So at the risk of jinxing my streak of health luck, I am putting forth my tally of colds, flus and other winter ailments: zero. zilch. nada.
Okay, so what did I do? I have a couple of ideas.
First: it was a cold, cold winter complete with polar blasts and other cold weather phenomena. This is beneficial because it kills off stuff that otherwise would ferment and flourish. So maybe a diminished scope of bacteria, viruses and other ickies out there. Maybe?
Second: a couple of winters ago, sister blogger introduced me to a previously untapped (for me) herbal remedy: ANDROGRAPHIS*.
It is a builder-upper of the immune system designed to work especially on the winter ailments. If you do get something, it supposedly diminishes the longevity of it. I really felt it helped me through previous seasons on this note. But this winter I really think it "kept the wolves at bay". I'll be pulling it out next winter for certain.
Third: my kids did not get sick. With the exception of First Daughter getting a fever for one day, my kids did not get sick this winter. So because they did not get sick, that lessened my chances of getting sick. They all get a multivitamin, Vitamin D3 and fish oil. Otherwise, I keep my eye on their sleep and eating habits as best I can. But maybe the rest is up to throwing the dice---I dunno.
Fourth: I got extra vigilant about hand washing for all family members. The second they walk in, I make them wash hands---after a day at school or work, at friends' houses or wherever else they might be. (Some of them take to it better than others.)
*Andrographis paniculata
Andrographis is a shrub found throughout India and other Asian countries that is sometimes called "Indian echinacea." It has been used historically in epidemics, including the Indian flu epidemic in 1919 during which andrographis was credited with stopping the spread of the disease. (Hancke J, Burgos R, Caceres D, et al. A double-blind study with a new monodrug Kan Jang: decrease of symptoms and improvement in the recovery from common colds. Phytother Res. 1995;9:559-562.)
