Why We Get Sick and Supplements I Use!

Hi Everyone!

So I was doing so good and avoiding sicknesses at work, but it finally hit me. So disappointing!!

Luckily it was over a weekend so I was able to rest, but I wanted to share the supplements I used to help me recover!

I want to first discuss supplements and when I think they can be beneficial. I have experienced both camps of “supplements don’t work at all and are useless, waste of money, etc” and camps where supplements are gold. Here’s my quick-ish take:

You all know the story of – you traveled, were on an airplane, went to someones house, were in some type of confined area where others there were sick. And maybe YOU didn’t get sick, but your kiddo got sick, or your husband, or maybe none of them got the bug but YOU were the only one that did! anyone?

Why did some get sick and some not? If you were all equally exposed to the “bug” why didn’t everyone get sick or show symptoms?

https://www.today.com/health/people-who-never-catch-cold-or-flu-it-luck-or-t2761

Above is a segment on the Today show where they ask why some people get sick and some don’t. Now, if you read the segment, they basically say they don’t know and there really is no good answer, but if you read closely, there are some good answers! for instance they state

“People who get plenty of sleep and manage with stress well might be better able to resist germs, said Dr. Amy-Crawford-Faucher, director of WPIC Inpatient Primary Care at UPMC Department of Family Medicine. Being well-rested and less stressed helps the body better fight attackers.”

I really do believe this. Your body (typically) is equipped to fight off illness. That is your immune system. There are definitely medical conditions and factors that complicate this, but I am talking about generally healthy people.

When you are living life 100 miles an hour, not sleeping, stressed to the max, eating food that is processed/fast food for all of your meals, not drinking water, not exercising… you are placing your body at a disadvantage to fight off illness. You have deprived your body of what it needs for your immune system to function properly, therefore limiting your ability to fight off illness. Now, there is a lot to this and a lot of factors I haven’t gotten in to, but this is my point:

If we are doing things to help our body function how it was meant to function, then you are giving yourself a fighting chance. If you are treating your body with respect, resting, eating nutrient dense/nutritious food, exercising, and working on stress management, I truly believe you will see a benefit in your health and immune system.

Like with my recent bout with a cold. I know for a fact I had been stressed, not dealing with my stress how I should have been, and our diet had gotten off with our trip we had just taken. All things came together and somewhere I was exposed to a germ, and my “terrain” was at an optimal place to let the germ affect me. 

So to get to my point on supplements. I think supplements can be an aide that can help but ideally you have already been working on your terrain to benefit your own immune system. If you are stressed to the max, not sleeping, eating poorly, etc. Then I can’t say that I think supplements are the issue, I think you would benefit more with working on your personal health.

Side note: this is not a medication vs supplement discussion- I always recommend you see your Primary Care Provider to discuss any medical issue or symptom!!

Ok enough of the serious talk: Here are the things I like to use to aide in my recovery. I like to keep it simple, and only use things that I have felt benefit from!

I keep it really simple. If I feel like it is more than a common cold, I will take Colloidal Silver. This is interesting to me. I know in standard medical care silver is primarily used for wounds. The one I buy has dosing directions and as always consult with your Primary Care Provider (Dr, PA, NP, etc.) if you consider trying this. This is just sharing my own experience and I really do feel I notice a difference when using this supplement to help me fight off any potential “bug” I may have.

The next two in the picture are peppermint oil and lavender oil. I use from Young Living but I always recommend you know where your oil is from and it’s reputation before using any. Companies can sneak some dangerous ingredients in! I use these more for symptom management. I really feel like the peppermint and lavender help open up my nose (help with nasal congestion) chest congestion and really most of my cold symptoms.

The last in this picture is a probiotic. This specific one is a prebiotic and probiotic.. There is a lot of differing research and opinion on probiotics and “gut health” but I really believe in how I feel when I take them, and the importance of keeping good bacteria around to help your immune system and GI function.

Last but not least, I really love bone broth. Call me crunchy but I really do think it is magic!

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of peer reviewed research on the benefits of bone broth but there are potential correlation studies on “chicken soup” benefits with upper respiratory tract infections when prepared the traditional way. Well my friends when preparing a stock or broth the traditional way- you get bone broth. It is the liquid you get after slowly cooking bone-in meats or sometimes just the bones,  to say it very simply.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323903.php

Here is an article that explains some claimed benefits above!

Ultimately, when you look in to any supplement, it is hard to find straight forward research and verified statements about the benefits, but I do know what works for me and that is what I stick to.

I hope this helps and feel free to reach out with any questions! I really feel strongly about what I said at the top of the blog- that Ultimately we have to work on us, to make sure our body/immune system is set up for success to fight off these pesky germs that make us sick!

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