It’s that time of year again. The kids have been back in school just long enough that they’re marinating in a germ pool.  Your co-workers may be heading to work when they’re really sick enough to stay home because there are many projects on the go or because they are out of vacation days. It’s an onslaught on your immune system.

What’s a person to do?  It’s not like you can wrap yourself in a bubble or cover yourself in something to keep the germs at bay. Or can you?

My tried and true immune system builder is my doTERRA On Guard essential oil. It’s a blend of Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower essential oils and it’s sole purpose is to keep germs at bay.  Using this essential oil on a daily basis can strengthen your immune system to fight of the bugs that are making their way around. I take it every single day and haven’t been sick a day since I started.   I even carry a small bottle in my purse to use as hand sanitizer instead of that horrific commercial stuff.

If the onslaught gets ahead of me and I start to feel a scratchy throat or feel my body starting to overheat and signalling me that it’s fighting something, I add my Oregano oil. Like Buckley’s, it tastes horrible, but it works. Every. Damn. Time.

Maybe you’re familiar with Oil of Oregano. Many health food stores carry it and it’s quite popular.   When you purchase Oil of Oregano off the shelf, it’s going to be diluted with 75% olive oil. There’s nothing wrong with that. Olive oil is good for you. However, when you purchase doTERRA Oregano Oil, you’re getting 250 drops of pure, potent Oregano – no fillers, no dilution. This means that you’ll use less of it and it also means that it tastes worse than the other stuff. For me, I’ll use Oregano and On Guard on the bottoms of my feet a few times throughout the day, diluting it with Fractionated Coconut oil, to fight off whatever ails me.

Since Oregano Oil works so well against the onslaught of germs, many folks think that they should take it every day to stay healthy. Bad idea. Oregano is a natural antibiotic that kills both good and bad bacteria. Only use it when your body is fighting a bug of some sort.

Garlic, on the other hand, is prebiotic which means that it feeds good bacteria in the gut. It is a super food that should be used daily. You’ll want to purchase local, organically grown garlic or grow your own. When using garlic, crush it and allow it to sit for 10 minutes to allow the allicin (active ingredient in garlic) to be activated. Always add garlic at the end of your cooking so that you don’t cook away the health benefits. Garlic will feed the good bacteria that you’ll be growing when you take a probiotic supplement and eat foods that contain probiotics (fermented foods like kefir, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, etc.)

It is my firm belief that just about everyone needs to be taking a high quality probiotic supplement daily. It’s impossible to get enough probiotics from food.  I often have people ask me “What about yogurt?”  You would have to eat an entire truckload of yogurt to get the probiotics contained in a quality supplement.

Life hack – when you’re beginning to get sick, open up a few probiotics and gargle with them before swallowing. This really helps to nip the onslaught in the bud.

Eating a diet rich in foods that contain Vitamin C is of utmost importance throughout the year, but especially now. Citrus fruits, leafy greens, berries, broccoli and papaya are some of the foods that are rich in Vitamin C.  Because our food supply is not what it used to be, supplementation will be necessary. Choose a buffered C in a capsule form and if you find yourself starting to sniffle, take a handful of them a couple of times a day to boost your immune system. Personally, I take about 2400mg of Vitamin C daily for many reasons, including supporting my immune system.

There are going to be times over the winter that your immune system is challenged and needs support, even if you’re doing all of the “right” things.  You’re going to be on the bus beside someone who’s coughing and hacking all over you. You’ll be at an airport with God knows how many germs floating around. Your kids will bring bugs home from school. It’s just the way it is.

For emergency immune support, consider making a rollerball of these doTERRA essential oils, mixed with fractionated coconut oil: Lemon, Tea Tree, Oregano, On Guard, and Frankincense. Roll the roller onto the back of your neck or the bottoms of your feet every couple of hours. Use the probiotic trick from above, drink lots of warm water with lemon, and rest. When your immune system is fighting an onslaught of germs, it needs your help.

Stay strong – you’ve got this!