Prevention is the best course of action during cold and flu season. Keep your body healthy with a balanced, hearty whole foods diet (avoid processed foods stimulants and sugar), lenty of fluids, and a low stress lifestyle including plenty of sleep, regular exercise, and maintaining your social supports.

Toning your lungs and immune system with powerhouses like garlic, burdock, dandelion and elecampane is your best bet. But, if you are struck by cold or flu this season, don’t dispair. Mother nature has provided for you! To ease nasal congestion, try some peppermint tea, fenugreek and thyme. For cough and sore throat, try hyssop, horehound, elecampane, licorice, yarrow, mullein, or slippery elm. To create heat and support your immune system, try ginger, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, echinacea, astragalus, or dandelion. For earache or ear infections, try infused oil of mullein. Essential oils of camphor, eucalyptus and wintergreen help to clear congestion (do not use directly on skin and never use internally).

Naturopathic doctors suggest a commonsense way to approach the flu is to eat simply, “sip and slurp” (tea, juice, water, soup), and allowing your fever to work for you. Unless you are very uncomfortable, your fever reaches 102 dergeees or persists, Dr. Elizabeth Wotton, ND, suggests avoiding over-the-counter medications such as tylenol and allowing the heat of the fever to fight infection in your body. Dr. Wotton advises that you see your healthcare professional of your fever rises above 101 degrees, if you have persistent fever, cough or fluid loss, convulsions, rash, or if your symptoms worsen or do not improve within 3 or 4 days of treatment.