Natural Virus Prevention and Treatment

Echinacea and Goldenseal Elixir

Edit: 3/13/20
The below article was written on 2/5/20. Our current situation with COVID-19 has changed significantly.  The recommendations for natural prevention and treatment remain the same.  
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There is increasing fear right now around the coronavirus and the flu. Every year there is significant media focus on the flu and this year, the coronavirus is the latest concern in the media. While the coronavirus can be quite serious, it usually causes mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold or flu. 

From a prevention perspective, the fear that rises up from these alerts could possibly be more damaging to the body, and to the community, than the disease itself. As we make efforts to stay well this season, remember that fear suppresses the immune system and does not create empowerment for wellness and overall well-being.

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Much of the fear and concern that I observe in my practice and community comes from a feeling of helplessness. It's very scary to imagine that either one of these viruses may enter into our lives and even scarier to think that we are powerless to do anything about it.

I'm here to tell you that there is so much that you CAN do.  Our bodies are amazing and resilient. With some commitment to wellness and prevention, we can do quite a bit to protect ourselves this season.

First and foremost, the baseline and foundation for preventing illness is a well nourished and rested body. If you are concerned about infection right now, use the energy that may be going towards fear and spend time pouring nourishment into your system. The same goes for getting rest. This is not a time to be deeply exhausted. In this season, our bodies crave and require rest for our overall well-being and especially for our immune system. If we are always run down, living in an overactive sympathetic nervous system, our adrenals may be affected. If our cortisol levels are too high or too low, this can lead to chronic infections, increased inflammation, autoimmune issues, and allergies. Each of these increase our susceptibility to viral infections as well as the likelihood of secondary infections.

Second, please know that there are so many incredible natural resources out there to help you prevent or treat infection. In my home herbal medicine cabinet, I have on hand everything that I need to treat acute, infectious illnesses. 

It's also important to know that sometimes infection does occur in rested and well nourished bodies. This is where herbs, homeopathy, essential oils, and other medicines come in to support us. When illness does happen in well nourished and rested bodies, the ability to heal quickly and respond to natural treatment improves significantly compared to deficient, stressed, or toxic systems. We see shorter infection times, fewer secondary infections, and a fuller recovery.

Prevention comes first! 

How to prevent infection:

​Edit: 3/13/20
The below recommendations are beyond the basics.  At this point, I consider the basics to include hand washing, not touching your face, and taking responsible precautions for social distancing.

1. Nourish yourself deeply with whole, anti-inflammatory foods. If you are consistently eating processed foods, sugar, unhealthy salt, or alcohol, take a look at this as a cause of illness. These foods will not serve you or your body to build a strong and resilient immune system. This applies to toxic water as well. Be sure to get clean water that has not been treated with chemicals. Choose a diverse whole foods diet as a baseline for defense. I often also recommend a foundation of a whole food multivitamin and mineral, a probiotic, fish oil, and Vitamin D3 in the winter.  If you don't know where to start in terms of a healing and nourishing diet, consider looking into Nourishing Traditions.  
2. Get rest and decrease stress. If you are running low on sleep or are continually stressed, angry, resentful, or sad, just know that these emotions are blocking the natural flow of your body and inhibiting your immune system. The cascade of stress and cortisol through the body requires a significant amount of energy, takes a toll on our nervous system, and deeply affects our immune response.
3. Move your body. By moving the body, we allow our tissues to clear stagnation, toxicity, and stress. We also support our nervous system and our lymphatic system, therefore building our immune system. Find time to breathe fresh air, and if possible, bask in some sunshine.
4. Add preventative measures such as tonifying herbal remedies, essential oils, and homeopathy. While some remedies should not be taken long-term, nutritive and tonifying herbs can be taken throughout the winter to help prevent illness (see more below). This applies to homeopathic remedies as well. Being familiar with your constitutional remedy and using it to stay in balance, can significantly support your immune system, energy and well-being. I also consistently use diluted essential oils such as oregano, thyme, frankincense, and others on the bottom of my children's feet when I know that they have been exposed to infection or illness.

These are the basic first steps of prevention and can reduce your chances of contracting viruses. Commitment to your body and yourself for your overall well-being will take you further than you could ever imagine. These are simple and affordable measures that will have a major influence on your physical and mental health.

If you do get sick, below are my recommendations.  Remember, every body is different.  Tune in and listen to your body when choosing treatment options.

Treating infection naturally:

1. Get serious about your herbal remedies. The nourishing herbal preparations of nettle, oatstraw, elderberry or elderflower, as well as an echinacea and goldenseal elixir are staples in my medicine cabinet. Nettle and oatstraw are important as they are tonifying and nutritive.  They provide us with phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals our bodies need for a strong immune system. The other herbs are nourishing as well as antimicrobial. Nettle, oatstraw and elderberry can be taken throughout the season, while a blend of echinacea and goldenseal should be reserved for times of exposure to, or treating illness.  Usnea is another amazing herb to keep on hand for treating viral infections. Like echinacea and goldenseal, it can be rotated in during times of illness. 
2. Essential oils and homeopathy. If you are using essential oils on the bottom of your feet or in a diffuser, continue to do so. I also find that adding the appropriate homeopathic remedy for the presenting symptoms, significantly increases the body's ability to respond. The most common ones that I use for viral infections are Belladonna or Aconite. Like herbs, there are so many different factors that go into choosing a homeopathic remedy. However, I recommend keeping these two on hand for the winter.
3. Use culinary herbs. The incredible power of culinary herbs and food as medicine should not be underestimated here for treating illness. Making broths or drinks with plenty of turmeric, ginger, garlic, black pepper and onions, support gut health, absorption, and are anti-microbial as well.  Nourishing herbs are an amazing defense and treatment for illness. They create an opportunity to ingest herbs that have been infused into the broth. I make herbal bone broth or herbal vegan “bone broth”. You can make these ahead of time and keep plenty of broth stocked in the freezer. If your digestion allows, make fresh pressed juices with beet, carrot, ginger, lemon, celery, and cucumber.  These medicinal foods will keep your digestive and elimination systems flowing.
4. Rest. If you do become ill, stop and rest.  This is especially important if you are susceptible to illness due to overwork or excess stress.  It is much more stressful to recover from a 2-3 week illness than to stay home for a few days and allow your immune system to fight the invader.  If you are ill, taking daily Epsom salt baths will help to keep your balanced, hydrated, and mineralized.  Epsom salt baths also support the natural process of diffusion and osmosis. As the magnesium and other minerals diffuse into the body, the body releases toxicity, cellular debris and viral waste.  I recommend a minimum of 2 cups of Epsom or mineral salt per bath.

With this protocol, the illness will likely pass much more quickly. This will also assure that the body is receiving nourishment, preventing the depletion often experienced after illness.  This is incredibly important to prevent a secondary infection. Illness requires significant energy from the body and if we are not well nourished, with gentle medicinal foods, we can be vulnerable to more serious secondary infections.

This protocol also creates an opportunity for empowerment and ownership of our own health and well being.  The effects of fear on our immune system, along with a feeling of helplessness, do not serve our overall well being.  Committing to deeply nourish ourselves with herbs, foods, and rest creates a foundation of wellness and well being. Preventing illness and staying well also helps you avoid hospitals and doctors offices during epidemics.

If you haven’t already, consider building your own Natural Home Medicine Cabinet. If you are not eating a clean, nourishing diet, consider clearing out processed and inflammatory foods.

Sending you wellness and empowerment this season!

Resources to support you:
Stephen Buhner’s coronavirus herbal kit
Natural Home Medicine Cabinet
Elderberry Syrup
Echinacea and Goldenseal Elixir

Soaking up the Vitamin D in Colorado in February!

Disclaimer: 
Only a physician can diagnose, treat, and prescribe for illness or disease. As an herbalist, I neither diagnose nor treat disease. Nor do I prescribe remedies. The human body has the innate power to heal itself. Without this power to self-heal, even the most advanced medications and procedures would ultimately fail. The role of the herbalist in this healing process is to consider the client as a whole person and to consult with the client concerning changes in lifestyle, diet, and supplementation of herbs and/or vitamins to foster an increased state of balance and health. Thus maximizing the body's self-healing capabilities. Journey to Wellness, LLC encourages and advises clients to seek professional medical advice regarding any illness or disease they are suffering from. Background health information can aid in the process of a holistic, herbal program and therefore can be shared at the time of the herbal consultation. Any concerns about your health and supplementation with herbs or diet should be done in consultation with your physician. Although speculative interactions between herbs and drugs are sometimes publicized, confirmed cases are rare. It is the responsibility of the client to discuss with their physician possible interactions of herbal supplements and medications. I am not liable for any possible adverse reactions and side effects of the herbal supplements you decide to take. The client or reader must accept ownership and responsibility for their own health; including negative consequences and positive outcomes.