Give your immune system a timely boost

There’s a lot of focus on destroying germs, which is probably why we end up scared of them. But the truth is we couldn’t exist without some germs in our lives: specifically, beneficial bacteria.

That’s because our ability to withstand all kinds of infection very much depends on how many beneficial bacteria we have in our gut, and if they’re in the right place.

There’ll be an entire blog on gut health coming soon, featuring our multi-strain biotic – which has 10 strains of billions of “beneficial” bacteria – so check back for that. But in the meantime…

Where do your bacteria live?

A healthy gut is about having a good balance of enough strains of “beneficial “bacteria in the right place. This means they’re sitting in the large intestine and not the small intestine. Because as any sufferer of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) will know, this isn’t much fun.

You’re likely to know if you have this balance right by whether you suffer with digestive issues or not. The next thing we need to look out for is how often we get colds and flu.

If you never experience the symptoms of colds or flu then something might be off. Equally if you’re always limping from one cold or cough to another, that’s not ideal either.

That’s because colds and flu can be actually a symptom of your body functioning perfectly healthily, getting rid of toxicity which builds up in our cells over time.

”Catching” a cold may be a misnomer

Here’s a thing. Because cold symptoms start from within our own cells, there’s a debate over whether you can actually “catch” a cold or not. Bacterial infections can of course be spread, but as colds and flu can be a result of our bodies naturally detoxing, you could argue you give them to yourself!

There is one impact other people can have on whether we get colds and flu though: because your body is an electrical system it picks up on impulses from other electrical systems nearby – ie other people – and mimics them. So your body may feel it’s a good time to shed toxins if others around you are. Think of it as similar to a yawn response which triggers when you see someone else yawn.

So why do colds and flu tend to appear in winter?

Good question! One explanation is that shedding toxins could be a seasonal rhythm. But it’s also interesting to note the cold and flu season tends to be after Christmas when a lot of sugar is consumed. Sugar is directly contra-indicated to a good healthy immune system. As the late Dr. Robert F. Cathcart, who specialised in allergy, environmental and orthomolecular medicine, reported that sugar competes with Vitamin C, so he lectured his patients against it.

How to ease the symptoms of colds and flu

Don’t mask them. Feed your body what it wants. Linus Pauling, the two-time winner of the Nobel prize said “Provided one has the correct level of vitamin, mineral and nutritional input, the body can overcome disease.”

If we were all living in an ideal world then we’d naturally keep disease at bay. But this ideal world would have no artificial chemicals or toxic substances in the air, water or soil. We would get adequate sunlight, not lead sedentary lifestyles and not smoke. We’d get enough sleep and never get chronically stressed. The list goes on…

Unfortunately, we know all too well that our world isn’t ideal for a whole host of reasons. So we need to do what we can to support our immune function. This would lessen the length and severity of a cold or flu, but also reduce the risk of developing an auto-immune response where our body mistakenly identifies a cell as an invader and overreacts, thus causing any number of issues that can lead to chronic illness.

Still can’t shake it off?

If you’re experiencing long drawn-out colds and coughs try easing symptoms with herbal helpers like elderberry – known for its tremendous kick of vitamin C. Echinacea and Astragalus (found in VitOrtho’s Immuform) used early on may also usually reduce the length of time that the symptoms are felt.

It’s important to keep an eye on symptoms and know if it’s viral (that’s you “virusing” out your toxins) or if it’s bacterial. If it’s the latter, you’ll want to avoid infections getting into your chest and lungs.

An all-round immune support, like VitOrtho’s Immuform, can also help before and during the symptoms. Expertly formulated with vitamin C, D3, zinc and selenium, Immuform also contains vitamin A to support the mucous membranes in the lungs. It can be taken as a general support and contributes to maintenance of a normal functioning immune system – but remember having a cold now and then serves as a good old clear out of toxins.

Think of it as a spring clean. Even if it’s usually in winter.