A few weeks ago I received an email from a lady who wanted my suggestion for a good holistic doctor or naturopath in the Atlanta area. I let the email sit in my inbox for a few days, mainly because I couldn’t think of one! The holistic MD I saw when I was first diagnosed with cancer took time off to stay home with her kids, but even so- I haven’t NEEDED to see a general practitioner since then. How do I do it? Read on for some REALLY helpful, natural winter immune boosting ideas!

Green Drink Diaries’ Winter Wellness Protocol

Daily:

1. Eating a 50-75% raw organic diet helps keep the immune system strong and the colon healthy (your immune system and digestive system go hand-in-hand.) I drink a 64 oz green smoothie everyday along with a BIG salad 2-3 nights for dinner. I reward myself with a warm, yummy soup, green tea sweetened with stevia, and organic meat on occasion.

2. Vitamin D3- 2,000-4,000 (buy a brand like VitaChoice which has an Omega-3 rich oil base to receive anti-inflammatory benefits too!) For Babies and Kids, I use Vitacost’s “Baby-D” drops which only contain olive oil as an additional ingredient and is very affordable! I give my daughter 800-1,200 IU twice a day in cold weather season.

3. Organic Green Tea 3-4 times a day, sweetened with stevia.

4. Dr. Williams Vitamins or a well researched, food-based multi-vitamin.

5. SLEEP: I’d like to pretend like I’m good at this one! I am lucky to get 7 hours of sleep being a wife, mother of a toddler, teaching 4th grade full time, and keeping up with Green Drink Diaries. We should all try to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Ideally as humans, we should be going to bed shortly after sundown and waking up at sun up, but surely, modern technology and the demands of our busy lives has made that sort of lifestyle a thing of the past!

At First Signs of Sickness or if Illness Progresses:

1. (3 Times Daily) Winter Cocktail: 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp elderberry extract, 6 drops oil of oregano, 1/4 c water. Shoot it down and chase with water if needed! I have grown to LOVE the tingling of the apple cider vinegar and sweetness of the elderberry. For children, I would give 1 tsp elderberry syrup 2-3x a day. Nature’s Way Sambucus for Kids is a favorite brand.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide in ears- I found this out from a friend who said it worked for her, so I tried it and felt much better the next day! The theory that supports this remedy says that bacteria and viruses may enter the body through the ears and not just through the mouth and nose. 

Directions: Put 2-3 drops of hydrogen peroxide in one ear while laying down on a towel. It should be just enough to clog your hearing. Let it sit for enough time for most of the bubbling sound to stop. (usually 3-4 minutes) It will itch a bit, so I gently tug on my earlobe to relieve the itching. It is important to not overdo this one. Be sure to allow ALL of the hydrogen peroxide to drain out or you could end up with clogged ears or infection. I have done this many times and have never had a problem with clogging, but use with caution.

3. GOOT: A garlic, olive oil, and coconut oil salve you put on the bottom of the feet and sleep with socks over it. I use this for my daughter and find it very effective. Expect much improvement by morning!

4. Extra Vitamin D3: Take 5,000-10,000 units daily

5. Chestal or Children’s Chestal for coughs: You can buy online or at your local Walgreens or Whole Foods

6. 1 Tbsp raw Honey with hot water for congestion and cough

7. Homemade Vapo-Rub:Thanks to Brittany at The Pistachio Project for this one!

8. Homeopathic Natural Medicine Children’s Fever Reliever: I find that this doesn’t completely reduce or break my daughter’s fever like Tylenol did when I was a kid, but it brought it down to a safer fever temperature in order to fight off illness naturally. Usually with a good night’s rest, her fevers have been gone by morning. I bought our bottle at Whole Foods.

9. Chicken Broth: I would buy a whole (organic) chicken and follow these directions to make your own (I would use Method 1.) I also recently read a great recipe for making chicken broth in a crock pot if you have one. Easy!

10. Humidifier: I wish I could say I’ve used this one, but we bought one last year and ended up returning it with plans of buying a more functional one later. So, it’s on the list because I KNOW it is effective in clearing chest congestion and making breathing easier! Hopefully with all of the other measures I’m taking to prevent colds and flu this winter season, I won’t even need one!