There are always little bugs floating around, and it’s important to know how you can best support your body to recover if you start feeling sick. This post covers the basics!

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CATCH A COLD OR FLU

1) Get started on an appropriate Chinese herbal formula.

I instruct my patients to let me know right away when they are coming down with something, because the sooner we address it with herbal medicine, the sooner they start feeling better. Since I learned Chinese Herbal Medicine, I have successfully warded off almost every cold that has come my way. The key is to catch it at the first sign of a sore throat, fatigue, and/or feeling of being chilled. There are several great formulas used at this stage of a virus or bacterial infection, and the antiviral and antibacterial herbs will take care of an early stage infection almost instantly.

If you tend to catch the same types of bugs every time, it’s great to have the appropriate formula ready to go in your pantry. (Some people have a tendency towards getting a sore throat, others a sinus infection, others an upset stomach.) Start your herbs immediately and then continue to take them for a few days. If you stop after one or two doses because your symptoms disappear, sometimes those same symptoms can flare back. (More on herbal medicine below.)

2) Take a hot shower or bath.

In Chinese Medicine, it’s important to be able to break a sweat when you catch a cold, so if you start to feel chilled and you aren’t sweating at all, take a hot enough bath or shower until you begin to sweat.

If you your cold or flu progresses and you end up with a moderately high fever, a warm bath is also really helpful because it assists your body in maintaining a higher core temperature without having to expend so much energy. That’s a good thing, because it preserves more of your energy for fighting off the virus. However, please note that at this stage, you have likely progressed beyond the need to break a sweat. In fact, you may be sweating profusely if you have a high fever, and in that case, keep your baths more tepid, because you want to avoid sweating any more than necessary. You’ll also want to maintain a high intake of fluids with electrolytes to replenish what you are losing through sweat.

If you have a very high fever, please see your doctor and get appropriate medical care.

3) Stop eating refined sugars.

Sugar tanks your immune system and it will sabotage your body’s efforts to fight off the bug. And if you happen to have a bacterial infection, eating sugar will also fuel the bacteria’s rapid replication—not at all what you want.

4) Avoid eating dairy or fried foods.

Dairy and fried foods tax your digestive system and promote the production of phlegm in the body. When you are sick, your body will naturally produce lots of phlegm (hello, sinus congestion and productive cough) as it fights the bug and literally pushes pathogenic materials out of the body. You don’t want to be producing extra phlegm that will add to your symptoms and further gum up the works, so to speak.

4) Eat warm cooked soups, stews, porridge, and veggies.

We want the body to spend its energy resources fighting the bug you caught, rather than using up a bunch of energy digesting food. Warm cooked foods are the best choice because they take relatively little effort to digest and they provide ready nutritional value and energy to the body. Bone broth is a great choice alone or as a base for soups. Miso soup with freshly chopped scallions is also perfect in the early stages of a cold because the scallions gently help the body to break a sweat. Another option is congee, which is the quintessential convalescence food in Chinese Medicine. Basically you take cooked rice and cook it further with a lot more water so that it develops a porridge-like consistency. You can flavor it with herbs and spices and cooked veggies appropriate for your situation. (Medicinal congee is a whole subject in itself.)

5) Drink warm water or tea.

Stick with warm beverages. Lemon juice in warm water with a touch of honey is a favorite because it packs a strong punch of Vitamin C. Ginger tea is also a great choice because it has antiviral properties, is good for fevers, and calms digestive upset. I like to combine these and brew a big batch of fresh ginger root tea then add fresh-squeezed lemon juice with just a bit of raw unfiltered honey.

6) Conserve your energy.

It may seem obvious, but cancel any plans if possible and stay in, no matter what bug you caught or what stage of the process you are in. If you are experiencing fatigue, it’s best to rest and not expend mental energy either. Don’t force yourself to work from home just because you technically can. Not only are you protecting others by staying in and resting, but, again, you are allowing your body to save its energy to fight off the pathogen. This goes for the recovery stage too if you caught a really bad cold or flu. In our hyper-productive society, people tend to push their bodies too hard, especially in recovery stages (whether that’s recovering from a surgery, childbirth, or a cold or flu). When your body has been through something taxing, the wisdom of holistic medicine tells us to rest and allow space and time to recover appropriately.

WHAT IF YOU NEED MORE ADVANCED TREATMENT?

If you are past that very first stage of illness and you are clearly sick, continue with all of the great self-care techniques mentioned above, and you’ll need to move on to the next stage of herbal formulas. For this, you will need an herbal consultation so that you get the right herbs for your exact symptom presentation. In my pharmacy, I have a range of potent herbs that can hasten your recovery by addressing any stage of a cold or flu and treating any of the following symptoms:

• Sore throat

• Hoarse voice

• Cough: dry, productive, or lingering

• Sinus: green, yellow, or clear discharge, sinus pressure

• Congestion in the ears

• Headaches

• Body aches

• Fever and/or chills

• Swollen lymph nodes

• Nausea and/or vomiting

• Loose stools, diarrhea, or constipation

THE BOTTOM LINE

Yes, you can always just ride out a cold or flu when it comes your way, but getting some support in fighting it off will preserve your energy and minimize its negative impact on your health (and week). By adhering to these self-care principles and taking advantage of the powerful phytochemicals in herbal medicine, you can navigate cold and flu season with more grace and maximize your healthy days.

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