Flu review- things to think, ingest and do!

Viruses enter the nose and throat before traveling into the body- keeping the viral population in your nose and throat down can prevent you from getting sick (possibly even while conferring some immunity as you are exposed), since it’s nearly impossible (and impractical) to avoid all germs.  there are also lots of fabulous natural things one can do to help build what the chinese call “wei qi” or “defensive qi” which protects us from pathogens.

THINGS TO DO:

1. more sleep, less sugar- the immune system can be compromised by too little sleep or too much sugar very quickly

2. gargle with salt water or mouthwash 2x a day. (in response to this someone in my email said their grandma swore Listerine prevented her from getting the 1918 Spanish flu while she was caring for the ill.)

3. use a neti pot with salt water or if you can’t handle that at least blow your nose well and then swab inside with salt water.

4. drink warm beverages to wash germs into the stomach where the acidic environment kills them.

5. dry brush your skin with a loofah or body brush in a circular motion towards your heart.  this not only improves lymph circulation but also invigorates the wei qi.

6. finish your shower with cold water- this may seem crazy, but it causes the wei qi to come right to the surface of the body (and usually also elicits a few deep breaths of otherwise steamy air which is also good for the lungs)

7. tap the center of the chest between the nipples 50x morning and evening to stimulate the thymus

8. joy! laughing and loving are still good medicine- i’m loathe to say reducing stress, because i think fun should be for the sake of itself, but if for the sake of health i can get you to have some fun, so be it.

THINGS TO INGEST

1. acidophilus- much of our immunity is in our gut, and most of us can benefit from a better flora arrangement

2. astragalus is an astringent and adaptogenic herb, one that i have taken for years through the winters, starting in part to help me keep a stable energy when my babies kept me up all night, and has had the pleasant side effect of helping me not catch every which child-borne illness : )

3. get some extra vitamin D- via sunshine or supplement

4. oscillococcinum one dose weekly or biweekly

5. elderberry juice

6. raw honey with propolis and pollen (not for babies under 1 year old)

7. eat garlic onions and spicy foods

8. extra vitamin c

if you get sick, please see “winter cheat” post for remedies.

all of the above are things i’ve used both for myself and my children and while nursing (if you have a nursing baby they will get your immunities, so best to get a little sick yourself then boost your own immune system and nurse constantly)

THINGS TO THINK

1. flu viruses live between 8-12 hours on surfaces (this keeps me from cleaning too wildly)

2. you’re probably gonna come in contact with it, so you might as well try keeping the population down in your system rather than figuring out how to eradicate every external germ.  the upswing of this is that i believe it confers some immunity on you once you’re exposed.

3. I am healthy and strong! My children are healthy and strong! My patients are healthy and strong!

The absurdity of politics in all our families’ business

The unwritten rules of being the child of leaders of a newish school. Apparently not ok to say in my professional bio that I’m the daughter of Tai Sophia’s founders.

Which is kind of funny because well, it is who I am. I grew up at Tai Sophia (it was TAI back then, but anyhoo). Being that my parents are the founders (also known as Bob and Dianne) dinners at home were also Tai Sophia. When I was eightish and the School of Philosophy and Healing in Action was being birthed it was in my kitchen, in my mouth, my mother teaching me to make direct requests and how to accept, decline or counteroffer. When I was ill it was acupuncture before pills doctors or anything else.
When my oldest son was sick and I a scared mom with a febrile infant ready to go to the E.R. it was Simon, founder of the Master of Herbal medicine program at Tai Sophia who picked some ground cover ivy that I dried and made into tea for him.
When I presented my first patient to the class many students affectionately call “Bobservation” I decided to tell the audience that Bob was my dad- why would I put the pink elephant on display when what I really wanted to get to was “can you help me help my patient?”

Theoretically I understand that maybe people will get that from my last name (which is in fact one of the many reasons besides laziness and continuity and feminism that I haven’t decided to change my name yet.)  Then again, my sister in law, who also works with us is also a Connelly-Duggan with a very different history.  And so if I change my name to Fountain, which in solidarity with my husband I’d like to do I then start as though acupuncture is not already a part of me?  Do I say then, that I’ve only been practicing since I began my formal training in school, which has way more to do in the end with licensing and regulations and degrees than with what it is I actually practice?

Again this weekend I was privileged to attend a conference called “Building Bridges.”  It was Qigong and herbs and acupuncture, and really moreover about how and who we are as humans and how we keep making ourselves up as free and new as babies.  Babies don’t give a good gosh darn about calling for their parents or using their entire bodies to yawn.  And so here I am, mother daughter, colleague and wife, grateful that I “tagged along” to that conference with my parents and that just maybe out of that I formed a connection that will help all of our children in schools recover their own well of being.