During the holidays people do too much and get sick. A poor diet (all those holiday treats, eating on the run etc.), lack of sleep and environmental pollutants can slow down immune response. Sound familiar? Who wants to get sick on a holiday?

There are lots of studies and stories about the supplements that I have been recommending for years to my patients.

Here are my top survival supplements I take with me everywhere I go.

Support your immune system and defend it against recurrent stress.

People under stress tend to have a depressed immune system. Some of my patients who get sick a lot, have Epstein Bar Virus, chronic fatigue, high levels of stress and/or have vigorous exercise routines such as training for a marathon, triathlon, tennis or other competition, have found this supplement to be a lifesaver.

There are over 800 studies on this patented compound that showed fewer respiratory infections, better mental and physical energy, and wellbeing, increased vigor, and lower fatigue, confusion and tension. Just one capsule a day may keep illness at bay.

• Orthomolecular WholeMune – 1 capsule a day.

Stop the monkey mind, regain calm focus or lull yourself to sleep or back to sleep.

This supplement is a favorite of my patients. One told me he loves it so much he tells everyone in his office about it. It is quite versatile. Others just can’t live without it.

• If you take it during the day when you are wound up, tense or anxious, it provides calm focus. You can one every 4 to 8 hours and it will give you calm focus. It does not interact with medications and is very calming. The maximum number would be 8 spread out throughout the day. Take it as needed.
• If you can’t sleep and/or have a racing monkey mind, this will blanket you with calm when you take 2 before bedtime.
• If you wake up in the middle of the night and are staring at the clock and can’t go back to sleep, taking 1 or 2 will lull you back into sleep and most people do not feel hung over in the morning.
• Drumroll please, this supplement is…
  • Orthomolecular L theanine
    • 1 capsule every 6 to 8 hours for calm focus.
    • 2 capsules before bedtime to fall asleep.
    • 1-2 capsules if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep.
  • It takes about 30 minutes to kick in and you can feel a wave of relaxation wash over you!

Feel a cold coming on? Nip it in the bud.

I was away and my husband had shaking chills, body aches and a fever, I gave him this supplement and went to lunch with a friend only to find that I started to feel the same way a few hours later. Both of us took this supplement and by the next day both of us were perfectly fine. My patients tell me similar stories. It works best when taken at the very first sign of a cold or viral illness.

• At the first sign of a cold or virus
  • Orthomolecular Viracid – at the very first sign of an illness take 1-2 capsules per hour up to 6 a day for 3 days then 1 twice a day for 4 more days.

One caveat is that you should always discuss these recommendations with your doctor since everyone is different and may have underlying conditions. Also, some symptoms require an evaluation.

Wondering where you can buy these?

I have a holiday gift for you. You can get them at 10% off if you sign up for Supplement Savvy. It is a free resource where you will get recommendations for common conditions and access to discounts from authorized distributors or direct from the manufacturer.

There are too many counterfeit supplements on the market and some places do not store or ship them properly. Get them from a trusted source.

Make this a happy, healthy, holiday season.