• Wash your hands – This is probably the easiest and most overlooked thing you can do.  Any respectable health provider agrees that thorough hand washing for about 20 seconds plays a large part in preventing bacteria and viruses from entering your body via eyes, nose, or mouth.  Skip antibacterial soaps and gels since numerous studies have shown that regular soap and water work just as well.  Triclosan is a chemical and the active ingredient in these soaps,  the long-term safety of which has not been determined.  An even larger concern is that bacteria may adapt to these chemicals and evolve into something that can’t be killed by current antibacterial drugs.  We’re well on our way given how doctors over-prescribe and patients over-consume antibiotics.  After all, bacteria (whose sole purpose is survival) has been around for a few billion years and counting, so I’d say they’re pretty adept at adapting.    But, I digress.

• Reduce (or eliminate) processed carbs – Ideally, it would behoove you to eliminate processed carbs altogether but that’s virtually impossible these days.  In addition the chronic inflammation, a diet high in processed carbs can compromise your immune system.  Sugar, snacks, deserts, sodas, juices, breads, etc. are all metabolized by your body the same way…insulin levels spike, then fall precipitously.  Over time, this roller coaster leads to inflammation, which not only depresses your immune function, but increases your risk factors for diseases like hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, cancer and myriad of other autoimmune disorders.

• Build your diet around whole foods (no, not the supermarket) -  Contrary to washing your hands, this one is probably the hardest for most people to implement if it’s not already part of your lifestyle.  Whole foods include fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meat and fish.  Organic, locally-grown produce and wild, free-range, hormone-free fish/meat is optimal.  Take baby steps first though.  If you can, try to eat all your produce fresh since cooking denatures (kills the nutrients and enzymes) it.  Instead of trying to figure out all the benefits of eating fresh vegetables and fruits, keep it simple.  Eat a variety of colors as these colors mean that each vegetable/fruit contains certain polyphenols, flavonoids and phytochemicals.  They’re rich in antioxidants as well, which help to mitigate free radicals (which cause cancer).  Fruit is not inherently a bad choice, but vegetables are a better option since many fruits can spike your insulin as well.

• Supplementation – As you know, I’m a proponent of letting food be your medicine.  However, if you need to supplement your diet, there’s a plethora of options available.  Some my favorites are Vitamin D, Zinc, Oregano Oil, Astragalus, Echinacea, and Black Elderberry.  I’ll write a more detailed article about these and more later, but they have served my family and I well over the years.  All of the ones I mentioned have a good mix of antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties.  Everyone is different, so experiment a little until you find a regimen that works for you.

• Exercise – Studies continue to find strong links between consistent, moderate exercise and a strong immune system.  By moderate exercise, I mean a brisk walk (or light jog if you’re in shape).  These moderate bouts of activity increase blood flow and help your body distribute immune cells more quickly.  In turn, this enables your body to lessen symptoms and decrease the frequency with which you get sick.

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1. Prevention 101

• It does not offer effective viral protection- Numerous studies (independent of pharmaceutical cartel influence) have been conducted regarding the efficacy of flu vaccines and the consensus is that they are largely ineffective in children, adults and the elderly.  There are two types of flu vaccines: trivalent inactivated (injectable, needle) and live attenuated (intranasal, FluMist).  The shot is “inactivated” because it does not contain the live virus.  An attenuated nosespray essentially contains a very weak flu antigen.  Both versions basically fool the body into thinking that the actual virus is present.  In response to this, your body produces antibodies for future protection.  According to the CDC, the seasonal flu shot is effective “in about 70%-90% of healthy persons younger than 65 years.”  This is somewhat misleading.  I’ll address exactly what “healthy” means in a minute, but if you parse this data, one can clearly see that the vaccine is effective in people who most likely have a very strong immune system already and would probably be  better off without it.  Folks with compromised (sickly, elderly) or undeveloped (infants, children)  immune systems have the highest risk of succumbing to the secondary complications of the flu, but this demographic is curiously not cited in the CDC statistics.

• The vaccine is not as safe as officials claim - Earlier this year, the W.H.O. declared a worldwide H1N1 pandemic.  Fears about a more severe outbreak prompted drug manufacturers to rush production of a new vaccine (operative word – rush) in anticipation of the fall and winter seasons.  Not only were the untested vaccines pushed through to the marketplace, but the dangerous preservative thimerosal has been included in most versions of the vaccine (read more about the dangers of thimerosal).  Other jeopardous components include squalene and aluminum.  Even the well tested and supposedly safe seasonal flu vaccine can lead to serious health problems: click here and here.  Knowing that the H1N1 vaccine hasn’t been as rigorously tested, are you willing to take the risk?

• H1N1 is not more deadly than seasonal flu- On average, the seasonal flu kills approximately 36,000 people nationwide each year.  This is obviously a lot of deaths that largely go unreported or buried under “Balloon Boy” and “Jon and Kate” headlines.  H1N1 isn’t more deadly per se, but since the last outbreak occurred in 1976, most young people have not been exposed, and subsequently don’t have the antibodies in their immune system to mount a defense.  The next logical question is – why are these deaths even happening?  A largely unknown (and unnecessary) fact about influenza is that the vast majority of deaths are not from the actual virus, but from secondary complications (eg – pneumonia).  So, a person with a fully functioning immune system should be able to fight the flu without a vaccine.  And don’t be fooled by medical personnel saying that “healthy” people are now dying from H1N1.  I’ve discovered that the status “healthy” is used very loosely, and often times,  it does not necessarily equal a heathy immune system.  In general terms, ”healthy” is used by medical professionals to describe someone who has basic health indicators in a normal range (blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, etc.), so take it with a grain of salt when you hear it.

• Vaccination is not your only option- If you’ve read some of my other articles, you know my approach to wellness and prevention is to let food be your medicine, exercising, reducing your toxic load (drugs, chemicals, etc.) and avoiding unnecessarily invasive medical procedures.  Our bodies, down to the cellular level, have a symbiotic relationship with the environment around us.  Consequently, if you feed those cells the right nutrients, you will thrive on many different levels.  Your immune system stands to gain the most from this mindset.  When you provide your immune system with proper nutrients, it will thrive.  To this end, the first thing you must do is drastically reduce or eliminate junk food from your diet.  Organic vegetables (and to a lesser extent some fruits), spices (garlic, oregano), clean water, lean meats (wild, free-range, hormone-free) are good starter options.  Supplements like Vitamin C and D3 (avoid synthetic D2), herbs like astragalus, echinacea, oregano oil, and especially black elderberry all have a tremendous effect on your immune system, when used in conjunction with a whole-food based diet.  Online scams abound these days with dubious cures, inferior supplements and dangerous herbs.  So, do your research and make sure to buy from a reputable manufacturer.  Read more about boosting your immune system here.

Don’t be fooled by the rampant fear-mongering perpetuated by the profit-drive pharmaceutical industry.  The media get their information from doctors and health officials who inevitably get their information from the drug companies (or biased studies funded by them).  There’s a lot of money at stake, so there’s a vested interest in keeping the public in the dark about natural ways to fight illness.  Do yourself and your family a favor, and educate yourself about all the options available before you blindly subject yourself to the vaccine (or any, for that matter).  If, after all your due diligence, you still decide to go with the vaccine, at the very least you made an informed decision.

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2. FDA: Avoid This Dangerous Weight Loss Supplement
3. W.H.O. Was Complicit In Unfounded H1N1 Hype?