It’s that time of year again…flu season. The days are getting shorter, the weather is turning colder, and people are sneezing and coughing everywhere you turn. There are some years when it seems like no matter what you do to try to prevent it, the flu still comes. I’m sharing five strategies I use to boost my immune system to beat flu season.
My top five strategies for preventing the flu:
- Sleep! Aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, this is when your body does all its healing so as soon as you feel a tickle in your throat, make it a priority to get enough sleep.
- Avoid Sugar. Bacteria loves sugar and when we eat simple carbohydrates (which break down into sugars) and sugary foods, bacteria can grow and multiply more quickly. To avoid getting sick you want to slow down bacteria. Limit your intake of processed foods, syrups, and candy.
- Optimize your Vitamin D level. This is the best flu prevention out there! Sun exposure is the optimal way to absorb vitamin D. Supplementation of vitamin D3 is the another great way to get your daily dose. A study in 2010, showed school children who were given 1,200 IUs of vitamin D3 were 42 percent less likely to come down with the flu.
- Oregano Oil. This herbal oil is a powerful antimicrobial that can help fight off infections. Oregano oil also has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Although this powerful oil has many healing properties it’s not recommended for kids or pregnant women! Try using oregano oil to alleviating sinus infections and colds. Put a few drops of oregano oil in a pot of steaming water, and then inhale the steam.
- Get adjusted! Adjustments keep the spine in alignment lowering the stress on the nervous system ensuring it can communicate with the immune system and function at 100%.
Did you know that during the 1918 flu epidemic, flu patients that received chiropractic care survived much more readily than those that didn’t. Its written that, “In Davenport, Iowa, 50 medical doctors treated 4,953 cases, with 274 deaths. In the same city, 150 chiropractors including students of the Palmer School of Chiropractic, treated 1,635 cases with only one death.” The overwhelming positive press created from the Chiropractic patients survival rate, lead to many states licensing Chiropractic shortly after 1918.
What are some of your strategies for avoiding the flu? Check out my tips for keeping your kids healthy when they go back to school.
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