Photo by Mai Le.

Got a question for us? Drop your tricky, random, wacky or plain confusing health question into the Suggest-O-Matic, leave a comment, or tag your tweet questions with #wellwire and our team of experts will answer them in this weekly column.

Q: Can you recommend a product to prevent me from getting sick? Something that I can take at the onset of an illness. Jennifer, Portland, Oregon

A: Before I answer your question, I want you to consider how getting a little sick might actually be a good thing. Sounds weird but naturopathic doctors actually encourage patients to get sick once or twice a year. Here’s why: during illness, your immune system goes back to school and learns about the new infectious agents going around each year. You could call it a “refresher” course for the immune system. In the long run, people who never get sick or hardly ever get sick may be causing their immune system to become more ignorant of what’s out there (or what may be going aberrant with in the body).

Over the course of a cold or flu the immune system is not only initially recognizing an illness, but also making immune markers (immunoglobulins) to that harmful agent for the rest of your life. These immunoglobulins will assist your immune system to remember that it has seen a similar infectious bug before and can later eradicate it. When the immune system is not allowed to run its full course for years, it may start to not recognize more serious cellular abnormalities. The most concerning abnormalities are cancer cells. There is a strong connection in the medical literature between abnormal cells like cancerous ones and latent (hidden) viruses. The immune system has to recognize that a virus has hijacked your body’s cell and kill it. The recognizing immune mechanism occurs through the immune system memory learned during that refresher course in school while a person is sick.

Naturopaths use an “immune booster” as a last resort if a patient tells us they are “constantly” getting sick. The immune booster could be a botanical, a glandular extract, a vitamin or mineral, or even a pharmaceutical drug. Using any substance in a manner that quickly eradicates an illness through by-passing the immune system’s natural course of events may be necessary to get a person out of an acute crisis, but over the long run, it may also be harmful.

That said, I’m not encouraging you to lick the seats in the subway! It’s important to remain balanced with your daily health routine: sleep well, eat well, move your body, take in sunshine and fresh air. What you do to encourage health will make the biggest difference, not the latest or greatest magic pill is, because immune boosters aren’t replacements for healthy living!

Dr. Gibran Ramos completed his six year training and internship in Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine at National College of Natural Medicine. Dr. Ramos helps patients transform their lives and optimize their well-being at a private practice in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by Gibran Ramos.

Dr. Gibran Ramos: We’ve been using water therapeutically for centuries. In Germany and France, there are towns that derive their names from their healing waters. The Norwegians and Swedes are famous for their saunas and some of the Turkish baths in Istanbul are hundreds of years old. The Native Americans used sweats to drive out illness.

Hydrotherapy is derived from the European baths and uses water at specific temperatures to achieve a desired physiologic response. Using Naturopathic principles, hydrotherapy promotes the body’s own ability to heal itself and return it to a state of balance. There are cold whole body rinses, alternating hot and cold baths, wraps, fomentations, sitz baths, steam inhalations, compresses, and many other methods. These techniques are meant to modulate certain white blood cells, change the body’s pH, increase movement and secretion of various metabolites, expand and contract blood vessels to move the blood, help to regulate blood pressure and increase peripheral circulation.

Hydrotherapy at home

During flu season, I tell my patients with a cold about home hydrotherapy. In the evening, take a regular hot shower and warm your body up completely. Then switch the water to cool or cold for 30 seconds. Turn the water back to hot for 3 minutes and then switch it back to cool/cold for 30 seconds. Keep alternating the hot and cold, ending on cold for up to three rounds total. Towel off dry and then climb into bed throwing on an extra blanket or two and even putting on a knit cap. Your body’s immune system will be activated by the shower. Of  course, always check with your doctor before performing home hydrotherapy.

Photo by Christine Dionese.

Over my recent holiday to chilly Colorado, I had the opportunity to spa as the Nordics do! After three days of intensely working out at the local athletic club I rewarded my sore muscles by stretching out in the sauna. While resting in the steamy room I sat there trying to talk myself into heading outside for a plunge in the pool. Keeping in mind the healing powers of water, I ran outside in my robe and dove in the community pool. Burr! Remembering Dr. Gibran’s suggestions I diligently re-entered the sauna hoping to shed more toxins. After two additional dips in the temperate pool I finished with a soak in the outdoor hot tub to relax.

Want to try it yourself? Head north! Nordic spas are popping up in colder latitudes along the United States Canadian border. If you find yourself in the northeast, try Le Nordik in Quebec, Canada to experience the traditional Finnish spa experience. Traveling east? Visit the Harrison Hot Springs Pools in British Columbia for a resort-like water therapy indulgence!

Dr. Gibran Ramos completed his six year training and internship in Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine at National College of Natural Medicine. Dr. Ramos helps patients transform their lives and optimize their well-being at a private practice in Portland, Oregon.

Christine M. Dionese L.Ac. specializes in integrative medicine, medical journalism and was the VP of marketing at WellWire LLC. Visit her wellness and lifestyle blog, Reaching Beyond Now.

Photo by Shermeee.

Concerned parents have been calling my office asking for advice on how to best treat their feverish, sniffling tots. Knowing what to look for will help you decide if home remedies are appropriate or if a visit to the doctor is in order. While it’s a natural instinct to give a sick child medicine, holding off at first is the best bet for their still developing immune systems.

“Illness is a natural part of life,” notes integrative pediatrician, Roy Steinbeck, “Suppressing symptoms at all costs is not a good idea.” When a pathogen invades the developing immune system, specialized memory cells are created to later recognize and ward off the invader. Parents will be happy to learn that about 80% of children’s immune related illnesses will heal on their own without the need for antibiotics.

Boost and protect your child’s immunity every single day

• Supplement with vitamin C and vitamin D3. Both are available in convenient chewable and naturally sweetened forms. 
• Eat plenty of superfoods rich in antioxidants
• Exercise activates the immune system. Get them running, jumping, and bouncing!
• Encourage frequent hand washing and keeping hands away from mouth
• Wash toys and pacifiers frequently 
• Give seasonal acupuncture treatments to protect and enhance immunity

Common ailments and what to do

The Common Cold: often begins with sore throat, a clear runny nose, body aches and fatigue. Fever or chills may be associated, although not as common as with flu. Here’s how to keep the cold from causing secondary respiratory infections:

• Acupuncture, cupping, and Chinese food therapy for prevention and maintenance 
• Black elderberry syrup for a sore throat
• A washcloth in warm water with 5 drops peppermint essential oil for chills

Ear Infection: marked by continual pulling on earlobes, cranky behavior, congestion and a possible fever. What to do:

• Acupuncture
• Ear drops

The flu: marked by fatigue, fever of 103-105 degrees, achy back and legs, nasal congestion, loss of appetite, possible nausea and vomiting. What to do:

• Homepathic oscillococcinum at the first signs and symptoms
• Contact your child’s primary care physician to discuss the development of their symptoms and decide what plan of action is best for your child’s individual case.
• Keep your child hydrated
• Watch that fever! If the fever steadily rises or lasts for more than 3 days consider this serious and contact your physician.

What do all three of these have in common? They all tend to be viral in nature, meaning your child can skip a round of antibiotics this year.

To help know the difference, here’s a guide to distinguishing the signs and symptoms of bacteria and viruses. Remember, it’s best to err on the side of caution, so if you’re feeling unsure, seek the advice of your primary care physician. Bacteria  or Virus?

While some symptoms can overlap, these major signs and symptoms as a pattern will help you distinguish between the two.

Bacteria

• Thicker, yellow or green secretions
• Fever
• Coughing of mucous
• Swollen lymph nodes

Virus

• Muscle aches
• Runny nose
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Cough

Still not sure or have questions? Don’t ever feel too shy to call your doc. All this aside, a little TLC goes a long way. Wrap your little one in a cozy blanket, place a washcloth on their forehead to soothe a fever, and spoon up some yummy home-made chicken or vegetable soup.

Like to look at the research? Pediatrics study cites ear drops more effective than other common treatments

Christine M. Dionese L.Ac. specializes in integrative medicine, medical journalism and was the VP of marketing at WellWire LLC. Visit her wellness and lifestyle blog, Reaching Beyond Now.

Photo by samantha celera.

When it comes to the H1N1 flu pandemic this year, it seems like a lot of our patients have vaccine-related questions. Who’s at risk? What’s in this vaccine? Should I get it?

Tune in below as Dr. Natasha Kassam gets to the bottom of the H1N1 vaccine kerfuffle. Still have a question? Leave in the comment section.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

Photo by Ruta & Zinas.

I was recently on business in Bangkok when I awoke with the type of bone aching pain I thought could only happen in cheap Halloween movies.

I felt as though I had some form of the plague, avian flu or swine flu. With no idea where to go or who to see in Bangkok I made this simple -yet extremely powerful- antiviral, immune enhancing, microbe-crushing tea. I drank about a liter a day and was on my feet in 48 hours. Here’s how to make some of your own:

• Juice  a bunch of citrus for some serious vitamin C. Grapefruit, orange, limes or lemons work (I had to use pomelo in Thailand). Find your own proportions depending on what tastes good
• 3 inches of ginger peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons honey
• Pinch of cayenne powder if you’ve started running a fever 

Add ginger, garlic,  to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and add the fresh juice, cayenne and honey. Sip until you feel human again!

For some more tips read Dr. Gibran Ramos’ awesome tips to maximize your immunity and Christine Dionese’s Chinese medicine immune boosting tips and Treating kids this flu season.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.

Photo by jpcolasso.

I’m not being dramatic: we are on the verge of what could be a terrible flu season, fighting a strain of flu virus that has the potential to be very infectious and strong. So don’t wait for that first sniffle! Flu vaccine aside, here are eight ways you can buff up your immunity:

1. Manage your stress. When under long-term stress, our bodies adapt by moving energy from the defensive mechanisms of the immune system  to dealing with the perceived stressor. Our bodies can’t differentiate between being chased by a tiger and our deadline at work, it’s up to you to help your body cope.
2. Get some good sleep. At night our bodies repair and rejuvenate and the immune system can focus on its job. This is a very important time for various cells of the immune system to sweep through our body, spot and destroy potential invaders.
3. Balance your energy.  Chinese medicine can help you to balance your energetic defenses so that your body can recognize an invader when it sees it. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs (like ginger) can help with this immune process along with the ancient exercises like Qi gong and Tai chi.
4. Get your sunshine. The vitamin D produced by your  skin and the sun shining on it actually increases your immunity. This vitamin has also prevents certain types of cancer.
5. Eat the rainbow. The pigments in fruits and vegetables are super antioxidants and have an anti-viral activity.
6. Bounce and move! Bouncing is a specific type of movement exercise that circulates the lymph system. The lymph is where most of your immune cells are located. Bouncing increases the likelihood of these cells to come in contact with a virus or bacteria that has made its way deep into our body.
7. Inoculate yourself with bacteria–the beneficial type. These bacteria are called  probiotics. There is a delicate balance between the beneficial bacteria, harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi in your body. The probiotic bacteria establish their place in your body out-competing other bacteria, viruses and fungi. This keeps you healthy.
8. Laugh it off.  Laughing activates the immune system through the psychoneuroimmunological connection. This is just a big name for a simple concept, your emotions affect your health and well-being. Laugh more!

Dr. Gibran Ramos completed his six year training and internship in Naturopathic and Chinese Medicine at National College of Natural Medicine. Dr. Ramos helps patients transform their lives and optimize their well-being at a private practice in Portland, Oregon.

Photo by jpcolasso.

If you turn on your TV it would appear that there is an apocalyptic event starting with swine in Mexico.  Swine flu itself is not an uncommon occurrence, people with direct contact to pigs often have antibodies to H1N1 (the specific strain of this swine influenza virus).

The big questions:  Why have there been deaths in Mexico and not the U.S.?Why did the strain kill young adults (as a pose to the more susceptible young and elderly).  This is what has the CDC on a code red along with the fact that they do not have a vaccine, and 2 out of the 4 commonly used anti viral drugs are not effective against this strain.

Cause for concern or not, here are some simple precautions which will only do you a lot of good anyway.

1.  Wash your hands frequently, don’t rub your eyes and have children especially avoid putting their hands in their mouths.  If you are accustomed to greeting with an exchange of kisses, and extensive handshaking – don’t.  CDC has recently confirmed human to human spread.

2. Pack, and I mean seriously pack your diet with these easy to get anti viral foods;  Garlic, thyme, shiitake mushrooms and ginger.  Not a sprinkle of thyme from a year old dried up jar.  Try a bushel of the stuff in a stew, don’t be shy.  Start now to give your immune system time to ramp up.

3.  Don’t panic.  There is no reason to at this time, and doing so will only lower your immune system, and stress you out – which will then really crash your immune system.  Remember, everyone in the U.S. who contracted this has recovered and only 1 person has been hospitalized.  Deep breath.

4.  Find a Naturopath near you , or acupuncturist and book an appointment to work on specific preventative medicine for your body using botanical herbs, homeopathy and a number of immune boosting treatments.  Anti-viral medicine is a realm where alternative medicine really shines as there are millions of complex biochemicals which when working synergistically with each other can knock influenza out cold (pun intended).

5.  Don’t fly to Mexico…

Here are a couple of recipe ideas for those anti-viral nutrients.

Anti H1N1 Soup for 2

1 handful dry shiitake mushrooms, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced, 1 onion thinly sliced, 1 small piece ginger thinly sliced, 3 cups pork stock (lol kidding, this is hard to find – any stock will do), 4 glugs of sake, 2 spring onions.

Soak the mushrooms in boiling water until tender.  Remove the soaking liquid.  Saute the mushrooms, onions and garlic in a tablespoon of oil until tender but not browned.  Add the stock and the ginger and simmer on low heat for about ten minutes. Season to taste and just before serving add the sake and spring onions.

Anti-H1N1 Raw Thyme Pasta

1 packet spaghetti, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, 2 cloves garlic sliced, half a bunch thyme washed and picked, 1 tablespoon Parmigiano

Boil the pasta (or gluten free variety) in salted water.  Meanwhile heat the oil in a pan and toast the breadcrumbs until golden brown.  Turn off the heat and add the garlic, thyme, salt and Parmigiano.  When the pasta is ready, toss with the mixture, saving a little extra mixture for the top.  You could easily add in shiitake mushrooms in this – loads and loads of them.

Happy immunity

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.