6 Ways to Protect Against the Flu and a Flu shot is not one of them.
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
with Rachael Droege with additional notes from Garey
Do you come down with a case of the flu like clockwork every year as soon as the leaves start to change color or the snow starts to fall? Do you feel helpless against the flu? If you said yes, and if you feel that avoiding the flu is beyond your ability, then read on. These are surefire ways to greatly reduce your chances of getting the flu this year.
1. Avoid Sugar
Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a strong immune system is key to fighting off viruses and other illness, including the flu. It is especially imperative to avoid sugar if you feel you are coming down with something, but keeping sugar out of your diet for the long haul will do wonders for your health and make your body stronger, which will make it harder for the flu to bother you.
Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect like ketchup and fruit juice. For all the steps to building your immune system to its peak levels, which is by far the most effective way to avoid the flu (and chronic disease), consider my new book, "Dr. Mercola's Total Health Program", which presents my entire dietary and health program that took twenty years to develop and has helped tens of thousands of patients at my clinic overcome illness and disease.
(Garey: No one can argue that diet and exercise are the two most critical components of optimal health. In keeping with our core philosophy, we agree with Dr Mercola that sugar and sugar substitutes that have long chemical names are to be avoided. Some natural sweeteners that can be found in health food store are Stevia and Xylitol. Splenda, Equal and Sweet 'N Lo are worse than sugar. If sugar is a must, try organic turbinado sugar from Hawaii, at least it is pesticide free. In diet, a very neglected building block that must be added to the diet is Omega-3s - Salmon if available or supplementation using Res-Q 1250 or Neptune Krill Oil.)
2. Get Enough Rest
Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Regular rest will keep you strong and ensure that your body has the strength to fight off any potential invaders. Be sure to check out my recent article on sleep and cancer prevention for some great tips to help you get quality rest.
(Garey: A natural herbal sleep aid is available on our Web site through N3 Oceanic called Res-Q Sleep -totally safe and non habit forming. Res-Q Sleep)
3. Eat Garlic Regularly
Garlic is a triple-whammy: it's antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal. Garlic is one food that you should be eating every day.
It is important to note that the garlic must be fresh to give you optimal health benefits. The active ingredient is destroyed within one hour of smashing the garlic, so garlic pills are virtually worthless and should not be used. When you use the garlic, compress it with a spoon prior to swallowing it, or put it through your juicer to add to your vegetable juice. If you swallow the clove intact you will not convert the active ingredient, allicin, to its active form.
One problem with garlic, of course, is the smell, but generally a few cloves a day are tolerated by most people. If you develop a socially offensive odor then all you need to do is slightly decrease the amount of garlic you're consuming until there is no odor present. Garlic is an herb, however, so if you do not like it or it makes you feel sick, this is your body's way of telling you that you should avoid it.
4. Don't Let Stress Become Overwhelming
We all face some stress everyday, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. It has been estimated that up to 90 percent of illness and disease is stress-related. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a type of psychological acupressure. EFT is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma. You can check out my free, 25-page EFT manual for some guidelines on how to perform EFT. Beyond that you can try my EFT Series on DVD or VHS, which provides in-depth instruction on EFT.
(Garey: Yoga is a wonderful way to reduce stress from your life. It's not easy to start a yoga habit on your own, but I have found yoga teachers and yoga classes popping up all over. Check with your local gym or physiotherapy office, they should be able to guide you if they are not offering classes themselves. Another stress reliever is to have a belly busting laugh on a daily basis. Watch your favorite comedy or rent a classic comedy movie every once in a while. Life is meant to be fun. If overwhelm is upon you, find ways to relieve the overwhelm. Some steps are as simple as writing down what is bothering you. The transfer of the problem out of your system and onto paper not only relieves stress but also helps make sense of the situation and often presenting an answer to the overwhelm.)
5. Exercise
When you exercise you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it has a chance to spread. In a sense, exercising helps your immune system to be more efficient in weeding out and acting upon viruses and diseases. You can review my exercise guidelines for some great tips to get started.
(Garey: Start the day, before you even get out of bed, by doing some simple stretches. Bring your knees up to your chest one at a time, roll on your side and stretch. Lie on your stomach and raise your chest, but not your pelvis from off the bed. After getting up, take the dog for a walk or go for a walk to get your organs moving. Breathe deep. Use your diaphragm when you breathe. Moving the diaphragm massages all the internal organs around your core.
6. Wash Your Hands
Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. If your immune system is strong, it should be able to fight off the virus if it does enter your body, but washing your hands provides a bit of extra protection. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this--antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. You can read my recent article on hygiene mistakes for more information. Instead of antibacterial soap, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to. Local health food stores typically carry a variety of natural soaps.
(Garey: I use many Melaleuca products in my home and office for this very reason. Many household products are filled with toxins and chemicals extremely harmful to your health. Even cleaners that remove bacteria actually leave a residue that is more harmful that the bacteria it is cleaning. If you have questions about Melaleuca products and detoxifying your home, please contact me on 410-347-1430)
Why Flu Shots are not the optimum way of protecting from the Flu.
You may have noticed that I didn't mention getting a flu shot. This is because the flu shot, and the newly released FluMist nasal vaccine, are not the answer to avoiding the flu. The "experts" will use fear to motivate people to get a flu vaccine, but this is yet another health care illusion. Let's be clear, flu can definitely be a killer disease and is not something that should be easily dismissed. But, remember that flu shots don't prevent illness--never have, never will.
The flu vaccine can actually weaken the immune system and make you more predisposed to the illness. And the side effects of FluMist, cough, runny nose/nasal congestion, irritability, headaches, chills, muscle aches and fever, sound just like the symptoms of the flu. If you decide to get the nasal flu vaccine, you will get not only a live flu virus in each dose but also table sugar and MSG, which are fraught with their own problems.
Plus, research has shown an increased risk of Bell palsy following intranasal flu vaccination, according to the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS). The makers of the nasal flu vaccine in the study decided not to market it the following season due to the risk. According to GACVS, the greater risk of Bell palsy following immunization with this vaccine may have been due to specific vaccine components, or simply to use of the intranasal administration route. It is therefore possible that such complications of vaccine administration may also apply to other nasal vaccines.
The flu vaccine, whether in the shot or nasal form, is worthless at best and should be avoided. Not only are they loaded with toxic chemicals including mercury and aluminum, but many people come down with the flu shortly after receiving the shot. This is because it actually weakens the immune system, making the person more predisposed to the illness. I have never received a flu shot and haven?t missed a day of work due to illness in over 20 years.
The bottom line is to lead a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating right, exercising, getting adequate sleep, and addressing stressors, year round. Again, consider reading my new book and implementing my diet and health program into your life (the book is guaranteed for life or your money back!) If you do, chances are you'll never have to worry about coming down with the flu.
(Garey: I agree with Dr. Mercola not to rely on flu vaccines. If you read the list of ingredients in the flu vaccine, you will find heavy metals such as aluminum and mercury. These are substances that we are suppose to avoid! Even if you do decide to take the Flu Vaccine in response to your doctor's request, make sure you boost your natural system with EpiCor.)
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