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Healthy Living Newsletter

Spotlight on Wellness
Ready to Rule Over Colds and Flu
Innovative Primary Care's (IPC) team of providers hopes that your new year is off to a healthy start. Yet we know that hasn't been easy for many.
 
The flu and cold season is upon us in full force and even the IPC office has been hit. So it makes sense that we'd start off this year's newsletter with some tips for keeping the cold and flu at bay, or at least having the right medicine cabinet full of remedies that can ease your symptoms.
 
When the sniffles or sneezes start, how do you know if it's a cold or the flu?
 
Initially when the flu starts it can seem like a cold - a runny nose and all over "yucky" feeling. But, within a few days, it can become a lot worse and bring muscle pains, a spike in fever and coughing. Fever and body aches are the differentiating factor and this season's strain of flu means that taking precautions or treating the symptoms sooner rather than later is very important.
 
Dr. Levitt has prepared a summary of how to best care for yourself this season, as well as remedies for the variety of ailments that can accompany the common cold or flu.
 
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
  • The best remedy is prevention. And that includes reinfection since this flu season is especially hard-hitting. And for Dr. Levitt that means taking quality immunity-building supplements, getting your rest, and washing your hands diligently after your outings in the public.
  • If you do get sick, focus on getting rest. If you don't, your immune system won't work as well and it will take longer for you to get better. Take time off of work to not only speed your recovery, but prevent others from getting sick.
  • Drink plenty of fluids. Fluids including: water, herbal teas, and ginger tea (cut up a few pieces of fresh ginger in hot water and steep 15 minutes. May add cayenne pepper and 0.5-1 tsp of raw honey), soup broths and smoothies made with protein powder and berries. AVOID fruit juices as they are high in sugar.
  • If you are not improving within a 7-10-day period, contact your healthcare provider for further suggestions.
  • The common cold and flu are caused by viruses; therefore, antibiotics are not a remedy as they do not kill viruses. Taking antibiotics when not indicated can have negative effects on your good intestinal bacteria. This can increase the risk for diarrhea, including due to a bad bacteria called Clostridium Difficile (or C. Diff). This can be a very serious infection, and may be very difficult to eliminate. And there could be long term impacts on certain antibiotics no longer having the impact on treating certain issues. Sometimes we just have to embrace the idea that it will take rest and time to get over these symptoms.
SYMPTOM SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS
 
Sore Throat
  • Cepacol Anesthetic or Chloraseptic Lozenges
  • Place 1 tbsp. of honey, 1 tsp. of garlic, and 1 slice of lemon in 4-8 ounces of hot water. Sip.
  • Herbal Tea: Throat Coat by Traditional Medicinals, Throat Comfort by Yogi, Throat Clarity by Full Leaf Tea Co.
  • Saltwater gargle - put 1 tsp. of Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt in 4 ounces of water and gargle holding it at back of throat for as long as possible before spitting out.
  • Replace your toothbrush after illness has resolved. (And wipe down light switches, handles and other things you might have touched - frequently.)
Chest Congestion
  • N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) 500 mg - Take 2 tablets up to 3 times a day, with or without food
  • Mucinex 600 mg - Take 2 twice a day, with or without food
  • Steam inhalation - Boil a pot of water with oregano oil or oregano, position yourself so that your head is above the water, no closer than 10 in. Drape a towel over your head and the container forming a tent. Inhale the vapor with slow deep breaths for 5-10 minutes.
  • Medrol Dose pack - a steroid, may be needed to help clear your congestion (by prescription)
Cough
  • Chestal Cold & Cough by Boiron (homeopathic, non-drowsy) - at local drug and health food stores. Take as directed on package.
  • Robitussin DM, or plain DM (Dextromethorphan) as directed on the package
  • Tessalon Pearls (Benzonatate) 200 mg - up to 3 times a day (by prescription)
  • Narcotic cough syrup with codeine or hydrocodone - 1 tsp. every 4 hours as needed (by prescription. May cause drowsiness)
Sinus Congestion
  • Neti Pot/Sinus Rinse with Breathe Free salt - natural salt infused with 4 essential oils. Follow directions on bottle.
  • Sudafed (may cause dry mouth, fast heart rate, and increase blood pressure)
  • N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) 500 mg- Take 2 tablets up to 3 times a day, with or without food.
  • Mucinex 600 mg - Take 2 twice a day, with or without food
  • Aller-C (Vital Nutrients) - 1-3 times daily, with or without food
Read more about Immune Support suggestions in our " Supplement Support" below.
Food For Life
Apple Pie...Oatmeal
You betcha! Still the most important, but oft missed meal, breakfast can set the stage
for your energy and mood level throughout the day. One of the simplest and still most nutritious options for breakfast is oatmeal and we found a number of options that include quick-fix recipes and some that are better prepared overnight.
 
One that caught our eye (and taste buds) is named " Apple Pie." This version of oatmeal can be made in less than 15 minutes and is high in fiber and protein to kick start your day. More recipes such as "Carrot Cake" and "Peaches and Cream" can be found here.
Healing Therapies
Ridding Our Surroundings of Waste and Clutter Creates Hope
Yes, research has proven that removing clutter can help not only our mental health, but our waistline and the environment. In fact, studies have identified the clutter in our home can:
  • Produce low subjective well-being
  • Lead us to unhealthy eating
  • Make it more difficult to process visually, and
  • Decrease our efficiency in thinking
This doesn't mean that if your counter top is filled with mail from the past week, you will eat a double-cheeseburger, but it does mean that streamlining and clearing space can impact our feelings of self-worth and boost our outlook on life.
 
And if you can pare down "things" when organizing, you can also do so in a way that's kind to the environment. Sources such as Trash Is For Tossers offer inspiration for living in a simpler manner. And this month, YogiApproved offers suggestions for clutter-proofing every room in the house.
 
Take a look at their suggestions for the bathroom:
  • Old makeup (most makeup expires in six months - and if you haven't used it in that long anyway, then you can probably let it go) should be tossed
  • Expired medicine (prescriptions, cold medicine, aspirin, etc.) can be put in a bag safely out of reach for the next Prescription Drug Take Back Day
  • Remove torn, stained, or mismatched towels and washcloths and put them in your trunk for the next stop at the car wash
  • Cleaning supplies that haven't been used for years should be disposed of at a Household Hazardous Waste Disposal site. Most cities offer these services and the city of Gilbert's resources can be found here.
  • Beauty products you no longer use (that half-empty bottle of shampoo collecting dust, or the deodorant you don't really like)
Supplement Support
Bulk up on Immunity
When it comes to cold and flu season, one of the best tactics is to aim for prevention. The products listed below are in stock at Innovative Primary Care and all have been recommended as sources to build up immunity from Dr. Levitt.
  • Vitamin C - 1000 mg, 4 times a day. Products include: Ester-C (Pure Encapsulations), Emergen-C (OTC), and Aller-C (Vital Nutrients).
  • Mushroom Compounds, including:
    • MyCommunity (MycoBotanicals) - 2 capsules twice a day
    • Stamets 7 (MycoBotanicals) - 2 capsules twice a day
    • M/R/S Mushroom (Pure Encapsulations) - 2 capsules twice a day
  • Argentyn 23 - 1 tsp. held under tongue for 30 sec. Take 7 times a day if sick and 2-3 times a day for prevention. (See more benefits of "Silver" at right)
  • Ultra Vir-X (Biotic Research)- 2 capsules twice a day
  • Bio-Vegetarian - Take 2 pills 4 times a day for the first 2-3 days of illness, then 2 pills for 3 times a day for the duration of the illness
Supplements offered by Dr. Levitt have been safely-sourced to ensure the highest quality product. As always, we encourage you to speak with your IPC provider before beginning a supplement regime. Visit or call our office at 480.776.0626 for more information about our supplements.

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