It’s the middle of January, which means we’re officially deep in cold and flu season.
Every year, (almost like clockwork) my son usually gets sick multiple times between October and February. And almost every time, I end up getting sick right along with him. This past weekend, it suddenly hit me: he hadn’t been sick once this entire school year… until now.
It started with a slightly runny nose on Saturday. The moment I see those early signs; I put him on a homeopathic protocol I’ve used for years. If I start it early enough, it usually shortens both the severity and the duration of whatever is coming on. It’s something I learned from a Naturopathic Doctor years ago, and it’s helped us get through these winter months with far fewer sick days.
A few days later, he was back to his normal self.
Here’s the simple protocol I use:
Umcka Cold and Flu
Oscillococcinum
Windbreaker
Getting sick once a year is pretty normal. But if you find yourself getting sidelined multiple times throughout the year, that’s often a sign that something bigger is going on under the surface.
That was my story at the beginning of 2025.
I was getting sick more than usual during cold and flu season. By dinnertime my energy was completely gone, and my recovery between workouts wasn’t normal. I had a strong suspicion that something wasn’t right with my gut, so I reached out to my Naturopathic Doctor and asked him to run both a stool test and a food sensitivity test.
The food sensitivity test came back with a long list of reactive foods—often a red flag for increased gut permeability, commonly referred to as “leaky gut.” In simple terms, this means the gut lining isn’t doing its job as well as it should, allowing things to pass through that normally wouldn’t.
The stool test showed an imbalance between good and bad bacteria. When that balance is off, the integrity of the gut is compromised. Since a large portion of your immune system lives in your gut, your ability to defend against pathogens takes a hit. In my case, that’s why I was getting sick so easily.
It took about six months of targeted supplements and dietary changes to start restoring balance and healing my gut. I’m still working through the process, but I can confidently say this: I haven’t been sick once this winter, my energy levels are noticeably better, and my recovery from workouts has improved. I still have work to do, but the progress has been noticeable.
If you’re getting sick often, it may be a sign that your gut is under stress. That could look like a microbial imbalance (like mine), a parasite or infection, or a food sensitivity or allergy. I strongly encourage you to work with a qualified practitioner who can run the appropriate tests and help you get to the root cause—rather than just managing symptoms.
I’m incredibly grateful I made that call last year, especially as I move through this cold and flu season feeling strong and healthy. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your immune system is to look a little deeper under the surface.
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