General Hikma Recommendations for Cold/Flu Season
We all know that vitamin C is a helpful vitamin in supporting the cold and flu, but did you know that 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut has up to 10x more vitamin C than any citrus fruit!
So not only are you getting those healthy bacteria but you are getting a superbly bio-available form of vitamin C straight into your system. Talk about a superfood!
We are self-healing.
In most cases where the organism has not been too severely compromised, all that is needed in an acute case of cold/flu are gentle, wholistic interventions to help support the body to take care of business, itself.
And the best medicine is the one that doesn’t get in the way or doesn’t ‘steal the show’.
There are so many avenues of healing in the world of traditional, vitalistic medicine. In 2022 we have at our disposal tomes of wisdom that much of the world is not even aware of. From homeopathy and herbal medicine to lifestyle medicine, hydrotherapy and beyond, Hikma Medicine has a vast armamentarium of tools to support you and your loved ones for all sorts of conditions.
Below you will find general wellness recommendations for the sake of public education. I encourage everyone to pursue professional support when necessary.
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My first recommendation is Sleep.
I cannot recommend this enough. Nothing whispers loving care to the body- in the body’s own love language- as a consistent, full, undisturbed nights of rest.
It is during sleep (best on an empty stomach) that the immune system recalibrates and mounts its prime response against the acute aggravation. It is when the nervous system is settled that all beautiful things can happen, from healing emotional trauma to getting over the common cold, so I encourage everyone to make sure they get their 8 hours of sleep daily- especially when sick!
The second advice is in regards to our Diet and Digestion.
When ailing, the basic advice is to fast, as it was the Blessed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ who teaches us, “Fast, and you will be well.” This is especially pertinent when there is a fever at play as fasting allows for the full allocation of our energy- which is otherwise utilized for metabolism when eating- towards the healing process. But sometimes a simple easy-to-digest meal can be comforting and strengthening to the body, as well.
Bone broth serves this purpose very well, supporting the integrity of the gut lining (the stomach is the ‘house of illness’, after-all) as well as directly managing inflammatory cascades in the body via the rich amino acid profile of bone broth preparations.
It is pertinent here to mention that removing Food Intolerances are tremendously helpful in optimizing gastro-intestinal integrity, decreasing toxemia in the body, and optimizing our immunity. You can learn about how we test for food intolerances using the Carroll Method HERE.
Thirdly, we have Fermented Foods.
In the same vein as the previous dietary advise, fermented foods serve an important role in supporting the strength and diversity of the gut flora (healthy bacteria), which in kind tonifies immune health.
There are trillions of symbiotic (friendly) bacteria living in our guts. This world of microbial life is called the microbiome (literally, the world of microorganisms) and is the core of what is functionally alluded to as the gut. Anytime you hear about the ‘gut-brain’ connection, or anything else along those lines, the reality that this is alluding to is the microbiome.
Fermented foods are foods that are ‘cultured’ and growing these healthy bacteria within. Fermentation has been used for thousands of years by people in every part of the world. It is an ancient technology of enhancing the nutrition profile of anything from fish eggs (caviar) to teas, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.
It is a good idea to consume fermented foods regularly, year round. Some examples of fermented foods include: kombucha ( fermented tea, a personal favorite), sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and other types of cultured dairy, and pickled vegetables of all varieties.
We all know that vitamin C is a helpful vitamin in supporting the cold and flu, but did you know that 1 tablespoon of sauerkraut has up to 10x more vitamin C than any citrus fruit!
So not only are you getting those healthy bacteria but you are getting a superbly bio-available form of vitamin C straight into your system. Talk about a superfood!
Fourthly, we have Medicinal Mushrooms.
No, I am not talking about *those* type of mushrooms. Medicinal mushrooms are non-psychoactive fungi that have been used for thousands of years for both their biological and psychological effects.
We now know of dozens of species of medicinal species that are powerhouses of strengthening and vitalizing potential. Some fungi are being used in cancer treatments to great effect. Other species are used in nootropic blends to help with cognition, attention, and focus. Others yet for immunity.
My preferred method of consuming mushrooms is in organic powder-form. They are great to add to your morning latte or smoothie and pack a hefty punch in boosting your immune function as either a preventative or an intervention.
Some of my favorites include Reishi, Cordyceps, Shiitake, Turkey tail, and Lion’s mane. These mushrooms contain all sorts of vitalizing energetics as well as immune-promoting compounds that help optimize digestion, immune response, energy, mood, and more. You can find some great products that blend a host of these different mycelial wonders for enhanced synergistic effect as they work together seamlessly.
Fifthly, we have Herbs.
Herbs are an incredible medicine and perhaps one of the original forms of it. Long considered one of the greatest arts anyone can learn, the herbalist tradition is a repository of tremendous knowledge and wisdom.
Herbs have been used since time immemorial in various forms to help support the human condition with whatever it may be facing. We have herbs for everything: we have herbs for pain management, infections, digestive troubles, inflammatory syndromes, psychological disorders, and chronic conditions of all sorts.
But they are perhaps not as widely used for anything as they are for the common cold and flu. You would hard-pressed to find a home anywhere in the world that does not regularly use ginger, turmeric, fennel, anise, rosemary, thyme, cayenne, and/or other spices, roots, and herbs for their medicinal effects.
But not all herbs and plant-based medicines are alike. One cannot compare the strength of some spiced tea or a topical poultice to a full-strength herbal tincture. Nor can we compare a general recommendation to a specific prescription but an herbalist master.
Some of the herbs I like to use in their stronger iterations for common colds and flus include Astragalus, Elderberry, and Echinacea. These are powerful herbs when dosed appropriately and I have seen them, personally and professionally, push out a cold that was starting up in just an hour or two. I see this regularly, especially in those that are generally strong and taking care of their health. Stronger people can recover much faster than those with more constitutional weaknesses.
Given these weaknesses and constitutional inclinations, there are many other herbs that can used to help balance the constitution that may not be directly known as ‘immune herbs’, as working holistically necessitates having a much broader and more vaster clinical horizon, but that is beyond the scope of this monograph.
As a quick example: I like to give bitter principle herbs to some types of people when they are acutely ill to help with digestion. Why? Because a stomach that is wasting a lot of energy trying to inefficiently digest food is going to unnecessarily prolong the healing process; a process that may not need much effort in-and-of-itself once resources are properly directed.
So even though digestive herbs are not directly immune-supportive, holistic practitioners can find where the ‘weak link’ is in the individual’s physiology to help restore integrity to the whole. By optimizing digestion here we strengthen immune activity as immunity is a reflection of the health and proper function of the whole organism. This is one of the bases of holistic medical philosophy.
***Notable mention: though not technically an herb, another incredible medicine with healing properties attested to by the Lord of the Worlds is honey.
God says in the Quran:
“And thy Lord has inspired the bee, saying, ‘Make thou houses in the hills and in the trees and in the trellises which they build. Then eat of every kind of fruit, and follow the ways of thy Lord that have been made easy for thee.’ There comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying hues. Therein is cure for men. Surely, in that is a Sign for a people who reflect.”
The Bee: 69-70
Sixthly, and my favorite, is the use of Homeopathic Medicines.
Homeopathic medicine is a supremely elegant form of medicine that works directly with the bio-energetic field of the body to help support the integrity of the immune system and the proper workings of its defense mechanisms.
Homeopathic remedies can be made from anything in nature, including plants, minerals, and all sorts of birds and animals. Homeopathic medicine is highly specific and must be individualized to the specific symptom presentation and constitutional patterns of the individual for them to work. This usually takes the expertise of a homeopath or at the very minimum someone who has completed an introductory course on homeopathic philosophy and materia medica.
Homeopathy is a safe medicine, safer even than most herbal medicine in the sense that it does not have any gross toxic effects. However, one should not conclude from this that homeopathy is weak; quite the contrary, in my observations nothing is stronger, faster-acting, or deeper-penetrating than the most appropriate remedy when administered in the proper potency and dosage.
***We are pleased to have two homeopaths here at Forward To Health. Please feel free to schedule with Dr. Mazen or Tabib Zain for all of your homeopathic needs. You can schedule with therm directly HERE!
Seventhly, we have Supplemental Support.
Supplements are useful means of bolstering the immune response quickly and cheaply. Useful supplements to take at the earliest onset of symptoms include vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc/copper, selenium, and NAC.
NAC, or N-acetyl cysteine, is specifically useful in conditions with stubborn congestion. The end of an acute process is usually marked by some sort of discharge. This discharge can take many forms, including skin eruptions and diarrhea, but usually come in the form of some sort of coryza, or mucous discharge from the nose, in cold and flu. But congestion can prolong the acute condition and impede the completion of the healing process unnecessarily. NAC can be taken as a way to help support glutathione production, the most pervasive antioxidant in the body, and facilitate the clearing of stagnant mucous in the system.
Eighthly, is Stress Management.
One of the surest ways of obstructing the body’s self-healing capacities is to ignore one’s needs for decompression, relaxation, and settling. The nervous system is a system that mediates immune, hormone, and metabolic physiological function. When one is stressed out and when cortisol is elevated, the body moves from one’s default state of ‘rest-and-digest’, which is the state most conducive to healing, to a state of ‘fight-and-flight’. This high stress state acts as an obstacle to cure.
When the sympathetic fight-flight system is activated, the body’s immune system turns off. This is a wisdom embodied deep in our mammalian knowing. It is inappropriate to be digesting food or healing ones internal disbalances when one is in external existential threat- even if inaccurately perceived as such. For the body, even if the threat is not ‘real’, the perceived threat is real enough to cause the whole body to react as if one of was being chased by a hungry wolf.
Take a moment with that image; you are by yourself being chased by a hungry wolf through a snowy woods, unprepared. Do you see how your body and breath change just imaging that situation. There are implications of this change of state that can affect your capacity to heal and recover. Now take a few deep breaths. This is how this system works.)
For stress management we recommend everyone to try to get outside, everyday. Ideally around sunrise and sunset, being outside in Nature is a natural nervous system regulator.
We also recommend some sort of regular physical exercise regimen. By combining zone 2 cardio training with resistance training weekly, one can support one’s strength and vitality. Strong, healthy people are less prone to disease than not. Of course we don’t recommend people who are already ill to over-exert themselves, but one should have a regular physical activity practice as part of their prevention plan.
For stress management we also recommend breath work, gentle walks, being in good company, remembrance of God, music that rests the heart, diffusing of essential oils, herbal teas, and whatever hobbies or activities you may like to decompress and settle yourself back.
Finally, we have Hydrotherapy.
Hydrotherapy is the therapeutic usage of water, hot and cold, for bringing about positive circulatory, autonomic nervous system, and immune changes in the body.
There are numerous forms of hydrotherapy that range from full immersion baths to showers and douches. Sauna, steam rooms, and Peet baths are also useful iterations that can have tremendous immune-modulating and detoxifying benefits. E-stim can also be used concurrently with some forms of hydrotherapy to further support relaxation and blood flow.
In our clinic we were using constitutional hydrotherapy for people with all sorts of ailments, acute and chronic, to tremendous benefit. But sometimes people cannot make it into the clinic for a constitutional hydrotherapy session.
For that reason, we have put together a Home Hydrotherapy Resource for people to safety administer hydrotherapeutic support in the safety and comfort of your homes.
If you are interested in this FREE resource, click here to receive access: HOME HYDROTHERAPY
I pray you find this write-up useful. We are honored to be in service of this knowledge and partaking in the sacred work of bringing this Mercy and Healing to the world.
May God bless us all with health, strength, and vitality- always.
Dr. Mazen
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Mazen Atassi, ND
Dr. Mazen is a naturopathic doctor, classic homeopath, and Hikma therapist. To learn more about him and his services visit: www.forwardtohealth.com/dr-mazen