With the fall headed around the corner it’s time to start protecting yourself from colds and the flu season! Check out this guide from eHow.com for some tips to keep your immune system strong:
1. As simple as this sounds, take a good multi-vitamin every day, especially if you are dieting to lose weight. (Hard to believe some people diet to gain weight – I am an expert on the opposite {as most of us are who diet}! Just look at something you shouldn’t eat that’s loaded with calories, wish you could eat it, and poof – an extra pound!) Find a multi-vitamin that has the following, plus the balanced A to Z concept = Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta carotene, Bioflavenoids, Zinc, Magnesium, and Selenium.
2. Add garlic and onions to your meals. Cooked garlic and onions retain their antibacterial qualities. These two are great immune builders and natural antibiotics. Omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish and flax oil increase the production of white blood cells that eliminate bad bacteria in the body.
3. Immune Enhancing Supplements can be added, depending on your personal needs and limitations. Some of the best are as follows:
• CoQ10
• Cat’s Claw
• Siberian Ginseng or Ginseng Root
• Ginkgo Biloba
• Golden Seal
• Echinacea – use like a course of antibiotics, but not for prolonged usage. I take Golden Seal/Echinacea combination to knock out bad infections 3 capsules 3 times a day for 10 days. I buy the 100 count and take them until they are gone – taking 4 the first time.
• Poke root tincture – very good for chronic infections and pneumonia but take in small doses for no more than 3 months. One drop a day. (Consult your doctor.)
4. Avoid………. margarine, processed foods, white bread, white rice, sugary stuff, dairy products, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, salty snacks, alcohol, caffeine, and pollutants in the air.
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5. Increase……. yogurt, ocean fish, broccoli, sea greens, ginger, fresh fruits & vegetables (especially spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots), whole grains, & cayenne pepper.
6. Slowly increase exercise and reduce stress by using relaxation techniques.
7. Increase your hours of sleep! Less than 8 hours a night reduces your immunity – you heal while you sleep is what my Mom always said!
8. Drink lots of water a day to flush away the body’s toxins.
9. Get at least 15 minutes of sun every couple of days to help your body produce vitamin D.
