Bryce Wylde Doesn`t Get As Sick As You Do

Wylde
About
Health
Bryce Wylde
Doesn’t
Get As Sick
As You Do
Toodle-loo
Cold & Flu
By Bryce Wylde
With cold and flu
season here, I am often asked how
I am able to ward off so many colds
throughout the season. After all,
I see sick patients on a daily basis
during winter season. You would
think that I get sick more often, but
I only get one or two brief colds during
the entire winter. Let me explain why.
Optimal health doesn’t preclude one
from getting a cold - even a flu. If one’s
immune system has never encountered
a particular bacteria, virus, or any other
microbe for that matter, then it will
succumb to specific symptoms such
as temperature elevation, increased
mucus production, cough, and perhaps
a headache among other symptoms. The
epitome of health however, is how well
one manages with an infection. A rapid
onset of symptoms including and not
limited to a high but brief fever, fatigue,
mild cough, lasting only days with no
complications, is optimal health. If
symptoms linger for weeks accompanied
by additional complications this is
unhealthy. One example might be “bug”
on top of a “bug” - as in the case of an
infection that starts off as viral and then
becomes bacterial such as when bacteria
invade the lungs that have succumbed to
a depressed and overwhelmed immune
system.
Personal Hygiene
› First and foremost, washing of the
hands after each contact is of utmost
importance. This means washing your
hands after you have held on during a
bus ride where others most likely have
touched and spread their germs. Using a
hand sanitizer is also not a bad idea, but
overusing a hand sanitizer will dry your
hands out too much, so use wisely and
when most needed. Proper hand washing
involves at least 20 seconds of scrubbing
with soap and hot water. Avoid touching your face since germs
often enter the body through the nose,
eyes and mouth. Use a tissue or your
sleeve for sneezing and coughing—avoid
using your hands to cover your mouth
or nose. Although you’ve likely heard
this all before, it’s worth reiterating and
is the best and most effective natural
advice I can give. At my office, if someone has the flu which is spread by respiratory droplets
- I will disinfect the room used to see the
patient before seeing the next patient.
This is to protect us and the next person.
And, yes, there are natural products
that kill 99.9% of surface bugs widely
available. If you live with a loved one who is
sick, it’s always best to sleep in a separate
room, especially if they are coughing all
night. Of course, many times it’s hard to
avoid people who are sick around us. An
atomizer with essential oil of eucalyptus
can help sterilize the air of viruses
traveling in droplets. Mucous membranes (such as the
lining of your nose) must be moist to act
as an effective barrier to bacteria and
viruses. Using a humidifier in your home
or office, or even taking a hot shower
helps to keep membranes moist. Another
tip is to try a small amount of coconut
oil on a Qtip and apply that inside each
nostril. If you’re congested, then on top
of that try a Breathe Right Nasal Strip for
instant relief. Staying hydrated on the
inside is also extremely important. Make
sure you are drinking a minimum of 2
litres of water per day.
tonic January 2015 | 29 Natural Remedies That Help
Block Colds & Flu
› Besides personal hygiene, the most
important preventive strategies are
the natural remedies I have come to
depend on to stay as healthy as possible
during the winter months. Many of
them also improve the efficacy of the flu
vaccine by helping your immune system
develop antibodies to the shot more
efficiently. There is a caveat though: if
you decide to get the vaccine, ensure
you recieve the Mercury-free flu shot
by asking for the single unit dose (avoid
the multi dose). Remember, during
any given flu season, the circulating
Influenza virus could be predominantly
one strain or another. In the past, if the
flu vaccine missed the strain that became
the more predominant one during a
season, this rendered the vaccine less
than 50% effective. With the flu vaccine
a bit of a toss-up, it’s best to have an
arsenal of natural remedies with proven
efficacy against the flu. What are my favourite natural
remedies? A first line of defence to have
in your arsenal is Echinacea by A.Vogel
called “Echinaforce”. This is where the
science is strongest. Taken at the first sign of cold or flulike symptoms (whether you have the flu
or not), this botanical immune booster
can help temper some of the worst
symptoms, including the fever and body
aches and even work to prevent getting
sick in the first place. Dr. Ron Eccles out of Cardiff
University common cold centres - one
of the only cold and flu treatment and
research centres in the world - has
completed some very convincing
research on this product. More than
750 people were part of a study using
Echinaforce and researchers found that
taking three daily doses of the common
What About Your Sore and
Scratchy Throat?
remedy for four months reduced the
number of colds.
The duration of the illness suffered
by patients also decreased by an average
of 26 per cent. The treatment also cut
the number of recurrent colds suffered
by those with weak immune systems or
a history of catching several bouts each
year by 60 per cent.
I add to this Elderberry. This high
antioxidant fruit extract, has antiinfective properties against the flu virus.
It actually prevents it from spreading
from cell to cell. In studies that looked
at its efficacy against influenza strains
A & B, Elderberry was found to shorten
the duration of the flu from the typical 7
days to 4 days. That’s 3 days less of
flu-like symptoms! In comparison, the
medications on the market to treat the
flu only shorten its duration by a mere 1
day. Combine these with Vitamin D3,
and you’ve got a power combo that will
get you well faster than any prescription
remedy. Jamieson has a high quality
chocolate flavour chewable vitamin D widely available at your local pharmacy
- which you should keep desk side. Ask
your GP to test you for your actual vit-D
status using a simple blood test called
“25-OHD”, but I assure you - where
we live north of 40° latitude - most of
us are low to deficient and need daily
supplementation. Wrapping Up
› In combination, these remedies will
Oregano OilFor the day to day
sore throat that may
start after exposure
to the common cold,
I like to recommend
gargling with warm
salt water every hour
and oral oregano
oil. North American
Herb and Spice wild
craft Oregano oil has
anti-viral, anti-fungal,
and anti-bacterial
properties. So, it is an
all-around great antiinfective.
Echinacea- Also has anti-microbial
properties and
immune stimulating
properties so you can
use Echinaforce throat
spray. Echinacea has
also been found in
studies to reduce the
severity and duration
of illness significantly!
In fact, studies show
using the echinaforce
also showed significant
reduction in the use
of Tylenol and other
conventional OTC
products.
Zinc Lozenges- Are a great tool for your
cold prevention kit as
they can help reduce
the duration of illness
as well. Studies have
shown that zinc helps
to prevent bacterial
adhesion to mucous
membranes. Just be
sure to start them
within 24 hours of first
symptom onset! Hear
more about what I have
to say about zinc on
the Doctor OZ website: www.doctoroz.
com/video-series/
supplement-score-card
have you back to work and feeling better
in no time! f you’re really curious as to
whether flu is popping up in your neck of
the woods, check out Google’s flu trends
www.google.org/flutrends/ca/#CA
Here’s to getting through cold and flu
season unscathed by a big one! May you
ward off most colds that come your way,
and get through any that you succumb
to as fast as possible.
Of course, if you
are considering any of these treatments,
it is a good idea to consult with your
healthcare provider to ensure they are
safe and ideal for you. Please join me on Twitter and help
make this viral (the flu-free kind of
viral!) using #NoFlu4U and sharing
YOUR favourite natural cold and flu
remedies. Best of health to you this season! 
Dr. Bryce Wylde is one of Canada's leading experts on
natural medicine. He is the author of The Antioxidant
Prescription. www.wyldeabouthealth.com
30 | January 2015 tonic