The day following an interview where I extolled the virtues of an essential oil blend aptly named the “cold and flu blend”, my husband came down with cold symptoms and I had a scratchy throat. Life is funny that way.
That same day, I went into high gear and began applications of this natural cold and flu medicine three times a day. In my case, two days was enough because I never developed any additional symptoms. My husband, however, had a lot of congestion so he has continued the protocol for almost a week. The good news is that both of us are now fine and had no need to resort to over the counter remedies. Our natural DIY cold and flu medicine worked. Of course, I knew it would!
It is my opinion that everyone should have this blend in their arsenal not only for now but for when and if the stuff hits the fan. It is a do it yourself recipe that you can make yourself. To the best of my knowledge, it is not available pre-blended. Flu bomb oil – Bing video
MAKE YOUR OWN COLD AND FLU BOMB USING ESSENTIAL OILS
Ingredients
30 drops Tea Tree Oil (also known as Melaleuca)
30 drops EO Protective Blend (see note below)
18 drops Oregano Oil
This will make enough to almost fill an empty 5ML essential oil bottle. It is easily cut in half or doubled.
Note: Protective blends go by many names and are available from many different companies (Thieves, Robbers, Germ Fighter, Shield). Or you can make your own using the recipe in this article Make Your Own Essential Oil Protective & Immunity Blend.
HOW TO USE THE COLD AND FLU BOMB
There are many ways to use this blend but my favorites are in a rollerball supplemented by use in a diffuser.
Roller Ball Formula: Add 60 drops of the Cold and Flu Bomb to a 10ml rollerball. Top with FCO (fractionated coconut oil) or another liquid carrier. Apply to your chest and throat area and to the bottoms of your feet at least three times a day. For severe symptoms, bump that up to six times a day. This is a very potent 30% dilution.
In a Diffuser: Diffuse 6 to 8 drops in your favorite diffuser. I keep one running in the bedroom at night, in the bathroom while getting ready in the morning, and in the great room during the day. This blend has somewhat of a medicinal smell (or at least it does for me) but I put up with it.
Flu Bomb Essential Oil
Infused in every Flu Bomb product, our Flu Bomb essential oil blends are an all-natural premium blend of essential oils designed to combat colds, fight flu naturally and support a healthy immune system.
Essential Oils for Flu*
- Frankincense
- Oregano
- Cinnamon
- Wild Orange
- Lemon
- And more!
Our Flu Bomb blends are essential for preparing your body to fight flu and cold symptoms all year! These all-natural ingredients are considered some of the best essential oils for cold and flu. This blend of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, decongestants can be applied to boost your immune system naturally.
This was a logical choice since Plant Therapy has always been my preferred source for carrier oils such as Fractionated Coconut oil and Jojoba oil. They carry a huge variety of EOs and are available to purchase directly both on the Plant Therapy website and on Amazon. As a bonus, their web site posts test results individually by oil along with the corresponding batch number. This assures me that the oils are not fake.
While there are many excellent EO companies, I am happy with my choice and hope you will check them out. Wherever you decide to purchase your oils, let your nose guide you. If your essential oil smells like paint thinner, return it. Good oils smell nice.
The flu bomb is an all natural tea like drink made up of antiviral, antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients.
To be honest, it doesn’t taste great.
When I first put this together I was nervous to actually drink it. But like I said, I was desperate so I drank it up and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. And now whenever I get sick my body actually begins to crave it. The ingredients and their medicinal properties are listed below.
The Flu Bomb Ingredients
Many of the ingredients you may already have on hand. You don’t necessarily have to use every ingredient on the list. But from my personal experience the more ingredients you use the more powerful the flu bomb will be.
1 | Echinacea Tea
Echinacea has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties and is an immune strengthening agent. Drinking echinacea tea has been found to be effective in shortening the duration of cold and flu symptoms.
2 | Lemon
Lemons are packed with vitamin C. They’re also a natural antioxidant that enhances the immune system and lemons also have antiviral and antibacterial properties. Lemon juice has been reported to decrease the strength of the cold and flu virus in the body.
3 | Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper may relieve fever and lower your body temperature by stimulating sweat glands. Cayenne pepper can also help relieve congestion by stimulating the mucous membranes of the nose and sinuses.
Cayenne is also highly anti-inflammatory. You can click here to learn more about the health benefits of cayenne pepper.
4 | Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is rich in the same nutrients that you would find in apples, too. Potassium, vitamin C, antioxidants, and vitamin E.
5 | Garlic
Garlic is a powerful antioxidant with antimicrobial, antiviral and antibacterial properties. Garlic also provides decongestant and expectorant effects.
Click here to learn more about the amazing health benefits of garlic!
6 | Honey
7 | Ginger
Ginger naturally combats nausea and vomiting. It is also anti-inflammatory and can help to ease digestion issues.
8 | Tumeric
Related: How to Cure a Cold Fast
Flu Bomb Recipe:
1 Whole Lemon
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 Minced Clove of Garlic
2 tsp Raw Organic Honey
1 tsp Grated Ginger
1/2 tsp Tumeric Powder
1 cup Echinacea Tea
Flu Bomb Directions:
Brew one cup of echinacia tea
Squeeze the lemon juice into cup
Add all the remaining ingredients above
Stir well
Drink up!
SUMMING IT ALL UP
Everyone needs to make their own decision relative to flu shots as well as remedies and drugs to combat colds and flu symptoms. By now you know that I have chosen a more natural path to wellness and as a result, I avoid both. As I say that, please understand that if my symptoms were dire, of course, I would seek more traditional medical attention.
Still, I cannot remember the last time I was sick. I like to think that by regularly using a protective blend in my diffuser, in my soaps, and in my cleaning products, I have an edge on wellness. Couple that with the cold and flu bomb when I am feeling symptoms, and so far I am golden.
If you do nothing else, make up a batch of the portable hand sanitizer and keep it with you while you are out and about. It just might save the day. DIY Cold and Flu Medicine aka the Cold and Flu Bomb | Strategic Living (strategiclivingblog.com)
Yours for a Joyful Life, Gaye
Furthermore:
Most everyone knows that the immune system – a complex network of cells, organs and molecules – protects us from bacteria, viruses and other foreign invaders that can cause infection. What you may not know is that the immune system can also find and attack cancer cells. There are two main types of immune response:
Innate Immunity
The body’s first line of defense, innate immunity immediately protects us from foreign pathogens and abnormal cells, including tumor cells, through the activation of natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages and other white blood cells.
Adaptive Immunity
The body’s second line of defense, adaptive immunity is a learned defense system. It develops in response to exposure to a specific foreign pathogen or abnormal cell. Adaptive immunity uses different types of white blood cells, such as B cells and T cells, to build up long-term immunity and uses antibodies to identify and signal a need for destruction of a pathogen or cancer cell.
The rise of immuno-oncology
Over the last 100 years, the ways in which scientists and the medical community have used immune cells to fight cancer has evolved tremendously. This type of cancer treatment is known as immuno-oncology (I-O). The primary I-O approach leverages T cells from the adaptive immune system. This approach has proven to be successful and has led to the development of numerous FDA-approved treatments that utilize a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. Yet, with every innovation, there has been room to build on these therapies to make them safer and more effective.
As researchers looked for opportunities to improve, they have learned more about the cells of the innate immune system. They recognized that NK cells have great potential to improve outcomes for people with cancer. NK cells have properties that make them particularly effective at naturally destroying tumor cells. These characteristics make them ideal for pairing with Affirmed’s innate cell engagers (ICE®), which help redirect NK cells to the site of tumors and bind to them, enhancing natural anti-tumor activity.
Affirmed’s pioneering approach to create the next breakthroughs in I-O
Approved T cell-based I-O therapies have resulted in breakthroughs for some cancer patients, this type of treatment has limitations. Efficacy is often unpredictable, with some immunotherapies effective only in subsets of patients with certain types of cancers. Some patients develop resistance to these treatments or do not respond at all, and some treatments are associated with severe toxicities.
Recognizing these challenges, Affimed is taking a pioneering approach to I-O drug discovery and development. For the last 20 years, our researchers have leveraged what we know about the innate immune system to actualize its untapped, and historically overlooked, potential to fight cancer. NK cells present a major benefit to harnessing the power of the innate immune system, as they possess potent, anti-tumor capabilities and potentially a more tolerable approach to fighting cancer, with the additional benefit of potentially leading to a multi-layered immune response.
Affimed scientists, using our proprietary Redirected Optimized Cell Killing (ROCK®) platform, have generated a pipeline of ICE® molecules that bind to innate immune cells and can be customized to target a variety of tumor types. Affimed’s ROCK® platform is the most clinically advanced technology platform for designing innate immunity therapeutics for patients with hematologic cancers and solid tumors, aiming to give patients back their innate ability to fight cancer.
Innate immune cells, including NK cells and macrophages, express the cell surface protein CD16A, one of the most potent activating receptors on these types of cells. ICE® molecules bind to CD16A on innate cells, as well as to specific targets on tumor cells, resulting in the ability of ICE® molecules to recruit the body’s own innate immune cells to the site of the tumor. This unique mechanism of action leads to effective and efficient tumor cell killing, mimicking the natural way the body employs innate cells to fight cancer. We are currently evaluating our ICE® molecule AFM13 as both a monotherapy and in combination with NK cells in patients with hematologic cancers and developing our ICE® molecule AFM24 as monotherapy, as well as in combination with NK cells and a PD-L1 inhibitor, in solid tumors. Immuno-Oncology 101: Leveraging the Innate Immune System to Fight Cancer – Affimed