How to boost your Immunity when Traveling
by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady
The Best Defense: Stay Well
“There are tons of influences” on immunity, says Hans Gruenn, an integrative
and preventative L.A. doctor who lectures on alternative and mind-body
medicine. Among them are nutrition, your genes and your psychological
fitness. “If we catch the flu or get a bacterial infection, it’s often due
to a weak immune system and not the latest bug.”
M.D. Dana Churchill says his experience has been that once the immune
system—which is “75 percent in the gut”—calms down, there’s a return to
health. To stay ahead of H1N1, the L.A. naturopath suggests three
homeopathic remedies: Influenzinum, made from the flu vaccine that’s created
for each year’s unique flu; Baptisia tinctoria, made from the perennial
plant, wild indigo; and Arsenicum album, derived from arsenic. <
Other homeopaths recommend Boiron’s Oscillococcinum (derived from duck liver
and heart), oil of oregano (hailed as an antiviral) and mustard oil. Also
suggested have been n-acetylcysteine, an amino acid available in health food
stores; two Chinese herbs in tandem—Zhong gan ling and Yin chiao chieh tu
pien; and garlic and beta-glucans, both of which activate the immune system.
It’s also a good idea to drink fresh lemon juice, which helps restore the
body’s acid/alkaline balance.
L.A. naturopath Stephen Stiteler suggests emulsified vitamin D and plenty of
omega oils. Additionally, he and others emphasize the importance of avoiding
sugar and processed foods, maintaining an appropriate diet, getting
sufficient rest, adjusting stress levels and exercising.
If you do get sick, whether taking an antiviral or homeopathic approach to
symptoms, it’s important to address the illness quickly. Dr. Gruenn
recommends that you “Throw everything and the kitchen sink at it” within the
first few hours, because there’s a short window of time in which to fight
back. However, treatment by a licensed medical doctor should be sought if
symptoms are severe.
Maria Fotopoulos wrote this information for the Oct./Nov issue of Whole Life
Times magazine
www.wholelifemagazine.com
Beyond Clean Hands
 While it is important to
wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer to prevent illness, it is just
as important to protect yourself from the inside out. What this means
is boost, boost, boost your immune system! Viruses and bacteria are fought
off by your immune system, and the best way to be prepared is to support the
systems that fight them. Oxylent by Vitalah is a daily dose of vitamins,
minerals and antioxidants that will enhance your immune system against
pathogens. Oxylent’s effervescent form allows for nearly 100% immediate
absorption that insures you are getting the boost you need. According to the
Physicians’ Desk Reference 2000, only 10-20% of supplements in pill form are
absorbed by your body.
Oxylent is great for immune support with just one packet a day. However,
when one is stressed, travelling or at risk for exposure to colds or flus,
the daily dose can be increased to two packets per day.
Unlike most effervescent multi vitamin mineral drink mixes, Oxylent is low
in sugar. Sugar is a major immune system depressant and competes with the
absorption of vitamin C. By using stevia as the main sweetener,
vitamin C will be absorbed better and utilized more efficiently by the body.
This easy to use effervescent powder comes in small packets that can be
mixed into water or juice for a refreshing drink anytime. Oxylent
oxygenates, hydrates, circulates, and rejuvenates the body on a daily basis
by supporting the immune system, while promoting bone and heart health.
Please visit www.vitalah.com for more
information.
Minimizing the Risk
Minimus.biz does everything in travel sizes. They are offering two new Flu
Safety Kits.
 -
Flu Safety Wipes Kit (http://www.minimus.biz/detail.aspx?ID=9026)
Designed for ease of travel, it features hand sanitizer wipes for you, a
Kleenex pocket pack, and a packet of surface disinfectant wipes to kill
germs in your surroundings. No liquid hand sanitizer means it’s easy to
travel with this kit. <
 -
Flu Safety Kit (http://www.minimus.biz/detail.aspx?ID=9027)
This one has a small 1 oz bottle of liquid hand sanitizer (TSA approved size
will go through security), a Kleenex pocket pack, and a packet of surface
disinfectant wipes.
They also have plenty of individual packets of Emergen-C and individual
doses of Airborne in stock, plus (if it comes to that) individually packaged
over the counter medicines like Vicks DayQuil and NyQuil.
http://www.minimus.biz
Cold Buster Herbal Tea
Tasting Notes:
Cold Buster was developed as a great-tasting boost intended to help maintain
a higher level of stamina and restore immunity when you’re feeling under the
weather. Packed with vitamin C and citrus peels with a rooibos base, this
herbal blend will is designed to nurse you back to health. Warming, calming,
and soothing, it'll warm you from the inside out. It's especially helpful
for a sore throat since it contains licorice which is known for having
anti-inflammatory properties and a capacity to soothe an upset stomach and
control coughs. Naturally caffeine-free.
Ingredients:
rooibos, apple bits, hibiscus flowers, rosehip peel, elder leaves,
elderberry, lindon flowers, lemon peel, orange peel, currants, licorice
root, cinnamon, bean peels, ginger, fennel, wild thyme, mistletoe,
perforated St. John's wort, lemon grass, field eryngo, vitamin C, marigold
flowers, blackberry leaves, cardamom, anise seed, clove, black
pepper,chamomile, ginseng root, flavoring, magnesium carbonate. <
Stay at a hotel that helps you stay Healthy
 With swine flu top of mind
this winter, New York City’s Hotel
 Gansevoort
has partnered with Emergen-C to “Feel the Good” and will offer a
complimentary turndown packet of the fizzy formula to guests in December and
January. Fun flavors like the new cranberry pomegranate make for a perfect
winter holiday drink designed to boost health and energy right in time for
flu season.
 With hotels around the
country removing amenities, Hotel Gansevoort is bucking the trend. This new
turndown joins the property’s overall wellness-inspired initiatives,
including a healthy mini-bar, a state-of-the-art fitness center and exhale
mind body spa. <
Be Prepared to Bee Healthy
 Traveling can be physically taxing, and can easily take a toll on your
health. In addition to the usual travel necessities such as pocket tissues,
anti-bacterial hand gel and wet wipes, new Bee M.D. organic honey throat
drops are perfect for taking with you wherever you and your family travel
Bee M.D. provides natural relief for irritated throats, which can sometimes
be a side effect of circulated airplane air. And during cold and flu season,
honey drops are a great option for soothing and calming fiery throats.
In fact, honey has been used for centuries as a home remedy to help
alleviate some of the symptoms associated with a common cold! <
 Formulated
with organic honey as the main ingredient, Bee M.D. is a USDA certified
organic product with no artificial ingredients or preservatives and no harsh
medicinal taste like other name brand drops. It is just sweet, delicious
honey. <
Bee M.D. is currently available in two delicious varieties including Natural
Honey and Honey Lemon, and Bee M.D. drops are packaged individually, making
it easy to pack them in a pocket, a purse or a carry on!
This season, stock up on an organic, naturally restorative, throat drop.
It is good for soothing fiery throats all year round. <
Bee M.D™ can be now be found in local grocery and drug stores at an
SRP of $3.29 for a 21-count bag. Bee M.D. is also available for purchase at
www.drugstore.com.
<
For more information, visit
www.beemd.com
or
www.sponsorabee.com <
Swallow the sun <
 Vitamin D, once only
thought to prevent rickets, now has piles of research supporting its role in
immune function. Researchers are now saying it is no coincidence that flu
rates are higher in the winter when vitamin D levels are at their lowest due
to less sun exposure. Recent studies found those with low levels of vitamin
D were 40% more likely to get a respiratory illness. The new recommendation
for vitamin D is 2000 IU per day.
New research shows that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of influenza and
other sicknesses. Vitamin D promotes your body’s innate immune system, and
your immune system must have vitamin D in ample quantities to provide
adequate protection against microbial invaders like bacteria and viruses
(including the H1N1 ‘swine flu’ virus). However, recent studies show that as
many as 87% of adults are vitamin D deficient by late winter, and 61% remain
deficient even during summer months. To support vitamin D’s beneficial
effects on immune system health, most people must take larger supplement
doses than current, outdated guidelines.
Life Extension, the
largest non-profit organization dedicate to research on extending the
healthy human life span, offers a high-potency Viamin D3 product with 5,000
IU (http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item00251/Vitamin-D3.html).
Tips from Readers
"I lived in London a couple years ago and came across a great product (and
the best hang-over cure ever) Berocca. It is like a flavored Airborne
tablet that you drop in water. It comes in a green tube. You
don't have to go overseas to get them, British shops - there's King's Head
in Santa Monica- will carry them. Try it and you'll never look back." <
Mary O'Malley
Nelsons Colds and Flu
This homeopathic medicine is 100% natural. An easy to use blue
tube/dispenser has 84 small pills. Active ingredient is Anas Barbarie. This
is made in England. Distributed by Nelson Bach USA, LTD <
Jet Ease
"I don’t know if you have ever heard of Jet Ease (also sold as No Jet Lag in
some countries). It is made in New Zealand and is a homeopathic remedy for
jet lag in addition to containing herbal immune boosters such as arnica
montana, chamomile, and bellis perenis.
It’s great stuff and I use
the tablets all of the time when I’m winging my way from the Caribbean or
London back home to New Zealand. The tablets are made by Miers
Laboratories in Wellington NZ. Website:
www.mierslabs.co.nz"
Molly Mc Daniel | Director of PR (The Jalousie Plantation) <
Spoonful of Comfort
 If you’ve ever wanted to
send homemade chicken soup to a sick friend or family member, now you can-
no matter how far away you are from them!
Forget flowers, Spoonful of Comfort is a brand new Florida Company that
features old-fashioned, homemade chicken soup that can be sent to a loved
one... anywhere in the country. They use a special recipe with all natural
ingredients - chicken stock, chicken, pasta noodles, carrots, celery, onion,
parsley, salt and pepper - no additives or preservatives.
With great care, the soup is prepared in small batches to draw out the best
flavors - and then jarred up and sent out upon order.
Each 64 ounce jar
comes beautifully packaged and ready to enjoy - just heat and eat! You can
even order fresh rolls and homemade oatmeal cookies to accompany the soup.
So much better than flowers! $32.00
www.spoonfulofcomfort.com <
Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer was unfortunately inspired by the
flu to write this story. Read her stories on
www.travellady.com,
www.carladynews.com,
www.yogayaya.com,
www.chocolateatlas.com,
www.cocktailatlas.com,
www.teaAtlas.com,
www.coffeeatlas.com <
| 
