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No such thing as cold and flu season (plus my Wolfberry Elderberry Syrup recipe!)

Updated: Sep 7, 2021


(You can also make this on the stovetop! Bring everything minus honey and essential oils to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. Then continue with mashing and straining.)


Did you know there is no such thing as a season where cold and flu viruses are stronger? The pathogens don’t go dormant for half a year then muster their strength for the attack once the leaves start falling. There is, on the other hand, a season where our bodies tend to be more run down because of the way we treat them. A season where our bodies are prime “soil” for viruses and bacteria to plant themselves and duplicate. When the weather starts to cool down, we tend to...

  • Move less,

  • eat more sugar,

  • hydrate less,

  • get less fresh air,

  • get less natural vitamin D from sunlight,

  • eat less nutrient-dense food,

  • move our bodies less,

  • poop less (because of what we’re eating and not moving as much), and

  • increase our stress load.

This creates a happy home for viruses and bacteria! This is the “soil” pathogens dream of and thrive in. “Soil” devoid of these harsh conditions is an arid wasteland for viruses and bacteria and they have a heck of a time surviving, let alone thriving.


Here is what our family does to stay healthy all year long, especially during the so-called “flu” season...

  1. Drink a daily dose of antioxidant-rich, amino acid-packed, vitamin filled NingXia Red from Young Living. Its star is the Wolfberry from the NingXia province of China. Did you know the wolfberry is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet? Check out its other noteworthy stats in the graphic below! (1)

  2. Drink a healthy amount of homemade, collagen-rich bone broth daily (click for my recipe!) I'll expand on the benefits in a bit!

  3. Take a daily dose of Wolfberry Elderberry Syrup (find my recipe on this blog post!) “Scientists have identified a chemical compound in elderberries that immediately immobilizes the flu virus." (2) Sound as good to you as it does to me? #getinmybelly

  4. Young Living Thieves Essential Oil Blend everywhere #bethiever. On our feet, diffused in the air, on our hands (Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier), and especially cleaning #allthethings with plant-based Thieves Household Cleaner. You can clean the house and the air in your house without introducing toxic chemicals that further suppress your immune system.

  5. Let the fever ride. This is our body’s immune system response; stopping it early prolongs illness. A fever enhances immune-cell function and promotes antimicrobial activity. Treating a fever only changes your comfort level, not the illness. As long as you are hydrated and the fever doesn’t spike too high too quickly, the best course of action for a fever is letting it run its course. (3)

  6. FREQUENT Epson salt baths to help the body detox

  7. Take our daily immune system fortifying vitamins, including Super B (a vitamin B complex from Young Living), Super C (a vitamin C supplement from Young Living), MegaCal (a magnesium calcium supplement from Young Living), AminoWise (an amino acid supplement from Young Living), and vitamin D. Where you get the vitamins and supplements you choose to spend your hard-earned money on matters greatly. Remember what I said about how most supplements were found to contain little to none of the promised ingredients and that when adding essential oils to vitamins and supplements, their availability to your body increases dramatically? (You can brush up on that blog post here.)

  8. GET OUTSIDE! MOVE! Keep that lymph flowing. We add Tangerine essential oil on our lymph nodes to aid our lymph detox

  9. Capsules of Inner Defense when feeling under the weather (a blend of immune system powerhouse oils in coconut oil from Young Living)

  10. Remove all hidden toxic chemicals from the house that add to our body burden and replace with plant-based, non-toxic versions from Young Living. (Read: candles, household cleaners, laundry detergent, fabric softener, antiperspirant, makeup, shampoo and conditioner, soap, etc.)

  11. Greatly reduce sugar! The immune system all but stops after consuming sugar.

  12. Love our guts. Your gut is the majority of your immune system. Live food. Fermented foods. Life 9 and MightyPro probiotics from Young Living. No microwave (this kills all enzymes and renders food dead. Watch more here!)

I could go on, but let’s start here!


What's in a wolfberry?


Just a Few of the Benefits of Wolfberry:

  • Contains 19 amino acids-(six times higher than bee pollen)

  • Contains 21 trace minerals, including germanium, an anti-cancer trace mineral

  • Contains more protein than whole wheat

  • Contains a complete spectrum of antioxidant carotenoids

  • Contains 500 times the amount of Vitamin C by weight than oranges

  • Contains B-complex

  • Contains vitamin E

  • Contains Beta-Sitosterol, an anti-inflammatory agent; also lowers cholesterol and used to treat sexual impotence and prostate enlargement

  • Contains essential fatty acids

  • Contains Cyperone, a sesquiterpene that benefits the heart and blood pressure

  • Contains Solavetivone, an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial compound

Source: Dr. Earl Mindell, and Rick Handel, Goji: The Himalyan Health Secret

Bone broth prep!


Benefits of Bone Broth (from 4):

  • Bone broth contains valuable minerals in a form your body can easily absorb and use, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur chondroitin, glucosamine, and a variety of trace minerals

  • The gelatin found in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid. It attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby supporting proper digestion

  • Bone broth also inhibits infection caused by cold and flu viruses, for example, and fights inflammation, courtesy of anti-inflammatory amino acids such as arginine

  • Making your own bone broth is very cost effective, as you can make use of left over carcass bones that would otherwise be thrown away. And making your own broth is quite easy


Making Wolfberry Elderberry Syrup!


Benefits of Elderberry (from 5):

  • Research found compounds in black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) could directly inhibit viral entry into cells and subsequent replication, in part attributed to the anthocyanidin responsible for the vivid purple coloring of the fruit

  • Flu is caused by the influenza virus, triggering fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue lasting five to seven days; you may be infectious up to 24 hours before your first symptom

  • Flu vaccines are produced before the first seasonal outbreak, so manufacturers can only estimate which viruses to include in the vaccine; according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu vaccine has been less than 50% effective more than half the time in the past 14 years

  • Elderberries are high in phytonutrients but must be cooked thoroughly before use as they contain a poisonous cyanide-producing chemical. In addition to elderberry, using quercetin during a viral illness may reduce the length of your illness

Tag me when you make up your batch of Wolfberry Elderberry Syrup or bone broth! Facebook: @UnboundBethany, Instagram: @Unbound_Bethany.



Now go break those bonds and live unbound! #UnboundBethany

Want what you see here? Go to https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/1434961 to join my Young Living team and start your wellness journey!


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