According to the Merriman-Webster dictionary, immunity is
“a condition of being able to resist a particular disease especially through preventing development of a pathogenic microorganism or by counteracting the effects of its products.”
Germ Theory
Conventional modern medicine follows the germ theory of disease.
This theory was developed by Louis Pasteur. It basically says that microorganisms are all around us and will attack us and damage us if we don’t protect ourselves with pharmaceutical drugs or vaccines.
The current approach to the current pandemic, seems to follow this line of thought.
Social distancing!
Self-isolate!
Use hand sanitisers!
Wear masks!
Lockdown!
Vaccines are the only salvation!
Essentially you should try any means possible to avoid coming into contact with a microorganism, because if it gets you, you will get very sick and you may die!
If germ theory was true and validated, then everybody who would come into contact with any sort of virus or bacteria would be affected.
The reality, however, may not be the case.
Terrain Theory
A contemporary of Pasteur, Antoine Beauchamp, proposed a different theory at the time, based on his own research. From his observations, germs lived and proliferated in unhygienic and unfavourable conditions, and that exposure alone was not the only factor in becoming ill or contracting a disease.
From his point of view, it was the biological terrain was the cause of disease, not the germs themselves.
You can think of it this way: mosquitos will thrive and reproduce where there is stagnant water. It is not that they created the stagnant water.
The same goes with our body’s health. If we maintain it clean and healthy, it will be difficult for germs to create disease in it.
I think we have all experienced times when we are stressed and rundown and then we can easily catch a cold or flu.
Or times when we are happy, rested, and full of energy, and the latest bug going around bypasses us completely.
This is because the state of our immunity depends on the state of wellbeing of our bodies.
What do we need to have a strong immune system?
Most people know how important nutrition is to our health and well being. That’s why eating nutrient dense foods and getting adequate levels of vitamins and minerals is so important for immunity.
It also goes without saying that an inadequate diet, with high amounts of sugar, processed foods, and toxic chemicals (such as those found in pesticides or GMOs) will then cause damage to our immunity.
Our environment and emotional wellbeing are key to our overall health, including physical health.
We all need sunshine, fresh and clean air and water to maintain our health and immunity.
We need to move our bodies.
We also need love, connection, friendship, and a sense of purpose to be happy and healthy.
All these things help us build and strengthen our immune system, which in turn will help us to withstand any exposure to viruses or bacteria.
Apparently on his death bed, Pasteur actually admitted that Beauchamp was right, and that disease starts with the body, not the germ.
We are still unsure what role of bacteria and viruses play in our health and wellbeing. Are they there as the bad guys, making us ill? Or are they there as messengers telling us we need to clean ourselves up? Or are they there to actually do the cleaning up?
Until we know more, let’s not just rely only on outside measures to improve your immunity. Let’s take responsibility for ourselves, and feed our bodies with good food, clean water, get some fresh air and sunshine, rest and laughter, and lots of love and connection.
I’d love to know what immunity means to you. Let me know by commenting or send me a message!
All of a sudden we are thrust into a new “normal”! Some of us have been forced to start working at home, others to homeschool their children. Sometimes both things at the same time! (Yes, that is me!).
On top of that, we have to babysit our husbands as well! Haha!
Not only that, we are now, in many places, forced to stay at home unless absolutely necessary!
We humans beings are not happy to change our ways too often. We thrive on routines and habits. It takes time to change something we are so used to doing.
And this is the situation most of us are experiencing at the moment.
Abrupt changes can be very stressful in the best of times. Add to this the fear and anxiety about a virus we know little about, plus the media bombarding us with an overlaod of information and panic and hysteria… well it’s recipe for disaster.
I’m going to share here what I’ve been trying to do to keep my anxiety under control as much as possible. I hope it can help you too.
Avoid the news and social media as much as possible. It is hard not too feel anxious when we are constantly hearing about the virus, lockdowns, sold out supermarkets and flattening the curve. Yes, keep yourself updated once or twice a day, but I recommend not more than that. Turning off the news and keeping away from social media has helped me so much.
Go outside and get some sunshine (if you have it!), fresh air, and movement. Not only does this help with physical immunity and health, it is also paramount to mental health. All human beings need to be outside part of the time!
Try to keep your normal routine going. Go to sleep and get up at the same time. Get dressed in different clothes. If you are newly working from home try to keep similar hours. Routines ground us and help us with uncertainty.
If you now have kids at home, try not to stress too much about homeschooling or whether they’ll be behind or not. Kids will be just as anxious about this as us, even if not fully aware about the situation, and they will pick up on our own anxieties. Be with them, support them, listen to them, play games, and try to keep a routine as well to anchor the whole family.
Try to exercise as much as you can. If you can, go for a walk or a run outside. If you are stuck in side, there are now a myriad of online fitness/yoga/dance and other classes all over the internet. We need to keep our bodies strong and fit to help our immune system and our mental health.
Keep in touch with friends and family, through chats or video calls. Humans need connection. We are all in this together, and it’s always nice to hear from someone just checking up on you. Help your kids to remain in touch with their friends as well — it must be difficult for them not to be able to play and chat with friends anymore!
Don’t feel pressured to (or guilty that you didn’t) do everything that you thought you would do now that you are stuck at home. You know what I’m talking about: decluttering and deep cleaning your house; doing all the yoga classes online; meditating everyday; reading all the books on your bedside table. Relax, take your time, and do only what you need and want to do.
If you feel overwhelmed, reach out. To your family, to your friends. Even to your homeopath! We are here to help!
I’m still working from home with clients, so if you need an appointment just get in touch! Email me at homeopathy@stephaniethullen.com.
I’m also now working with an amazing international group of homeopaths on a new venture to offer homeopathic help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can check this out here: www.homeopathy247.com.
I’m sure there are so many other ways to deal with stress and anxiety during these difficult time. I’d love to hear what has worked for you too! Leave your ideas and experience in the comments if you wish!
I promised you on my newsletter I would write a bit more about the Corona Virus, aka Covid-19, on my blog, so here it is!
Now, my aim with this is to put things in perspective and avoid assumptions and hysteria. Neither of these things will help you.
The media seems to be hyping everything up. They only tell you about the spreading infection and the deaths increasing every day.
What this type of reporting usually does is send people into fear mode, which is the last thing you want if you want to boost your immune system.
Fear is a major immune system suppressor.
I’m all for the media telling us the facts, but without the hype. They are telling us hardly anything about the age and health conditions of the people who are suffering severely or dying from the virus.
You really need to dig deep to find out that most of them are either elderly, or already have a health condition which weakens their immune system.
The media is also not telling us much about the people who are recovering, and the people who suffered only mildly from the virus.
The other day I saw a meme on Facebook, which had the following statistics:
On the same day that 108 people in China died of the virus, more than 26,000 died of cancer, more than 24,000 died of heart disease, more that 4,000 of diabetes and more than 1,000 were murdered!
I’m not sure the source of these statistics but they sound pretty plausible to me. If you have time to dig these numbers (eg. How many people die or xyz per day), I’d love to know! But in a quick search, I found that in the US alone 1,660 people die of cancer each day! The worldwide murder number is pretty accurate after a quick search too!
Of course, we don’t know much yet about the virus, and I understand the caution we need to take around it. However, that does not mean that we need to be frightened to death about it.
Allopathic medicine is based on the germ theory, which see microorganisms as attacking us. In homeopathy we see things quite differently. It all starts with the terrain – the body and the immune system.
If your immune system is functioning well, you eat and hydrate well to keep your body strong and healthy, then you’ll be able to handle things better than someone who doesn’t look after themselves, is overly stressed, or has a suppressed immune system.
So start here.
Follow the advice being given by health authorities is with regards to basic hygiene: wash your hands, cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, bin all used tissues as soon as possible, avoid contact with people who are unwell, keep your house clean, etc…
It was hygiene and sanitation which has been the major factor in our improved ability to prevent and deal with many diseases.
I already gave some tips in my newsletter about boosting your immunity with Vitamin C, D, iodine. You could also add zinc and selenium in there.
You could add antiviral foods to your diet, like garlic, fermented foods, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, and many others.
Homeopathy has a great track record with regards to treating influenza in the past, and since we don’t treat particular disease but rather individual people and their own unique expression of symptoms, there are many remedies that could be used.
I was going to write here a bit more about some homeopathic remedies to have on hand, but the media seems to be on a witch hunt at the moment with homeopaths, so I will write a separate newsletter just with this info. Make sure you are subscribed if you want to know more! Click here to subscribe!
Most importantly, don’t stress too much about this. As I said earlier, fear and stress are immunosuppressive. Try to get adequate sleep and rest, get enough fresh air and exercise. Be happy and grateful everyday.
As usual, this doesn’t replace advice from your doctor or medical practitioner or health authorities.
And keep doing your own research.
In the meantime I leave you with the Corona virus Cumbia! (Only in Mexico 🇲🇽 !) If you understand Spanish, you can hear all about the common sense preventative measures while you dance!
It’s only November and I’ve already had my first cold (thanks to my lovely daughters!). I remember telling people I had a bit of a cold, and almost everyone would try to stay away from me, worried that they may catch it.
With our busy lives, it is not surprising that most of us want to avoid being run down with a cold, especially if we have children to look after.
You may be surprised to know, however, that getting a cold once or twice a year is not a bad thing, and is actually a sign that your immune system is functioning well.
Yes, it can be annoying, but it is actually giving you body a chance to rid itself of toxins, rest (if you let it!), and for your immune system an opportunity to strengthen itself – which then means you may be less likely to become ill with worse kinds of infections!
Many of the symptoms of cold and flu are quite similar; some people think they may have the flu, but actually that may not be the case. Flu symptoms are much more severe.
With a cold you will probably not get a fever (or very mildly if you do), whereas with flu there will almost always be a fever, usually high, which last a few days. Flu is also usually accompanied by body aches and exhaustion, sometimes quite severe, which means you will likely want to stay in bed for a few days.
If you are getting several colds a year, or if they take a long time to resolve, then your immune system may not be functioning optimally. This may be due to many factors, including stress, diet, and other chronic conditions. Do see your homeopath or health professional to get to the bottom of it and help you strengthen your immune system.
In the meantime, what can you do at home to prevent or minimise the symptoms of colds and flu in a more natural way?
Homeopathy:
There are many, many homeopathic remedies that can help lessen symptoms and get you through it quicker. Here are some of the main ones, most of them available in homeopathic first aid kits:
Aconite: this is the remedy to take when you are just starting to feel those first symptoms of cold or flu, especially if you have gotten chilled.
Arsenicum Album: if you are feeling very chilly, your eyes and nose are streaming with burning discharges and lots of sneezing, are very tired and anxious, and only want little sips of water.
Bellandona: Great remedy for high fevers, with a very red face and dilated pupils, throbbing headaches and the skin is hot to the touch.
Eupatorium Perfolatum: This is the one of the main remedies for flu, especially when there is a lot of bone pains, with lots of thirst, shivering, chills, aching and red eyes.
Gelsemium: Another main remedy for flu, where you feel extremely tired, heavy and sleepy, very chilly, shivery and achy, but not thirsty at all.
Kali Bich: Great remedy for very thick, sticky, stringy or dry yellow and green mucous that is difficult to get out.
Natrum Muriaticum: If you have lots of sneezing, with watery bland discharge that looks like raw egg white, this remedy may be for you.
Nux Vomica: This remedy is if you are feeling very chilly and can’t warm up, you are quite irritable, lots of sneezing, but your nose is stuffed up and it’s difficult to get the mucous all out.
Pulsatilla: Great remedy for children (or adults!) who are very clingy and teary, mucous is yellow or green, and symptoms are usually much improved with fresh air.
Homeobotanicals
These wonderful remedies made in New Zealand have some great options to support you through a cold or flu. I can make you a bespoke blend of these, depending on your particular symptoms and they can be used along homeopathy or any other treatment. Here are a few options that may help:
Hb C Cold and Catarrh: really helpful when there is lots of mucous and catarrh.
Hb I Immune: boosts the immune system and acts as an anti-microbial and anti-septic.
Hb R Respiratory: supports the whole respiratory system, including lungs, sinuses, and eustachian tubes.
Hb X Expectorant Coughing: soothes coughs and helps expel mucous.
First Aid: For the early, feverish stages of acute illnesses.
Promyr: Amazing anit-viral and anti-bacterial blend.
Nutrition and other general recommendations:
If you are trying to prevent colds and flu, make sure you eat well, lots of green vegetables and foods full of anti-oxidants. Anti-microbial foods, like ginger, honey and garlic, are also great for prevention and treatment. Also make sure you get plenty of exercise and fresh air.
If you have a cold or flu already, the most important thing to do is rest, rest, rest!!!
Also eat light, and ensure you get plenty of fluids into your body. Honey and lemon drinks are great for easing some symptoms like sore throats and coughs.
Supplementing with Vitamins C and D may help boost your immune system before and during a cold or flu.
Hi, I’m Stephanie!
I’m a registered Homeopath living in the small, beautiful rural county of Herefordshire in the UK. My passion is to help women balance their hormones in a natural, safe and effective way, so they can feel like themselves again.
