This time of year, lots of patients ask me, “What do I take when I’m sick?”  Of course, the correct answer is “we test you, then tell you what your body wants, and you get better quickly.”  However, when you’re getting sick, time is of the essence.  When you first start to feel symptoms, the bacteria or virus making you sick is actually at a very low count.  However, that viral/bacterial count tends to increase quickly exponentially, and by the time people get here to get tested, they’ve got a full-blown cold or flu.  So this is what you take while you’re driving to the office to get properly tested.

These are supplements that everyone should have in abundance at home (have a big bottle of each), and take at the very first sign of illness. Do not wait until you are “sick”!  Take them when you think “I wonder if I’m coming down with something?”  By the time you think “I’m sick”, it’s too late, and it’s going to take time to get better.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! A stitch in time saves nine!  And so on…

1. As always, stop eating sugar! Sugar is known to weaken your immune system response 50-90% for 4-6 hours after you take it!  Do not eat sugar or refined carbohydrates while you’re fighting a cold!  For that matter, considering sugar and refined carbs suppress your immune system (whilst causing other problems!), why not cut it out altogether?  And no, fruit is not a refined sugar as long as you don’t juice it, so you don’t have to avoid it (unless you’re on a very low carb diet for blood sugar/weight issues, which is a whole other topic altogether-see one of my many videos on carbs and diet).
2. Wash your hands with soap often. Viruses and bacteria, amongst other things, like to hang out on our hands.  Wash them thoroughly and often to fight them effectively.
3. Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep raises stress hormones which suppresses your natural immune response, and makes your insulin less sensitive-a one two punch to get you sick a lot!
4. Drink enough water. This is just good old advice from Grandma (who lived to be 105 years old, so I listened when she talked!). I’m not sure why this works, other than thatit helps to detoxify your kidneys, which can’t be bad for your immune system.
5. Eat lots of veggies. Full of vitamins and minerals, veggies really support your immune system.
6. Work out regularly. Regular exercises boosts your immune function.
7. Congaplex. This is the most broad-based immune system support. It supports your body in fighting bacteria and viruses alike.  Take 3 every half hour until you feel all better, then take 6/day for 2 weeks to rebuild your immune system.  Don’t skip this step, or cut down Congaplex too quickly!  My patients often tell me that they were started to feel better, cut down their Congaplex, and then got sick again!  Don’t be that person!
8. Antronex. This doubles your liver’s filtration rate, so that your body rapidly cleans out the debris that you make when you kill off bacteria and viruses. It basically makes you feel better faster. Take 2 every half hour until you feel all better, then take 6/day for 2 weeks to rebuild your immune system, like Congaplex.

Now I know what you’re saying:  “What about Echinacea, Andrographis, vitamin C, Zinc, Immuplex, etc.?”  Hey, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with these supplements, and often these supplements kick butt!  Often after examining a patient, I will recommend these rather than Congaplex and Antronex, but remember, I’m talking about what you can take while driving to my office.  So keep a bottle of Congaplex and Antronex at home on the shelf, take them as I described above at the first sign of cold or flu, and in the meantime make an appointment to see your holistic doctor.

Both of these supplements are water soluble, so taking little bits every ½ hour is vastly more effective than taking handfuls of them infrequently.  Keep a large bottle of each at home instead of waiting until you’re coming down with something to pick them up.