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Time sure flies because it’s November now. Another NBA season has just started, with all the player movement adding excitement and anticipation to the league. Football action is also heating up but while all these ballgames are keeping fans on the edge of their seats, another season that we can all do without has also begun.
Yes, the dreaded flu season is upon us!
Do I sound too melodramatic? Well, if you’ve ever had the flu before, then chances are, you probably don’t want to catch it again. I remember last year when I had a pretty bad case of the flu. My head was aching like crazy, my nose was dripping like a broken faucet and I was absolutely barking with cough. Fortunately, I only had a slight fever and I was back to normal after a couple of days.
After that incident, I actually considered taking a flu shot. But it’s a good thing I did some research before I set an appointment with my doctor because I found out that the flu shot is not the best option to avoid the flu.
If you’re wondering how the flu shot is made, vaccine makers formulate it by PREDICTING what type of flu virus will be around to spread the flu a year in advance. Not very scientific if you ask me.
The choice is narrowed down to three virus strains, Then they collect sample body fluids from infected people from China and Australia, breed the viruses months in advance of the flu season, make the vaccine and voila, Americans line up for their shots!
Most people don’t know that there are ZERO safety studies before the flu shot is released and there are also ZERO studies on the flu shot’s long term effects on health!
Dr.Mercola explains that our body’s immune system was designed to combat diseases, including the flu. He points out that because the flu shot weakens the immune system, it simply doesn’t work and only leaves us more vulnerable to disease.
For Dr. Mercola, a healthy lifestyle, not the flu shot, will help you avoid the flu. I’m going to share with you the Doc’s seven simple steps on how to beat the flu without taking a single shot:
- Eat according to your nutritional type and avoid sugar – I’ve written a little about nutritional typing in my first blog post. Your body will function at the highest level if you feed it with the foods best suited for your nutrition type. Your immune system will be at its strongest when you’re on the right diet. Sugar weakens the immune system almost immediately, so your sweet treats definitely have to go, whether you feel like you’re going under the weather or not.
- Go get some sun – The best way to get vitamin D is through sunlight – which we don’t get enough of. Among the numerous health benefits of vitamin D are its antibiotic properties. Vitamin D increases special proteins in the body called antimicrobial peptides, which destroy the cell walls of bacteria, fungi and viruses, including the flu virus.
- Get more Omega 3 Fats – The Omega 3 fats DHA and EPA support the immune system and provide you with greater resistance to illnesses like the flu. Omega 3-rich food include fatty fish, flaxseed oil, walnut oil and grass-fed beef. Fish oil and krill oil are the more popular Omega 3 supplements.
- Exercise! – I know, this one is easier said than done. More than toning muscles, exercise increases circulation and blood flow and gets the components of the immune system circulated better, giving it more chances of fighting illnesses before they start.
- Sleep more! – This reminded me of a quote from super spy Jason Bourne. “Sleep is a weapon.” In this case, sleep is indeed one of the body’s weapons in fighting illnesses because you need the strength to repel potential invaders like the flu.
- Wash your hands – My mom always reminded me to do this when I was little. And I’m glad she did. Hand washing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent infection. It decreases the chances of spreading the flu virus and other diseases like diarrhea to other people. But don’t just wash your hands with water. Use warm water and soap, work up a good lather all the way up to the wrists for up to 15 seconds and rinse and dry thoroughly. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also an effective alternative.
- Deal with your emotional stress – Did you know that it has been estimated that 90% of illnesses and diseases are stress-related? Try any form of stress-relief activities like meditation and yoga to keep stress from wearing you out physically and emotionally.
So there you have it. I’m personally applying these steps because I don’t want the flu to keep me away from the things I love doing and the people I care about. Give them a try and let me know how they work out for you. Stay flu-free this season!
Luke
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