Build Yourself Up for Winter

The warm weather has to come to an end sooner or later. And when there's a dip in temperature or weather change, that's when we all start to go down with the lurgies that spread like wildfire. Here are seven ways to build up your immunity so you're less likely to succumb to colds, flu and viruses. Boldre Homeopathic Practice stocks all the products listed below, plus we're offering a special Pre-winter MOT for just £40. This is a top-to-toe check-up where we assess you and give you individualised guidelines on what you should take to get your immune system in good shape for the dark months ahead.

Echinacea
This herb is a no1 immune booster. Not only can it help stop you getting colds and flu, it will also reduce their duration. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of more than 1,000 adults, those given echinacea recovered from a cold in just six days, compared with nine for the placebo group. Latest research suggests that the combination of echinacea+bee propolis+Vitamin C is even more powerful. In a trial of 430 children aged one to five, their likelihood of developing colds was vastly reduced.

Olive leaf extract
Another of Italy's good health secrets? The olive plant contains a wide range of antioxidant flavonoids, and is thought to be a flu preventive because it has a marked ability to prevent viruses self-replicating. According to naturopath Jayney Goddard, president of the Complementary Medical Association, homeopath and author of The Survivor's Guide to Bird Flu, this is the no1 supplement to ward off swine flu. It also helps with candida and fungal infections.

SAD solution
The combination of the flower essences bush iris and sunshine wattle is great for lifting the spirits if you're prone to getting gloomy around the end of the year (yes, it's now clinically proven that lots of us suffer from seasonal affective disorder, or SAD). It's also wise to maintain your levels of essential fatty acids (fish oils) through winter: nutritionists in Australia are noticing a correlation between a rise in depression and declining consumption of fish. We stock a high-strength, super-pure fish oil with Vitamin E.

Oscillococcinum
This homeopathic remedy is licensed as a medicine in the US and France - and is, in fact, one of France's 10 bestselling drugs. Take it at very first telltale signs (sore throat, thirst, earache and so on), and oscillococcinum can nip flu in the bud. Don't forget that if you've had a flu jab you are still only 80 per cent protected against flu.

Probiotics
Boosting your levels of healthy bacteria with a probiotic not only makes gut sense, it can also help guard against winter lurgies. A seven-month study of 571 children in Finland found that those drinking milk fortified with the probiotic Lactobacillus were less likely to fall victim to colds. I've now sourced a potent probiotic blend containing Lactobacillus and six other bacteria, supplying 750 million viable organisms plus enzymes to promote bacterial growth. And we also stock probiotics for children.

Vitamin C
High doses of Vitamin C shorten the duration of a cold and lessen symptoms: take 1g three times daily until symptoms improve. Many nutritionists advise taking Vitamin C preventively to maintain good immune function, and certainly if you are on the Pill, taking antibiotics, aspirin, anti-convulsants or steroids, or you smoke, your levels of this vitamin will be depleted.

Garlic
Garlic is rightly prized as a first-class immune booster - and not because it makes you pong so badly that people steer clear! It contains compounds that are thought to prevent bacteria from invading tissues and seems to work especially well if your colds tend to go into sinusitis or bronchitis. In one clinical trial of 146 people those taking garlic were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold, and if they did they recovered one day faster than the placebo group.

Friendly benefits
When it comes to cold prevention, one of the sure-fire ways to keep health is apparently to have plenty of friends. In a study of 276 men and women, those with a good network of friends developed fewer cold symptoms - even after researchers plonked a cold virus directly into their noses!

Sue Leach offers homeopathy and allergy testing/treatment at Boldre Homeopathic Practice. For a no-obligation chat please contact Sue on 01590 624020.

Or visit www.NewForestHomeopathy.co.uk for more information.