogen, including mold spores.

Our humidifier is steam, so any bad guys in the water tank are boiled dead. (It is a high pressure, no heat air handler, thus the need for a steam humidifier.) The humidistat we set as comfort dictates.

My non-natural preventative is getting a high dose flu vaccine, plus RSV vaccine if due and covid-19 booster. The flu vaccine can make me feel a bit wonky for part of a day as the immune system kicks in, but it's better than a bout of the flu. (The vaccine is dead. One can't actually get the flu from the vaccine.)

It's not preventative, but if allergies clog the sinuses, eucalyptus oil under the nostrils and on the temples clears things up quickly for me.

Just our battle plan at home,
Paul

 

[dirty hands]

I always got the flu about 2 weeks after the shot. Always. I was probably always fighting it already too. It happened in the military and when I worked in schools as a janitor every time. I was always snotty and fighting colds.

I rarely get the flu now and do custodial work in evenings at a medical clinic taking out trash and such. Did the same work in an auto dealership and a library. Not to mention cleaning furniture and carpets in homes.

I dont believe if you get the flu after a vaccine its not as bad neither. But I also have immune issues. I know that plays a role.

All vaccines make me sick.
And some flu vaccines do have live but weakened viruses.

im anti vaccine now for the most part but not 100% because i listen to my body too. They do harm some people (probably more than they admit) and it should be a choice.

Why You Can Still Get the Flu—Even if You Got a Flu Shot

www.medstarhealth.org

 

[dirty hands]

And they say the virus is (inactivated) whatever that means. But the proteins are still active thats one reason they have to be kept a specific temperature. Im of the opinion many people get vaccines that are ineffective and possibly dangerous.

If it works for others thats great. I believe in medical freedom. I just wish I could get what I need to treat myself without jumping through the systems hoops.

 

[PGB1]

I believe in medical freedom.

That's key. Although a proponent of vaccines, I don't believe anyne should be forced into receiving one. Nor should one be prohibited from receiving an approved vaccine. Freedom is precious!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Yes, there are some people who can't take vaccines, that's why the rest of us should. Measles for example can terribly damage and even kill young children, but once you get to figures over 90% of people vaccinated there isn't a susceptible population for it to survive on and the people who can't take the vaccine are safe.