5 Ways to Naturally Avoid the Flu

With flu season right around the corner, we’re all going to start hearing the importance of flu protection. The biggest push of all, from media and PCP’s, is to get the flu shot to “truly” protected against the flu. However, the flu shot is rarely effective against protecting the flu because it only has one strand of the influenza virus in it trying to protect against the hundreds of different influenza viruses out there. “During the 2012-2013 flu season, the flu vaccine’s effectiveness was found to be just 56 percent across all age groups reviewed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) —in essence, the statistical equivalent of a coin toss. In seniors, aged 65 and over, the US flu vaccines were only 9 percent effective.” (Mercola, 2014). The flu vaccine also comes with inherent risks that we are not told about. Theses vaccines contain many preservatives that are harmful neurotoxins including heavy metals like mercury and aluminum. As the sports saying goes, the best offense is a good defense. The following are 5 ways to naturally help prepare your body and help prevent catching the flu this season without the risk and ineffectiveness of the flu vaccine.

1) Immune Boosting Supplements:
We’ve all heard we need to take our vitamins to stay healthy. While this is true, 1 in particular helps boost your body’s natural defense against disease, your immune system, and that is vitamin D. Most people are deficient in vitamin D, particularly this time of year, because our main source is from direct sunlight. During the fall and winter the sun is simply to far from the United States and not powerful enough for our bodies to produce vitamin D from natural sunlight. Vitamin D has been shown through research to help increase the production of Killer-T cells. These are the immune cells that are responsible for killing viruses, bacteria, and fungi in your body. By increasing vitamin D, you increase your Killer-T cells, increasing your body’s ability to fight the influenza virus.

2) Proper Diet:
Nutrition plans a large part in our body’s ability to fight disease. We should all avoid the intake of high amounts of refined sugar, grains, and processed foods. These actually cause inflammation throughout our body. So instead of helping our immune system be prepared, our immune system is working overtime making it more susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Our diet should be rich in healthy green leafy vegetables, lean protein, and foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. salmon, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.). These foods not only supply the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that our body
requires; these also help reduce inflammation, allowing your immune system to be ready to attack when it comes in contact with the flu.

3) Adequate Exercise:
It is well know that a regular exercise routine will help decrease the likelihood of acquiring a cold or virus and also help decrease the severity of those symptoms should you get sick. Exercise helps increase circulation throughout the body. Circulating throughout the blood is your immune system’s white blood cells. These are on a search and destroy mission to find and fight off unwanted pathogens in the body. By increasing your exercise and white blood cell circulation you in-turn help increase your body’s ability to fight off disease.

4) Adequate Sleep:
Sleep is essential to fighting off disease. Every adult should be striving to achieve 8 hours of restful sleep each night. Sleep is our body’s way to recharge the batteries. Just like dragging through a long workweek on little sleep, your immune system drags through fighting disease when fatigued. It becomes less efficient in locating viruses and bacteria and less able to destroy to disease. Why do you think when someone is sick they are always told to get lots of sleep and rest? It allows your immune system to fight the disease better.

5) Regular Chiropractic Adjustments:
Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to help boost the body’s ability to fight off disease by increasing the function of your immune system. If you start to feel cold or flu like symptoms, make an appointment with your chiropractor to get an adjustment to help your body better be able to defend it self against the disease.

These are just a few of the helpful ways to naturally prepare for flu season. Be proactive in your health and don’t wait to get sick to take action. Help prevent getting sick this flu season by taking these 5 easy steps from Living Health Integrative Medicine.