If you pay attention to drug store ads or read articles written by the sensationalizing mainstream media, you are no doubt getting a good dose of fear mongering about the upcoming flu season.
I swear they would love you to believe that the flu season is the second coming of the bubonic plaque.
But there’s one glaring problem with all this “Flu season is upon us!”
There is no such thing as a “flu season.”
Influenza and other viruses are in our environment 365 days a year—not just from the early fall to spring!
The real reason we see a jump in the number of reported cases of flu or flu-like illnesses during this period of time is because it is what I call…
“Immune Hibernation Season”
Once fall hits, several factors come into play to create a perfect storm of poor immune function, aka “Immune Hibernation.”
The first of those is an onslaught of sugar and refined carbs. We start with Labor Day barbecues, move on to Halloween candy, then Thanksgiving pies, Christmas cookies and candy, New Year’s Eve parties, Valentine’s Day chocolates and Easter candy.
Sugar and refined carbs feed harmful yeasts and parasites and depress your immune system functioning.
Plus they throw off your intestinal flora balance, creating an environment which favors harmful bacteria. Not only does this continue the cycle of depressed immune functioning, but it also irritates your gut wall making you a likely candidate for leaky gut and impaired nutrient absorption.
Once your gut wall starts leaking toxins into your bloodstream and you start lacking essential nutrients, it’s very easy for viruses to take a hold of you.
Here are the other players in this storm:
Stress
The back-to-school and holiday seasons are loaded with stress—to get the kids off to school or college, then get ready for the holidays—baking, cooking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, traveling, entertaining, etc.
Stress causes the protective mucosal barrier inside your intestines to become less effective at defending your body against dangerous invaders, so you are much more susceptible to catching viruses and infections when under stress.
Vitamin D deficiency
Once the weather turns cooler, people are not outdoors as much, and certainly are not wearing skin-bearing shorts or sleeveless shirts. So our natural vitamin D production goes way down this time of year.
Vitamin D is crucial for proper immune system functioning, and when you are running low, your immune system is less capable to protecting you against sickness.
Lacking sleep
The holidays are a classic time to stretch ourselves beyond our limits, work long hours, stay up later and drink more alcohol than usual.
All of which can impact the amount and quality of your sleep!
Lacking sleep can compromise your immune system functioning, making you more susceptible to infections, viruses and diseases…and even just one night of poor sleep can take a huge toll!
Studies have shown that losing even one night’s sleep can depress immune function by as much as 30 percent.
Share and share alike
Like it or not, once school starts, kids come into close contact with each other and bacteria and viruses can easily spread, especially since kids aren’t always religious about thorough hand washing or covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze.
And whatever they may pick up at school, they can bring home and share with their family!
Plus crowded shopping malls, grocery stores, airports and airplanes are germ factories, with infections and viruses all around for the catching.
Don’t fear the fictitious “flu season”—instead make sure to avoid “Immune Hibernation Season!”
When you support proper immune system functioning and help prevent “Immune Hibernation,” you are far less likely to get sick 365 days a year—not just from October to May!
Here are…
7 Ways to support a healthy immune system
1- Limit sugar and refined carbs
Avoid the white breads, pastries, cookies, donuts, cakes, bagels, rolls, white rice, crackers and snack chips as much as possible.
And stay far away from the #1 health wrecker in existence—SODA.
2- Eat real foods
Concentrate on nutrient-dense real foods—fresh vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, real butter and olive oil. These are the foods that will help supply the nutrients you need to stay healthy.
3- Have a good laugh
Laughter exerts positive influences on your immune system!
4- De-stress and get some rest
Do what you must to lower stress in your life (regular exercise works wonders!), and make sure you get enough sleep each night.
5- Get nutritional support with probiotics and vitamin D
Probiotics:
Since most of your immune system resides in your gut, it's essential to make sure that you have a healthy population of beneficial gut bacteria to support it!
Supplementation with a top-notch probiotic like Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula is the single most effective step you can take to encourage a healthy intestinal flora balance.
Vitamin D:
A top-notch supplement like Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B can help ensure your body has the vitamin D your immune system so desperately needs all year-long, especially when you can’t get out in the sun as much.
6- Drink 8 glasses of water a day
Water is vital for cell and lymphatic system health—both of which are crucial to proper immune system functioning.
7- Ditch the antibacterial products
Exposure to various microorganisms actually makes your immune system stronger!
So ditch the anti-bacterial soaps and hand goo. Ordinary soap and warm water are all you need to keep yourself clean.
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
