Seven tips for surviving the Flu

Simplify your diet to veggies, grains, soups, bone/seaweed/and/or miso broths, tea and fresh water.

Take an immune booster every 1–2 hours; try Echinacea tea, elderberry syrup or St. John’s wort oil.

 

Elderberry

Sleep a lot.

Keep warm—cover up your feet, neck, ears and lower back.

Flu virus is transmitted in the nose and mouth, so keep them clean with light rinses of sea salt water or a drop of tea tree oil in water.

Do an electricity or media fast to let your nervous system recuperate and to give your adrenal glands a rest. Turn off the radio, TV, computer, cell phone, newspapers, magazines, junk mail and shopping. This practice helps you slow down, hear your internal voice and de-stress.

Avoid sweets and milk products (raw milk is okay) for a few days. Sugar feeds bacteria and increases inflammation; pasteurized cold milk increases mucus and congestion.

Make this wonderful herby broth and sip it from mugs while you bundle up on the couch with a good book.

Noodle Soup Broth

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 ½ cups water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger

1 teaspoon thyme or oregano

1/2 cup carrot, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Thinly slice shiitake caps (makes about 2 1/2 cups.) In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine broth with water, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and herbs; bring to a simmer. Add mushrooms and carrot; simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, and if desired, green onions.  If you want something heartier, add ramen noodles and chicken or tofu cubes when you add the carrots.  Serve warm and sip slowly.