The Immunity Roll-on is a combination of essential oils that specifically target respiratory health. This combination of lemon, clove, cinnamon, thyme and tea tree essential oils has been combined with jojoba oil to make this a ready-to-use topical that will support the immune system to defend against incoming pathogens as well as to help you to breathe easy and clear your sinuses.
I like to use it when I travel on a plane or if I am around people who might sick. I think of it as an added immune buffer. My son often gets congested when he gets sick and he likes to roll it on his chest and neck, and he finds it effective to just sniff it to help his nasal and sinus congestion.
Essential oils do not need to come into direct contact with microbes to kill them. Many essential oils release volatile compounds into the air which can inhibit or kill them. When diffused into the air, some essential oils can act on airborne microbes, reducing their viability, and some are capable of breaking down biofilms, even from a distance.
Often in my posts I talk about the role the sinuses and throat play as the first line of defense when fighting respiratory infections. These nasal sprays are additional products that can be used to support that role.
Manuka honey has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Because of this, manuka honey nasal sprays are a gentle, natural way to fight colds, flu, COVID, and bacterial infections such as strep. It reduces inflammation in the sinus passages, soothes irritated mucous membranes, hydrates nasal passages, and forms a protective barrier to shield nasal lining from allergens, irritants, and further infection.
These three products are now available in the office. Stock up so you are prepared the next time you feel like you are coming down with something!
Sore throats can be a sign that your immune system is fighting a cold or other viral infection. Gargling with an antimicrobial mouthwash is one way to combat infection. These two products can also support that immune response and soothe a sore throat or cough.
Wedderspoon Manuka Honey & Propolis Throat Spray provides fast, effective relief for sore throats and minor irritations. Combining the potent antimicrobial properties of manuka honey and the natural immune-boosting benefits of propolis, this spray helps combat bacteria and viruses while soothing inflammation. It coats the throat, easing discomfort and dryness, and supports the body’s natural healing process. Perfect for on-the-go throat care and immune support, especially during cold and flu season.
ManukaGuard Manuka Cough & Throat Syrup combines the soothing, antimicrobial power of manuka honey with apple cider vinegar and several medicinal herbs to provide effective relief from coughs and throat irritation. It helps to calm persistent coughing, ease soreness, and protect the throat from further irritation. With its rich, soothing texture, it promotes healing while supporting respiratory health. Ideal for those seeking a natural remedy for seasonal illnesses.
Both of these products are now available in the office. Here are links to the other manuka honey products I currently carry:
The medicinal use of honey has been a thing for over a millennia. Manuka honey from New Zealand and western Australia are especially potent and have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties and have been used to heal wounds and infections (including MRSA). In fact, in 2007 the FDA approved the use of Manuka honey in several ointments, gels and dressings used to treat wounds, burns, traumatic injuries, surgical wounds, diabetic ulcerations and antibiotic-resistant infections and more.
Manuka honey’s medicinal talents go beyond topical wound healing. Research is showing promising results with a wide range of health issues including urinary and digestion issues, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, skin ailments, cancer and side effects of chemo…
Exciting research from UCLA showed that Manuka honey alone can slow growth and even shrink tumors in estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. It has phytoestrogenic properties and can bind the estrogen receptors, which helps explains how it is able to help specifically in ER+ breast cancer.
Manuka honey gives the immune system a boost in several ways and one is by supporting macrophages. Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that defend us by eating up foreign invaders like microbes and cancer cells, when they are functioning properly. Manuka honey helps them to balance their production of substances involved in inflammation (inflammatory cytokines), can stimulate them to increase their microbe- and debris-eating (phagocytic) activity, and helps make the environment inhospitable to bacteria.
I stock two types of manuka honey and several manuka products in the office. If you have any further questions about how to use manuka honey, let me know next time you come in!
Here’s the actual UCLA research about Manuka honey:
Vitamin D is well-known for helping the body fight illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer. It can modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses and decrease the risk of autoimmunity. To know how much you should take, get your levels tested next time your doctor does bloodwork. Many lab ranges say that above 30 ng/mL falls within the “normal” range but I highly recommend blood levels of 80-100 ng/mL as ideal for optimal health, based on the vitamin D research of many doctors I follow who have been studying the immune system.
The best way to get vitamin D may be through UV rays of the sun, but that only works if you are out in it, ideally with your torso exposed to its rays. Needless to say, we in Vermont don’t see much of the sun during our long winters and many of us spend most of our time indoors even in the warmer months. So, supplementation is crucial.
5000-10,000 IUs is the recommended dose for vitamin D when trying to increase blood levels. Some people need to take even more to get their levels to where they want it, so testing is vital because we are aiming for 60-90 ng/mL and we don’t want the levels to be too high – over 100 or 120 ng/mL.
I carry several forms of supplemental vitamin D – capsules, gummies or liquid. We want to use D3, which can come by itself or along with A and K in ADK. I like to have both D3 and ADK on hand because I am trying to get at least 10,000 IUs in per day but we don’t need extra A and K, so I take 5000 IUs in the ADK blend and then take another 5000 IUs of just D3.
As for testing of vitamin D, when I had my levels tested in the spring, after taking 2-3000 IUs all winter, my levels were very low – 28 ng/mL. I increased my dose to 10,000 most days and by mid summer I was up to 53 – nearly doubled! I’m still working on it – I am aiming for at least 80 ng/mL. I like to keep a few different types of vitamin D on hand, just to mix it up. Currently I take the ADK in the morning, I put the liquid vitamin D in my smoothie or straight onto my tongue, and I have some caps at the office as well. I’m going to try the zero sugar gummies next.
I am putting together an immune bundle that includes vitamin D – additions or substitutions for different forms are available. I will be stocking ADK as well as the ones in the picture. My vitamin D collection will change or grow as I explore different brands as I’d like to stock dosages of 5000 and 10,000 IU (so you don’t have to take 5 caps of 1000 IU).
Tomorrow until September 14, I’m offering 20% off on all supplements in my Fullscript dispensary. You will have access to the whole catalog, and you can check out my Favorites.
Fullscript ships fast, stocks professional-grade trusted products, and ensures your supplements are safe and effective. Make sure you sign up for your free account to shop the sale!
Last fall I wrote all about supplements that are great to have on hand during the fall and winter. Check out Cold Season Medicine Cabinet. Many of these supplements I mention are available through Fullscript but the Chinese herbs are limited – for most herbs you can contact me. You can check out my Favorites – including Cold Season Medicine Cabinet – which has multiple versions of many of the supplements, such as vitamin C, D, zinc, NAC, and Quercetin. You’ll even see Cinnamon Twig formula there! With 20% off, now is a great time to stock up on your immune boosting supplements.
You can check out my other Favorites, such as Gut Health, where you will see my favorite high quality spore-based probiotic – Microbiome Lab’s MegaSporeBiotic (which includes 5 strains including HU28) – and also HU28 (which only contains 1). For most people who want a probiotic, MegaSporeBiotic is a good place to start, but for people with more serious gut issues, starting with HU28 is recommended.
I offer 10% off of the whole Fullscript catalog for all of my patients everyday, but for the next two days during the September Supplement Sale, September 13-14, everything is 20% off.
I’m thinking of you, hoping you are enjoying this glorious fall.
I want to share with you my favorite combination of natural remedies that I like to have on hand for the cold and flu season. Early treatment boosts your body’s ability to fight the pathogenic invasion (virus), so symptoms resolve more quickly.
Here are my Recommendations for the Cold Season Medicine Cabinet:
Vitamin D3 – prophylactically to increase your vitamin D stores. In the summer we get vitamin D from the sun… bye bye sun, hello Vermont winter. Now’s the time to start.
Zinc – key to reducing viral replication.
Vitamin C – another key nutrient to boosting immunity to help your body fight off colds, flues, coronaviruses Vitamin C is essential to virtually all systems in the body including heart, eyes, brain, bones, ligaments, skin and tissues.
Cinnamon Twig Formula (Gui Zhi Tang) – best formula for early onset of colds for many people. It boosts the body’s natural defenses against invading pathogens, especially again cold wind. If you tend to be averse to cold wind, it is likely that this is the formula for your pattern. If you find it is easy to catch a cold after being exposed to cold, try this, it is pretty yummy with honey or mixed into your oatmeal. This it the main formula I recommend for people tending toward this pattern to have in the medicine cabinet.
I have Cinnamon Twig Formula in my office in powders or pills, and it is available as a box of single serving packets (plenty for the whole extended family to have some) from TCM brand from FullScript.
Herbal Cold Care Tea (previously known as Gypsy Cold Care) is available at my office or at City Market or other stores. Yarrow, elderflower, hyssop and mint are the main herbs that help boost the respiratory immune response. I like it with a small spoonful of honey.
Honey is great medicine; it is anti-microbial and wonderful for an irritated throat. Buy raw local honey for best results.
Quercetin – supports immune system and respiratory function. Quercetin has been shown to offer strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, along with anti-hypertensive, anti-coagulant and anti-hyperglycemic properties.
As an early treatment, 250 mg 2x daily. Vit C helps the body absorb Quercetin more effectively.
NAC – has anti-oxidant and detoxifying effects, supports immune function and promotes lung and sinus health.
Xlear Nasal Spray – strong natural antimicrobial with grapefruit seed extract – great for occasional use for exposure or for sinusitis.
Gargling with anti-microbial mouthwash is another helpful way to deal with exposure. There are many options for what to gargle. Check out what I wrote about Gargling and think about what works best for you. I prefer my mouthwash to be free of artificial ingredients dyes, and have been using Listerine Naturals, but it has been recently discontinued. Let me know what natural mouthwash you like.
Bi Yan Pian – a Chinese herbal formula for sinus congestion, is good to have around if you are prone to sinus issues. Ask me to recommend one for you, I have several versions of the formula in stock.
Olbas Nasal Inhaler – is awesome to open the nasal passages using essential oils.
Gan Mao Ling Chinese herbal formula – used for sore throat, especially a strongly sore throat with redness, this Chinese herbal formula focuses on killing viruses in the throat. The throat connects to the ears and sinuses, so those areas can be affected as well. I do not recommend this formula to be taken preventatively, but only for treatment of a sore throat. If it is a mild sore throat, I would generally start with Cinnamon Twig formula. If it progresses, I would add Gan Mao Ling. This fall sore throat has been a common symptom, and if you are someone who feels like they nearly always get a sore throat when they get sick, this is a good one for the medicine cabinet.
Huo Xiong Zheng Qi Tang (aka Ease Digestion or Quiet Digestion). This formula is good for harmonizing the digestion and also gently releasing or venting the exterior. It appears that in some cases the main symptoms are digestive upset, such as loose stools, possibly along with a headache and fatigue. It is great to have on hand also for food poisoning or any Stomach bug.
While I don’t recommend taking too many supplements, I do recommend high quality ones which are more easily assimilated by your body and not just peed or pooped out. I’m partnering with FullScript to help provide top quality supplements, delivered directly to your home. Everything in the FullScript catalog is professional grade natural. Pick and choose what makes sense for you and your family and friends.
I am offering a 10% discount for my patients. Standard shipping is free for orders above $50 and there is a promotion for free delivery for the first 10 patient orders. You can see more recommendations in my Favorites section. (Catalog > Favorites > Cold Season Medicine Cabinet), or search the entire catalog.
Ask me about customized Chinese herbal formulas for your constitution.
My whole family had COVID last month. We are grateful that it was so mild. Also grateful that I had many treatment options at my fingertips. I have been keeping up with what medical doctors and NDs have been doing to treat COVID, as well as continuing to study Chinese medicine, so I felt pretty ready when it hit. Here are some of the things we did.
When my son was sick (testing positive for COVID 2 days later, when he was feeling better) I started doing nasal rinsing and gargling to reduce the viral load. We had all been taking Vit C, D and zinc regularly but upped the dose. We also took Quercetin and NAC and, of course, Chinese herbal medicine.
So speaking of fear… I’m hoping to relieve a little fear, if you were worried about coming to see me. Having recently had COVID is the best booster out there. Natural immunity, at this point, is certainly better than a booster based on a 2 year old variant. The chances are slim that once you’ve had it that you can catch it again, at least until it mutates a few times. Some do get it again, but it is rare, and more common in people with deficient constitutions.
Not that I want you all to get it, but if you do, I hope you got the mild version like we did (headache, fever, fatigue, dry throat). And let me know if you would like some support with supplements and herbs. Telehealth appointments are an option.
For prevention and early treatment of COVID and other viruses, one of the best things we can do is treat the area that the viruses come in and hang out: the nose and throat. Gargling is one way to get to the throat, while a spray will take care of the nose and behind, where the nose and throat meet. This effective method has been shown to reduce PCR positivity and shorten the duration of illness.
There are many options for what anti-viral/microbial agent to use use. Solutions of Betadine (povidone-iodine 1%) and hydrogen peroxide (3%) are highly effective. Grapefruit seed extract has anti-viral and anti-microbial effects, as do many essential oils, like the ones used in Listerine. Obviously, Listerine is great for gargling, but not so great for spraying up one’s nose. Xlear Nasal Spray contains grapefruit seed extract.
The goal is to decontaminate the nose and throat to reduce the viral load that your body has to deal with, and to reduce the transmission of the virus.
2 teaspoons Betadine in 6 ounces of water
Use nasal spray or syringe bulb and spray up nose – snort it to back of throat and then spit it out.
Gargle the rest of the Betadine solution, spit it out – do not swallow.
Finish with Listerine gargle
This method is recommended for early stages of COVID or flu, or if nasal symptoms continue. This can be done up to every 4 hours while you are awake. (more…)
Gargling is an easy way to reduce infection and transmission of viruses. Antiseptic mouthwashes, like Listerine, effectively reduce oro- and nasopharyngeal (mouth, throat and nose) viral load and inactivate coronaviruses.
The nose, throat and salivary glands are major sites of virus replication and transmission during early stages of coronavirus infection, as well as other respiratory viruses and bacteria. Targeting these areas with mouthwashes and nasal rinses can help prevent progression and reduce transmission of the disease.
While the vaccines aim to prevent viruses from replicating in the lungs, they do not prevent viruses from replicating in the nose, mouth and pharynx, which has a different type of mucosa than the lungs and this area is the first area to be infected.
The easiest thing we can do is to gargle daily for prevention of transmission of viruses and bacteria. Alternatively, gargling can be applied after exposure to someone who is sick or potential exposure after flying or being in a crowded place. This can be helpful for all people regardless of vaccination history.
