First off, a disclaimer, I do not get flu shots, nor does anyone in my family. One of my children had a life threatening severe reaction to a flu shot in 2002 which was mandated by her employer.
Yet, without ever having had a flu shot, no one in my family has had the flu. Are we a statistical anomaly or do we just practice regular PM i.e. preventive maintenance?
Your car won’t get sick if you change your oil on time, check your tire pressure, use the correct fuel, etc. Doesn’t it make sense to practice a little PM on yourself?
The PM practices we use are easy and inexpensive.
Sleep: If you don’t get enough sleep, it weakens your white blood cell activity and reduces your number of natural killer cells. Reduced NK cells increases your risk of getting sick. A Carnegie Mellon Study showed if you got less than seven, yes 7, hours of sleep per night you were three (3) times more likely to get a cold. NK cells are one of your first lines of defense.
Seven hours you might say is impossible but this time of year, more than any other, is the time to sleep, rest, hibernate. It is the “natural order” to sleep more this time of year. Look at the trees, the animals.
Wash your hands and don’t double dip. Viruses can live for several hours on hard surfaces, hands and tissues. Viruses easily spread from your hands to your face. Washing your hands for 20-30 seconds with soap literally forces the viruses off your hands and is much more effective than hand sanitizers even those with a 95% alcohol content. Don’t use an antibacterial soap as they can lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria. Regular old soap works just fine. A Clemson University study showed that 3-6 double dips left behind 10,000 bacteria so skip the dip at your Super Bowl party.
Vitamin D3: In a Yale Medical School study, participants with low D levels (below 38 nanograms per millileter) were 51% more likely to catch a cold or upper respiratory infection. According to the Endocrine Society and Michael F. Holick, M.D., professor of medicine and physiology at Boston University Medical School 2000 iu per day is the basic maintenance dose but you may need more depending on your levels. See your doctor and have your Vitamin D levels tested.We take 6000 iu daily and when we’re feeling sniffly 50,000 iu daily for 3 days to give our system a little boost. See Past Articles above for more information on Vitamin D.
Use a Neti Pot. A neti pot or nasal irrigator will keep your nasal passages moist and flush out the bad guys. Cold causing viruses survive longer in dryer environments. A neti pot is also great for sinus congestion, pressure and headaches.
Reduce Sugar Intake and Take a Probiotic. Comfort food is not your friend during flu season. Bacteria and viruses feed on sugar. Sugar is acidic and bad guys love acidic environments so increase your fruits and veggies which are alkaline and decrease sweets and alcohol. A healthy immune system begins in the gut. Probiotics repopulate the gut with good bacteria and there is evidence that these good bacteria boost the immune response, reduce inflammation and may help fight infection.
For more ideas to Prevent and Combat, keep reading.
Disclaimer: The information provided here is not intended to substitute for medical counseling. Intentional Health does not treat, prevent, cure, or diagnose any disease or ailment.
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