Holistic help for immunity

This is a busy time of year in the Herbarium. Colds and flu season is well underway, and it looks like it could be a bad year for the flu. So a lot of people are asking us for help in boosting immunity. But where to start?

Immunity is a complex body system with complex connections throughout the mind and body. This is studied in the emerging science of psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinology, which looks at how mind (psycho-) interacts with the nervous system (neuro-), the immune system (immuno-) and with our hormones (endocrinology) to maintain the delicate balances that we call health. Ideally, you would be nicely balanced with your psycho-, neuro- and endocrinogy all supporting immunity. But for many of us, one or another of those limbs is off kilter and then immunity is not as stable and strong as it should be. So for truly holistic help for immunity, you could work with one of our clinicians to look at your wider health and then take steps to address issues there.

And is the immune system nourished adequately? The importance of Vitamin C in fighting infection has been known for a long time and the role of Vitamin D is now becoming much more widely recognised. But a broader approach looks at nutrition as a whole. As well as eating well, are we digesting and absorbing the nutrients in our food?

So our different therapists will approach strengthening immunity from many different angles.

• Herbalists start with detective work, looking for the subtle signs that differentiate one pattern from another. Then they will prescribe a broad range of measures including not just herbs but also nutrition and lifestyle to nourish the weaker aspects and support immunity overall. They might give herbs to support the digestion, to balance hormones, or to allow stress to disperse. They will look at whether sleep is replenishing and restorative, and help you to repair it if not.
• Our herbalists Joy Holmes and Carol Burnett also both emphasise the importance of ensuring core temperature is stable and wrapping up warm, particularly your feet and what the Chinese call the Windgate (back of your neck) to “allow no entry to external pernicious influences”. Carol has even been cutting up an old sheepskin coat to make cosy inserts for her boots. 
  
• Meanwhile, Melvin our acupuncturist, will assess your vital signs and use moxa and needles to support the flow of qi where it is needed.

Over the counter in the shop, our staff can supply some good general tonics for fighting colds and flu.

• Joy Holmes suggests Elderberry to ward off a cold, whichis one of the best researched flu remedies (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464619300313).
• And Joy also suggests regular doses of Echinacea if a bug may have taken hold. You can buy the same Echinacea products used by our herbalists in their clinics, as a tincture, dried herb or in capsules.
• For long term immune health Carol Burnett likes to use medicinal mushrooms and a tincture or tea from the Chinese herb Astragalus. She also includes supportive nervine herbs in her immunity mixes to reduce the impact of stress on immune health.
• Carol also recommends that you get your Vitamin D levels checked and dose accordingly, because Vitamin D is essential for immune health.
• And you can try my spicy tea for treating colds and flu

Ingredients

10-15 cloves
10-15 cardamoms
15-20 black peppercorns
1 or 2 star anise
a knob of root ginger, sliced
1 cinnamon stick

Directions: Simmer with about 1L of water for 15-20 minutes, with lid on. Take out a cupful to drink whenever you fancy, put another cupful of water in until it starts to taste too weak. Add honey and lemon to taste.