Immunity in Menopause: A Natural Immune Toolkit
This post contains affiliate links, to Pascoe Canada. I have been using Pascoe for 12 years and LOVE them! I make a small bit of money, if you buy a product from my blog, at no extra expense to you.
Cold and flu season will forever seem different, in the Post Covid -19 Era.
If you are in your 50’s, chances are you have sent kids away to school for the first, second or third time. You are going back to work with others, and are afraid of catching a cold, flu, or the Coronavirus.
We don’t yet know the impact COVID will have on our children of all ages, in a very different education & work system.
I am in my 50’s and have had a scare about my liver. If I get sick, which I rarely do, I don’t pop Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen like I did in my 20’s!
I now reach for plant remedies 80 percent of the time, especially when my daughter started developing her own health issues as a child.
Colds, sniffles and the flu have been constant companions in the fall.
They arrive every year, sometimes more than once.
At 50 plus, we may also think think age + menopause = decreased immunity. We aren’t wrong, as immunity is rooted in gut health, and we have changes in gut health as we age.
With age, we have changes in our immune cells, which impairs our responses to microbial invaders. We also have the term Inflamm - aging, which means our body’s have an increased inflammatory state, as shown with higher evidence of pro-inflammatory cytokines. You can read some research right here if you like that kind of thing, like me:)
What’s in your cold/flu toolkit for 2020?
Teas, soup recipes, garlic, and comfort rituals are part of FEELING THE HEALING.
Giving ourselves permission, to have these rituals BEFORE we get sick creates emotional support, mitigates stress, and supports our general health.
Prevention tools are just as important, or more important, than symptom support!
Make yourself a pumpkin spice latte and relax. Stress does not help the immune system. Easy to say, I have a young adult away at University for a very strange first year, so I do stress myself too.
Some links in this post are affiliate links, specifically to products by Pascoe Canada. I have used Pascoe, for myself and for my family for years, and have recommended them to clients for years as well.
None of this is to be considered medical advice, and always ask your health professional about any herbals, supplements or remedies. Plants are powerful!
Prevention:
Wash your hands, sneeze into your sleeve, and trim your nails.
There’s enough handwashing info out there, I know, but it’s common sense. Wash, frequently, with soap, and it doesn’t have to be “antibacterial” soap. Soap and friction IS antibacterial! Sneeze into your sleeve, not into the air. Right now your probably sneezing into your mask, if you are choosing to wear one, so THROW IT OUT or WASH it.
TRIM your nails. Chipped nailpolish, and long nails harbour bacterial and microbes. If I let my nails get long, I mean past my fingertips, in hygiene school, I got thrown out of clinic.
Lymph System Care.
It’s probably not the first system we think of when we think of immune health, or even cognitive health. THIS SYSTEM IS SO IMPORTANT.
The lymph system is a highway, like the veins and arteries, that moves fluids, waste and toxins through the body for removal. The difference is that the heart pumps veins and arteries, while the lymph system has no pump. You need to create your own “pump” to move toxins.Our cells make energy, hormones, enzymes, and waste. If the fluid surrounding them is bogged down, well, that cell cant do its job!
Massage, dry brushing, exercise, epsom salt baths, or “detox” baths, and taking care of your digestion, helps move lymph which helps your body’s own detoxification systems, which keeps your immune system happy.
The brain has a separate lymph drainage system called the lymph system.
Toxins, whether we make ‘em or take ‘em in, cross the blood brain barrier.Sleep.
Rest is foundational to immune support. Proper sleep supports that lymph system. Sleep sounds simple, but many things can get in the way of deep sleep. Caffeine, alcohol, a racing mind, and hunger can disturb sleep. My mind races as I worry about my daughter navigating her first year in university on her own, during this pandemic. I journal, or get onto my yoga mat and put my legs up the wall. This move supports lymph drainage!
Periodically, I use Pascoflair, to calm my nervous system, and have for years. My daughter started it in middle school. She has always been a light sleeper, prone to anxious thoughts. This herbal remedy contains passiflora incarnata, or passionflower. Passionflower in Pascoflair, has supported me through perimenopause, and menopause, promoting feelings of calm on days and evenings I know I need some TLC.Stress Resilience.
Who are you when life gets stressful? Have you ever asked yourself this question? Our bodies prioritize dealing with stress over anything else, including our hormones, ladies. What happens to you when you get stressed? Stress affects EVERYTHING, including gut health, sleep and immunity.
Ever wonder why when life gets hectic, you get sick? Your immune system is run down by the stress. I talk about stress resilience in my 7 Step Guide to Midlife food and Body Harmony, where there is a very basic Mindfulness Meditation for you to play when overwhelmed.
The Food & Body Freedom guide for Menopause includes a Mindfulness Meditation to support you in stressful times
Herbal prevention.
You can definitely ingest ginger and garlic, outlined below, and a number of fresh herbs, which make for a beautiful eating experience.If you are looking for prevention remedies, Pascoleucyn Forte ** is a formula I have for prevention of cold and flu.
Many of you rely on echinacea for prevention, along with Vitamin C, through the winter months. Did you know echinacea is also a tool for improving lymph flow?
Pascoleucyn Forte ** has 18 mg of echinacea in a drinkable ampoule form. You can take this when you see others coming down with something, and even when you are stressed. It also contains Aconitum napellus, which is used in homeopathy if a fever or chills seem to be looming.
**Pascoleucyn Forte is safe with that Vitamin C, and your Zinc lozenges, but contraindications are below.Vitamin D. Do you get your level tested? Do you get sunshine on your skin without sunscreen for 10-20 minutes when you are able? Besides it’s known effects on immunity and bone health, Vitamin D may have effects on cognition, and cardiovascular issues (1). It even has an effect on sarcopenia, the decline of our muscle mass as we age (2). Minerals like Boron, and Magnesium are also important in helping the body use available Vitamin D. Think foods like fruit, veggies and seeds.
Gut Health.
Immunity resides in the gut. The gut microbiome changes through our stages of life. Normal, and inevitable, but assaults on our gut impact us, the host, and possible health outcomes: disease.We also have GALT or Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue in our intestinal tract, and we are just seeing how this immune organ may relate to chronic conditions like Type 1 or 2 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis (3).
There is documented research that there are differences in the sexes, when it comes to gut health. (4) Women have the influence of dropping estrogen on mouths, muscles, vaginas and the gut. No wonder we have issues in Menopause!
I love an add in approach to start towards better gut health.
Gut Add Ins:Soups & Bone Broth.
My mother, a child of European Immigrants, grew up poor.
Nothing went to waste. That’s how I grew up. I cleaned my plate.
I ate my feelings.
Soup fed a family, and bones made the broth. Growing up, the herbs from the garden enhanced her broth, along with veggies. We didn’t talk about gut health. She just knew, soup stock and herbs were good.“Eat it, it’s good for your cold.”
There was no, “Oregano is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and disrupts your biofilm!” I can’t imagine educating my mom on biofilm, like my clients in the dental office!
Throat Coat Tea. (this is not an affiliate link, I just recommend this all the time for gut support and cold). This little ritual falls under gut health but could also be under prevention too!
Traditional Medicinal makes this tea.
It contains liquorice root, and slippery elm. Licorice Root, Glycyrrhiza glabra) is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial, and it's also a DEMULCENT. Demulcent means it soothes irritated tissues, by forming a protective film. This is why it's good for the gut!
CAUTION: high blood pressure issues plus liquorice may interact. Always check with your doctor for any medication/herbal interactions. My blog is not medical advice, I’m just sharing what I love and use.
Do your own research on any product or consult a professional.
Slippery Elm is also a demulcent, and soothes linings of digestive tracts, and throats!Probiotics and Prebiotics!
There are many brands of probiotics on the market and lots to choose from. Lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, are the common strains that are in probiotic products. Prebiotics product, like Markofruct, have complex carbohydrates such as oligofructose Inulin, and chamomile which is soothing to the gut.
As a dental hygienist, I have also recommended chamomile tea for those suffering from dry mouth. Prebiotics feed gut bacteria, the ones in your PROBIOTICS. Adding in a diverse array of foods such as lots of veggies, fruit, legumes, resistant starches, like winter squash, are great for gut microbes!GARLIC!
This beauty has been used for centuries for many purposes in and out of the body! From a form of currency to fighting vampires and colds, you cannot go wrong with garlic, as a prevention, or at the first sign of sickness! Garlic is anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and an immune stimulant. When using, chop, crush, mince, BUT leave it to sit for 5 minutes minimum to “recover” it’s beneficial properties.
Read on: supportive tips for cold or flu!
Support:
Wild Oregano Oil. Some people do take internally. Be cautious here and use a coated capsule, and consult a professional if you have some digestive issues. Always make sure your oregano oil is safe ingest, and do not take it for extended periods of time.
I place it along my clavicles, to sink into my skin and promote lymph drainage, which is very important to support as you get better from cold and flu.
*** Taking probiotics? Take them away from herbal remedies that are antimicrobial, as many herbs kill the good bugs in those probiotics.
Bone broth and soup, again!
Yep. Prevention and Support, these two do double duty. So many comfort foods can be made from a broth, and you can add broth to sauce, or cook rice in broth! Making broth is simple, with a Crock Pot or Instantpot, adding in your bones, or meat and bones, along with veggies, and herbs. Adding the veg and herbs provides extra minerals and flavour. You can even give some, unsalted, to your dog. There may not be enough evidence to support the intake of the collagen in broth for skin and joints, but you cannot deny the nutrient value of this hydrator, made from whole foods. If you are vegan, or vegetarian, first, I don’t mean to offend, and you can certainly make a veggie stock!Tussiflorin Thyme. Another herbal product from Pascoe Canada, Tussiflorin is fine for ages 1 on up! Yourself, your grandkids and everyone in between can take this thyme based syrup for coughs during cold season.
Thyme is part of the Lamiaceae family or the mint family, did you know that?
I use thyme in infused waters, and when roasting vegetables and meats. Again, essential oils in many herbs, like thyme and oregano, are potent against microbes that may imbalance our guts! Using them away from your probiotics is VERY beneficial!Vitamin C. While I have used capsules, Liposomal Vitamin C is also an effective delivery system, that helps the vitamin get past the stomach into the gut. The antioxidant potential of Vitamin C, are an easy support tool for your home health toolkit. Vitamin C is important for adrenal health, and liver health, and to assist iron absorption.
Aging skin: We need C for collagen production in our skin, too. You can have Vitamin C throughout the day, in citrus foods, or in supplement form. Just know that if you have had too much, you may be in for some diarrhea.
Ginger.
Slicing up some ginger and lemon, and steeping in hot water, provides anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, but it also provides stimulation of bile flow, is an anti-nauseant, and helps you sweat. It is also an expectorant, and this is helpful when we want to deconges things and cough!
Pascoleucyn Drops are there to support SYMPTOMS if you do get sick. Again, echinacea is an immune stimulant as well as lymph mover. Lymph drainage is important when we GET sick too! Easy to pop into a glass of water, which we also need when fever or that stuffed nose dehydrates our mouths. UGH.
There are so many OTHER things I can add here!
Put on a crock pot full of soup stock, or broth, and know that herbal remedies, practicing mindfulness, sleeping, paying attention to your lymph system, and nurturing your emotions, are ways to support your immune system through any season, even this one :)
A cup of tea and a good book are important rituals any time, not just when feeling under the weather.
Tell me in the comments your favourite book right now!
And where did that saying under the weather come from?
** Contraindications for anyone with an allergy or sensitivity to the daisy family, or iodine. See the full list here. Do NOT drink from the glass ampoule.