Public protocols

Winter Support Protocol

+1010 more items in Winter Support Protocol

Hello and Be Well! Great news! We are offering 15% OFF Be Well Natural Medicine's entire Fullscript Dispensary from until end of November 28th, 2023. Below I am sharing my Winter Support Protocol so you can browse the core products that I use to support a healthy diet and lifestyle during winter months. I keep these on hand throughout cold/flu season and for times when there's been a known exposure to someone who is sick. Many of you already are aware that there are several reasons WHY nutrient supplementation may be needed for a healthy immune system. I'll summarize a few here: 1) pesticides used to farm our food 2) chemicals in our water supply 3) pollution in the air we breath (both outdoor and indoor --> check out my favorite air filters here ). These issues drastically increase our need for extra nutrients because harmful chemicals create free radicals that attack the immune system. Supplements, along with healthy diet and lifestyle, allow us to counter those attacks. Below you will find guidelines for adult dosages that are commonly used but should NOT be mistaken for medical advice. For medical recommendations tailored to your unique needs, schedule with one of our doctors or ask your naturopathic doctor or functional medicine doctor to advise you. I've also included my favorite kid-approved options - these have been tested by my own kids and pediatric patients for taste and can be used by kids or adults alike. Don't make the common mistake of waiting until you are in sick to stock your immune-building arsenal - plan ahead! The few days it takes to ship these items could actually be the difference between a swift recovery or a slow recovery for some people. To Your Health, Dr. Liz Orchard Founder and Naturopathic Doctor Be Well Natural Medicine Vitamin C Typical Dosing: Maintenance Dose (ongoing): 1-3 grams daily, in divided doses, with meals. Acute Dose (given at the onset of symptoms and for the duration of illness): 3 to 6+ grams daily in divided doses “to bowel tolerance” - unless you are having loose stool you are not taking too much. Since humans do not make their own Vitamin C tolerance can be very high during infections. Kid-friendly options: I add Quercetin Ascorbate Powder by Designs for Health to daily smoothies - this covers both Vitamin C and Quercetin, another supplement on the Immune Protocol (below). Therapeutic Benefits: Vitamin C has been shown to shorten the frequency, duration and severity of the common cold and the incidence of pneumonia. Vitamin C is needed for the body’s production of glutathione which is an antioxidant critical for immune function, respiratory and overall health. Zinc Typical Dosing: Maintenance Dose (ongoing): 30-60mg/day, often given with 1-2 mg of copper to keep a healthy zinc-copper ratio. Acute Dose (given at the onset of symptoms and for the duration of illness): 75-100 mg/day. During a respiratory illness, I often recommend getting some of the zinc dose via lozenge or liquid form to allow the substance to stay in the throat and come in contact with a potential virus. Kid-friendly options: Liquid Zinc by Pure Encapsulations or Optimal Zinc Chews by Seeking Health. Therapeutic Benefits: Zinc may prevent coronavirus from entering cells and also appears to reduce the virulence of coronavirus. Zinc reduces pneumonia deaths by 20%. Zinc reduces cold duration particularly when given within the first 24 hours of symptom onset. Zinc reduces the duration of muscle soreness by 54%, cough by 46%, voice hoarseness by 43%, nasal congestion by 37%, nasal discharge by 34%, scratchy throat by 33%, sneezing by 22%, and sore throat by 18% in healthy adults. Vitamin A Typical Dosing: Maintenance Dose: 5,000 - 10,000IU/day (do not exceed 8000IU/day during pregnancy or if there’s a chance you might become pregnant). Acute Dose (given at the onset of symptoms and for the duration of illness): higher doses are commonly used short-term only under medical supervision. Kid-friendly options: Most liquid forms are kid-friendly in terms of taste. I use Micellized Vitamin A Drops by Klaire Labs. Therapeutic Benefits: Vitamin A is important for respiratory health and is involved in regulating human immune function. Vitamin A is a natural antiviral that has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the treatment of the measles virus. Vitamin A deficiency is associated with an increased risk for infection and has been shown to be an effective antiviral in the treatment of norovirus. Vitamin D Typical Dosing: Maintenance Dose (ongoing): I typically recommend getting tested (ask for 25-OH Vitamin D) and supplementing as needed to achieve a value between 60-80ng/ml. In the absence of testing, I commonly will recommend 4000-5000IU/day. Kid-friendly options: Most liquid forms are kid-friendly in terms of taste. I use Liquid Vitamin D3 or Liquid Vitamin D3+K2 by Orthomolecular and/or Zero Sugar Vitamin D3 Gummies by Nordic Naturals. Therapeutic Benefits: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk for respiratory tract infection. Vitamin D deficiency (levels < 20 ng/mL) is far more prevalent in patients with severe COVID–19 disease requiring ICU admission and thereby increased chances of mortality. N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) Typical Dosing: Maintenance Dose (ongoing): 500-600mg/day. Acute Dose (given at the onset of symptoms and for the duration of illness): 500-600mg 3x/day. Kid-friendly options: I open up a capsule and mix the powder into a favorite food or beverage - not the most tasty supplement so you may have have to get crafty. Therapeutic Benefits: NAC promotes the production of glutathione which is an antioxidant critical for immune function, respiratory and overall health. NAC reduces the symptoms and severity of the flu. NAC helps keep the protective mucus in the respiratory tract healthy. Quercetin Typical Dosing: Maintenance Dose (ongoing): 500-600mg/day (or 250mg/day if Quercetin Phytosome). Acute Dose (given at the onset of symptoms and for the duration of illness): 1000-1200mg 2x/day (or 500mg 2x/day if Quercetin Phytosome). Kid-friendly options: I add Quercetin Ascorbate Powder by Designs for Health to daily smoothies - this covers both Vitamin C and Quercetin. Therapeutic Benefits: Quercetin promotes viral eradication or inactivation. Quercetin has shown efficacy in reducing the incidence and severity of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms, particularly for adults over the age of 40. Quercetin acts as a "zinc ionophore" meaning it should theoretically help zinc slow viral replication. Are the products in our protocol below out of stock? Click the links below to view our other favorites: Vitamin C Zinc Vitamin A Vitamin D NAC Quercetin Medical Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Orchard nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. Click the attachment below to view the references for this protocol.