Cold and Flu Prevention Tips

When late summer turns into fall, our Lung energy becomes more susceptible to invasion by that cold wind outside. For those prone to upper respiratory illnesses, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, fall is often their most susceptible time. This is why you need to follow my cold and flu prevention tips!

1. Your grandmother was right: keep the back of your neck warm and covered this time of year because it is an easy target for cold and wind to invade our bodies.

2. It is also the time to start warming and preparing our deep Kidney energy for winter. Lots of warming food is especially important this time of year (check out my recipe for Squash Apple Soup). Break out warm spices in your cooking, like cinnamon and ginger. Luckily, both of those spices go well with apples. Try baking your apples or eating them as warm applesauce as the weather gets cooler. Soups and stews chock full of veggies, whole grains, and beans are very digestible and nourishing to keep our root energy strong. While common sense and hand washing can help us avoid those nasty flu germs, strengthening our bodies at the same time makes us more resistant to letting viruses penetrate and better able to fight them faster when they do.

3. A few immune boosting acupuncture treatments can strengthen the body’s defenses as well. And at the very least, be sure to contact me at the very first signs that your body is fighting something. Early acupuncture and/or herbs can help the body to fight the pathogen in the early stages and shorten the duration and severity of the sickness.