What A Functional Medicine Expert Does To Stop A Cold From Coming On

Since I see patients every day, the last thing I want to do is walk into a consultation with a stuffed-up nose to tell other people how to be healthy. Because of this, every time I feel a cold coming on, I have a specific regimen that usually kicks my immunity into high gear and allows me to avoid the cold completely—or at least greatly reduce it to only a couple of days of mild symptoms. Here's exactly what I do when I need to kick a cold in the butt!

I’ll switch out a few cups of my green tea throughout the day and replace it with dandelion tea. It’s filled with B vitamins designed to amp up my detoxing methylation pathways. I add blueberries, cilantro, and parsley to my morning smoothie, and I end up eating a few more handfuls of blueberries throughout the day as a snack.

Adaptogens are always my go-to when I'm feeling a little sluggish. These natural plants and herbs are all designed to bring balance to whatever system you're targeting. No matter what symptoms you are dealing with, chances are there’s an adaptogen for that. Here are three of my favorites:

On a regular basis, I use food as my medicine and eat a clean diet filled with organic grass-fed and wild-caught meat, lots of healthy fats, and a wide range of vegetables with some fruit. But when my immune system is fighting an uphill battle, I bring in supplements.

Chaga is also one of my favorites, as it works as an immune-balancer4 and an antiviral against viruses like the flu. Turkey tail is another intense immune booster, as it has been successfully used to boost the immune systems of cancer patients. I like to sauté these and eat them as a side dish with my meals. Or, if you aren’t a fungus lover, you can get mushroom powders to add into smoothies.

Sea salt is a great anti-inflammatory5, and when dissolved in warm water, it can be a fantastic easy way to ease a sore throat because of its ability to loosen mucus and rid the throat of bacteria and other irritants. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, people who gargled with salt water had a 40 percent decrease6 in upper respiratory infections. I like to mix 1 teaspoon of sea salt with 8 ounces of warm water and gargle for at least 30 seconds.

These concentrated liquids have been used for thousands of years due to their intensive healing abilities. These are three of my favorites that I diffuse these in my home and office when I start feeling under the weather:

There’s a reason why grandma’s chicken noodle soup became such a famous cold and flu remedy, and it's especially helpful if you are fighting off a stomach virus. Bone broth contains gelatin, glucosamine, glycine, and minerals that help heal your gut from the inside out. According to functional medicine beliefs, the root of all disease begins in your gut, so feeding your digestive system with this food medicine will help you get you back to 100 percent.