[please note that this blog post was originally published in January 2018]

It probably goes without saying, but this winter (2017 – 2018) has been quite the winter for illness so far! Between strep throat, the tummy bug, and the cold & flu viruses, it seems that everyone around me has been sick.

In the last several years, my exposure to illness has increased exponentially with three school aged children at home and my work in a busy doctor’s office. However, with all my exposure to germs, I rarely get sick anymore. Yeah, of course the occasional virus takes me down, but I can honestly go a year (or often more) without catching one as well.

Last month my immunity was put to the ultimate test when not one….not two….but three members of our household had the flu….and the fourth had a “flu-like” illness!

Both my step kids ended 2017 with a positive test for Influenza A. Less than a week later, we rang in the New Year with Roy’s “flu-like” illness. He tested negative to Influenza A & B (twice!), and as a seasoned Pediatrician he would have sworn that he had the flu. (In our house we affectionately refer to those viruses as the “Hot Booka-Kookie”, a name that our youngest daughter made up when she was 4-yrs old and we both had a “flu-like” illness that tested negative to that year’s flu strains.) Then, after two weeks at home, the kids finally went back to school and within two days our youngest was back home with the flu—and she tested positive for Influenza B!

I have never gotten the flu shot in my life and this was the first time I questioned my decision! (Although as many people already know, this year’s vaccine does not seem to be very effective—at least against Influenza A.) Each time I kept telling myself that if I don’t get sick, I would be receiving my own natural “immunization” to each different virus, as I was clearly exposed to everyone’s illness with all the dirty dishes, laundry, bedding….and pretty-much all the air and surfaces in our house!

A few times I felt as though I was coming down with something, but I kept to my protocol and I never got sick! Many of our friends and clients have asked me what I did and so I decided to share my simple protocol with you.

I am a very small and sensitive person and I can’t take a lot of supplements without my digestive system revolting. Additionally, with Autoimmune Disease I am also conscious about how much I stimulate my immune system. So over the years I have found a gentle and effective protocol that works well for me. I have tested it out with clients and friends with amazing success as well.  But the truth is, at times (such as these!) I can’t believe how effective it actually is!

Here’s what I did to prevent the Flu:

Before I dive into the specifics, I am assuming the “basics” are already in place. To me, the basics mean that I always eat an unprocessed whole foods diet with none or minimal sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods. I adequately hydrate with clean water, do the best I can with my sleep,  and listen to my body when it sends me messages (such as to slow down). We also take common-sense precautions in our home such as not sharing foods or drinks with our kids and doing regular hand washing. Lastly, I already take the supplements that Roy & I refer to as The Foundationals, such as Probiotics, Fish Oil, and Vitamin D3.

In addition to the above, here are the supplements that I took: