Viral Emergency Kit

Viral Emergency Kit

Under the threat of flu and viral season — and covid, here is a list of food, herbs, and supplements I would keep on hand to help protect/prevent and treat.

Here is a list of recommendations from IFM, it is geared toward practitioners but very helpful for all, it includes dosing information. 

And this is another link from the IFM website that talks about the lifestyle impact and what lifestyle factors are important to keep your immune response healthy. 

Herbs, supplements, food medicines to keep on hand:

• Ginger – keep powdered ginger always on hand and keep fresh ginger as you can.  Powdered ginger is more heating than fresh so it does add a little extra punch. Make ginger tea often throughout the winter using both the fresh root and dried powder.
• Turmeric – both powdered and fresh as you can.  Here is a link on ways to use turmeric everyday, and at the very end is my potent turmeric tea recipe I use when I am feeling ill.
• Licorice extract (Glycyrrhiza glabra) – for longer term usage get DGL licorice extract or powder or chopped root. Licorice inhibits viral replication, blocks the ACE2 receptor, promotes immune activation, and inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines. I add a pinch of the chopped root to my teas or a dropper full of the tincture to a cup of tea –it adds a nice sweet taste.
• Elderberry syrup or dried berries. I use the dried berries for a delicious tea.
• Zinc – I like liquid zinc by Trace Minerals. I dilute it in water for use only if I’ve been exposed or feel like I’m coming down with something.
• Melatonin (a supplement not an herb) – I keep this on hand too as it is highly anti-inflammatory, helps with sleep, and also aids in preventing the cytokine storm that can happen when your immune system is “freaking out”. Natural plant melatonin is much safer and more effective than synthetic melatonin. I use Herbatonin .3mg   
• Berberine Extract – I use sustainably cultivated Goldenseal in tincture from from HawaiiPharm.com Berberine has broad spectrum anti-viral activity. It is a bitter and also helps the liver detoxify.
• Mushrooms – Eat them often throughout the winter (and all year). Maitake and shiitake mushrooms have been tested as having the highest amounts of beta glucons. Beta glucons boost our immune response by increasing white blood cells.
• Honey is medicine!  Honey is good for killing bacteria and soothing your throat, and helping your body to eliminate mucus. Dip in a teaspoon and lick it off or add a teaspoon to warm teas.  A nice honey lemon option is to mix honey and juice of a lemon together and eat. 
• Oregano – dried (always have on hand) and fresh if you can.  Oregano is a powerful anti-microbial, you can make a strong tea with it when you actively have a flu virus, you can also use it prophylactically in cooking 🙂
• Echinacea – dried or tinctured.  I add tincture to my teas, about a dropper full.  I add it once or twice per week preventatively and 1-2x at the onset of symptoms. It is best used as a first response, its animmunomodulator that regulates both innate and adaptive immune responses. I discontinue use after the worst of the symptoms have passed.
• Chlorella / Blue Green Algae – I always keep this on hand as well, it helps your body cleanse (detox) itself and circulate oxygen.  I like the spirulina from Hawaii.
• Triphala – an ayurvedic herb that helps your body cleanse and detoxify — it also helps to prevent a cytokine storm. You can get the herb in pill form at banyanbotanicals.com or in powder form to add to honey or make tea with. 
• Sunshine 😉  aka Vitamin D – Get outside and sit in the sun (if it’s warm enough), a little sweat if you are well hydrated could be helpful as well. It is best to get sun exposure throughout the summer to build up your immune system — however if you didn’t get that message then supplement. For supplemental vitamin D I like the liquid form (in olive oil) by Premier Research Labs.
• I use citrus for Vitamin C, as I live in Maui with lots of citrus trees — and I make my own Vitamin C balls using dried and powdered citrus peels, rosehips powdered, and powdered acerola cherries or berries, and honey.  Otherwise keep a Vitamin C supplement on hand as well. Liposomal Vitamin C is the best current recommendation that I know of.

Foods:

• Lemons, limes, and citrus in general.  Try to always keep ample amounts of citrus in your house.
• Sip on Mineral or Bone Broth
• Horseradish for chest congestion
• Apples
• Fire Cider — this needs to be made about 30 days ahead of time.  I always keep a batch of this on hand, when current batch is low I get another brewing.  I use this occasionally just as a tonic, in illness I will take a tablespoon 1-3x per day.
  • If you didn’t get that message 30 days ahead of time … you can do an internet search on a “cheat” fire cider that you heat over low heat for a couple hours instead of letting it ferment and brew.

And Lastly … Aromatherapy.  Here is what I put together when researching viral respiratory oils:  There are a lot of essential oils that are both anti-viral and respiratory oils, I will list just a few common ones here: 

• Eucalyptus
• Thyme (better to diffuse, has some concerns topically)
• Tea Tree
• Spearmint & Peppermint
• Silver Fir
• Pines – scots pine, pinon pine, Juniper berry
• Black Spruce
• Laurel
• Fragonia

Diffuse into the air — this works two ways: 

• one by breathing in the molecules you will absorb them through your lungs and they will get into your bloodstream from there.  
• And secondly, IF the virus comes into contact in the air with the essential oil components it has the ability to kill them airborne.

Lemon and thyme are potent anti-virals, pines, spruces, and firs are also great respiratory oils and anti-virals.  Here is a nice diffuser blend made with common oils, you can substitute with any of the oils listed above:

• Peppermint – 2 drops
• Pine (Pinus sylvestris) – 4 drops
• Pinon Pine – 4 drops
• Laurel (Laurus noblis) – 2 drops
• Bergamot – 8 drops

Here is a recipe for an Air Spritzer:

• 1/4 oz vinegar
• 3/4 oz high proof vodka or 91% Rubbing Alcohol
• 9-10 drops of a conifer (any pine or fir essential oil)
• 5 drops Sweet Orange
• 5 drops Litsea cubeba aka May Change
• 3 drops Rose Geranium
• 2 drops Thyme

Shower floor blend – You can use the same diffuser blend above in  stock bottle to drop a couple drops in your shower or just simply drop couple drops of a pine or fir oil in the back of your shower while showering where the vapors catch the volatile components but not the water.  For a shower floor / diffuser blend stock bottle:

• Peppermint – 10 drops
• Pine (Pinus sylvestris) – 20 drops
• Pinon Pine – 20 drops
• Laurel (Laurus noblis) – 20 drops
• Bergamot – 40 drops

Personal inhaler recipe:

• Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus or radiata) – 8 drops 
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) – 4 drops
• Lemon (Citrus limon) – 13 drops

Here is a chest clearing breathing salve I make and use most everyday when traveling or during cold/flu seasons.

Body Oil – Here is a body oil recipe you can make that is stimulating, chest clearing and sinus opening blend:

• 2 oz of carrier oil – sesame oil is best, any carrier or combination of carrier oils will work.
• Essential oil Blend:
  • 11 drops – Fir – I like douglas fir, any fir oil you have will work.
  • 8 drops – Pine – pinon pine is lovely and my absolute favorite — any pine oil you have will work.
  • 4 drops – Laurel
  • 13 drops – Sweet Orange or Grapefruit

Drop essential oils into the bottom of your 2 oz jar, add in carrier oils and roll the jar around in your palms for a few seconds.

To Use:  Use just after shower while skin is still damp (or spray your skin with a hydrosol) and massage in oil to chest, upper back and upper body.  If you have aches or pains, use a little more pine and rub it especially over your achy areas for additional healing.

Yarrow Chest Clearing synergy blend –this makes a strong dilution to put in 1 ounce of sesame oil or other carrier:

• Eucalyptus Stageriana – 5 drops (or any Eucalyptus you have)
• Rosemary ct. cineole – 9 drops (or any rosemary you have)
• Yarrow – 14 drops
• peppermint – 9 drops
• Hyssop – 14 drops

Pranayama to boost your immune system? Wim Hof promoted this pranayama — he injected himself with E-coli (!) and did the following pranayama to boost his immune system to fight it off –and indeed he did. He also claims this was helpful against Covid19.

It is an advanced pranayama that is quite activating and energizing. If this is new to you please contact me to safely learn and practice this technique.

30 Bhastrikas
Exhale hold 1-2 minutes or as long as comfortable with NO straining.
Inhale hold 15 seconds
As you do the breath holds visualize your immune system conquering and healing. Here is an image for you to put in your minds eye — white blood cells (orange) engulfing and killing bacteria (blue rods).

Repeat for 20 minutes — or as many times as comfortable.

In the process it is important to not set off the stress response by holding your breath too long or forcing too many bhastrika pumps. Slow and steady progress will work too.

And lastly prioritize sleep! Sleep is your body’s best resilience. Prioritize 8 hours of bed time around a consistent schedule.

Eat lots of fresh vegetables — getting your polyphenols is one of the best ways to support your immune system by giving it the tools it needs to build a strong tool box.

Keep stress at bay with yoga, pranayama, and minding your mindstuff! Contact me to support you in building a personalized stress reduction program.

Available for purchase:
Viral Away We Go Kit
Breathing Salve Chest Rub
Immunity Essential Oil blend
Gentle Throat Spray