A Holistic or Over the Counter Flu Season

The next cold and flu season will be here before we know it. Do you have all the information you need on how to take a holistic or over the counter approach to avoid getting sick? The fall temperatures might not have reached the Lowcountry just yet - but they'll be here before you know it. Dr. Bob is here to talk about the upcoming flu season and what you can do to keep yourself healthy! 

Hello everyone! Dr. Bob here to talk about the cold and flu season. Pretty soon the cold and flu season will be the only thing you're going to hear about. I want to chat with you about this topic so you can pick the best way for you to prevent getting a cold or the flu this season. 

The biggest thing I want to impress upon you is that you need to research what your best options are. Don't just do what someone else tells you to do. Make sure that if you decide to put anything into your body that you know what it is and what the possible side effects are. There are two ways to approach this topic of combating the flu. The first is a medical approach which is a vaccine against the virus. The other options are more natural and don't include a vaccination. 

Before we dive into these two options, I want to talk about the germ theory. The germ theory says, that is if you believe in this theory, that germs are what get you sick. As a chiropractor, I believe a little differently. I believe that it is your body's inability to fight those germs that make you sick. In this situation the medical world will look around and ask how are they going to kill these bugs, how are they going to get them out of your body, and how are they going to prevent them from getting there. The chiropractic approach is a little more holistic. We tend to focus on what can we do to help the body naturally boost its natural defenses against these germs. Building up the body's natural defenses helps it defend itself against viruses and bacteria. 

So let's continue talking about the flu shot. Me personally, I am not a fan of it for a few reasons. 

• The flu vaccination, by CDC statistics between 2004 and 2018, was between 10 and 60 perfect effective. It was only 50% effective in 4 out of 14 cold and flu seasons. In the long run, it is at best only 50% effective. It is only created to prevent the three most common strains of the flu, and these strains were picked from the fall or spring season before. It happens very frequently that new strains appear in each flu season, literally making these vaccinations useless. 
• There are chemicals in the flu vaccination that you will ingest if you take it. These chemicals include formaldehyde, aluminum, and mercury all mixed up with live weakened viruses and killed bacteria. Do you want to put that into your body? 

Those are the main two reasons why I don't personally get a flu shot. But you still need to prevent the flu from coming, so what do you do? There is a more holistic approach that I prefer to follow. 

• You need to strengthen your immune system. You can do this by eating properly, getting plenty of rest, and washing your hands way more than normal.
• Taking supplements is also a good option. D3 and Wellness Formula are two of the best to take during the cold and flu season. You can take D3 throughout the season, but only take wellness formula if you're feeling run down or if you are coming down with something. 
• Get your spine checked out regularly by a chiropractor. This will help the nerve system stay healthy, which will keep your immune system healthy! 

As a chiropractor, I believe in a holistic and natural approach to the cold and flu season over medications or vaccinations. If you have any other questions, please give us a call. We'd love to talk more with you. Come in and talk with us if you'd like, there is no cost to talk! If I can help anyone out there stay healthy then I have done my job! 

I'll talk to you next time. Take care!