Avoid This Season’s Flu with Natural Methods for Strengthening Your Immune System
Fall is officially upon us. It is a festive time of year full of rich colors, cool air, falling leaves, pumpkins, and of course, Thanksgiving. Yet with all the wonderful things that come with fall, it also brings the dreaded seasonal cold and flu.
At Thanksgiving, we all have many things to be thankful for; however, it is easy to forget about taking care of one very important blessing: your health. Your immune system can really take a hit and no one wants to feel under the weather, especially during the holidays. It’s one reason why so many people consider the flu shot each year.
Flu shot . . . or not? We hear this question over and over again year after year: Should I get the flu shot? There is a lot of advertising that strongly advocates getting the flu vaccine annually. It’s easy to understand why so many people struggle with this decision. You can’t blame them. Do what the doctor tells you, or . . . Should we be concerned?
The answer is: Yes! Immunization is not the answer; good health and lifestyle are. Your best defense is to avoid vaccinations and build a healthy immune system.
Take charge of your diet
While this may seem like a challenge, especially during the holidays, focus on adding nutrient-rich, organic fruits, vegetables, and nuts to your diet and do your best to cut down on processed foods and sugar. Sugar depresses the immune system, putting your body at a disadvantage at fighting off illness. Processed foods are chemicals that poison the cells of your body. Unhealthy, malfunctioning cells lead to sickness and disease. The easiest and most cost-effective change you can make to your health is as simple as cleaning up your diet.
Get adequate sleep
Make sure you are getting eight hours of sleep each night to give your body time to recharge. Unbeknownst to you, your body is quite productive while you sleep, repairing and regenerating your cells. Healthy cells are important for a healthy immune system.
Exercise less for looks and more for health.
Did you know that your muscles and cardiovascular system are not the only parts of your body that benefit from regular exercise? It also strengthens your immune system by improving your immune response.
Take your vitamins
Probiotics – improves digestion and boosts the immune system.
Probiotics are commonly known as the “good bacteria” that line the intestinal tract and have been shown to support gut health. This may not seem like much on the surface, but scientific research has found 80 percent of the immune system to be in the GI tract; subsequently, probiotics can be very useful in maintaining a strong immune system. In fact, one study of 3,451 study participants showed that a daily dose of probiotics reduced the number of people who had at least one cold by 42 percent.
Vitamin C – helps fight infection by potentiating white blood cells. It is also particularly crucial for healthy adrenal glands.
Zinc – optimizes the immune system and has direct antiviral effects.
Garlic – fights germs responsible for causing the common cold, flu, sore throat, sinusitis and bronchitis.
Are your vitamin D levels within optimal range? Maintain high levels of vitamin D by supplementing with vitamin D3 and through natural sunlight exposure. Ask a physician to HYPERLINK “http://www.hotzehwc.com/TestYourHealth/Women-s-Vitamin-and-Mineral-Quiz.aspx” check your vitamin D levels to ensure they are up to par. The incidence of the flu decreases during the summer months as it correlates with higher levels of vitamin D.
Boost your immune system naturally: Viral Nasal Spray.
Our Center has developed a safe alternative for our patients. It is similar to over-the-counter nasal sprays and anti-viral prescriptions, yet superior in many ways. For example, it is free of thimerosal. Hotze’s viral nasal spray enhances the body’s interferon levels, which is a protein found in the body, that fights all viruses not just one specific strand. Boosting the body’s immunity against all virus strands in order to effectively fight off any viral strand upon exposure is the best defense. This is in contrast to the flu shot, which produces only antibodies to a specific strain of the flu virus. Basically, the flu shot is an educated guess as to what specific virus may be that year’s flu epidemic. If the manufacturer is wrong, the vaccine provides no protection at all. In fact, it’s estimated that the flu vaccine is effective only 11 percent of the time.
These simple but important choices will help boost your immune system and keep the cold and flu at bay. My wish for you is to have a healthy holiday season!
