Maybe you’ve had the following experience. You’re looking over the shelves of cold and flu remedies at your local health food store. Most of the supplements have familiar names such echinacea, elderberry, vitamin C and zinc. But every once in a while, an unfamiliar bottle catches your eye. Andrographis paniculata doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but you may have seen it around. Sometimes it’s just one of several ingredients in immune boosting nutritional blends. Other times, it’s the featured herb in supplements used to address seasonal allergies, the common cold, influenza and sinusitis. Read more »

News reports about the so called Novel H1N1 Swine Flu continue to roll in from around the world. On a daily basis, governmental agencies and medical specialists offer the best information they currently have about how to contain the spread of this pandemic. There’s no question that it’s important to keep up to date on the breaking news. But more and more, it appears that acting on a personal level is one the best options we have. I’m referring, specifically, to measures that we can each take to keep ourselves well. Staying healthy contributes to a grassroots effort to help minimize the impact of this virus. This is a way of applying the “think globally, act locally” philosophy to this worldwide health matter. Read more »

It’s been a dramatic day in Swine Flu news. Firstly, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) publicly estimated that up to 40% of all US citizens may contract this novel H1N1 virus over the next couple of years. The WHO (World Health Organization) also just released a statement warning that pregnant women, school-aged children and seniors should be on special alert because the virus appears to be “gaining momentum” in these sensitive populations. Perhaps that’s the reason why the CDC changed its prior stance on influenza vaccines earlier today. They now recommend that all children in the US (6 months – 18 years of age) receive a seasonal flu vaccine. Those are the biggest stories in the conventional press. Read more »

Traveling can be a lot of fun provided that you stay healthy along the way. This isn’t always as simple as it seems. Whether traveling by plane, train or automobile, you can pretty much count on being exposed to a wide assortment of germs and microscopic spoilsports that, under the wrong circumstances, could dampen your good time. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help fortify your immune system and keep you running strong. Whenever we hit the road, I use three specific supplements to shield myself from the unseen hazards of travel. Read more »

Summer is nearly upon us and the last thing anyone wants is to come down with a dreaded summer cold or flu. The fact that many people vacation during this season makes it even more important than usual to keep the immune system in prime shape. One way to do this is to utilize the fortifying power of ginseng, an ancient medicinal root. My most recent encounter with Panax quinquefolius (North American ginseng) was kind of like running into an old friend. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there were many new developments in the life of this traditional remedy. I’ll share some of my recent findings about ginseng in today’s column and in a second part that I’ll post next week. Read more »

The H1N1 Swine Flu virus is still at the top of the news in the USA and throughout the world. A few weeks ago I posted a column about several natural ways to support the body’s defenses against any type of viral infection. There was a tremendous response to that blog. So, I’ve been asked to provide a brief update on what’s currently known about the H1N1 virus. I’ll also add some information about another natural option that may offer additional protection against influenza.
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Every article I write is based on the most current scientific information that I’m aware of. But medical research is a never ending process. New studies are constantly being released and information that was up-to-date just a few months ago cannot possibly provide the entire picture today. Because of this reality, I’m going to take the opportunity to update several past blogs with new information that you should know about.
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There are few people who are not aware of the current public health concern surrounding the “Swine Flu”. Words like “pandemic” and “quarantine” are being bandied about in such a way that it could very well provoke anxiety and, even, panic. In particular, many citizens of Mexico and the United States are on edge right now because this threat is at our doorstep. But even those living in other parts of the world understand the potential of a highly infectious virus to spread beyond manmade borders.

I won’t cite figures and theoretical projections about the course of this most recent “crisis”. Instead, I’d like to focus on the positive side of things. As hard as it may be to believe, there is something constructive that can come out of situations such as this. There are proactive measures that can be taken to help support immune function and, possibly, improve the odds of avoiding any viral invaders you encounter on a daily basis.
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