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Just because it “tis the season” doesn’t necessarily mean that you are damned to get sick! In this article, I will teach you some of the most powerful ways of protecting yourself from the assault of these pesky cold and flu viruses. Put these techniques and tools into action and save your sick days for when you are feeling better!
What you will learn:
Why colds and flu seem to strike during cold weather. (Hint: The cold doesn’t cause cold!)
Why you should NOT get the flu vaccine.
What the New York Garbage Strike has to do with the flu.
A powerful herbal supplement that can safeguard you against the negative effects of stress.
The most important flu preventing supplement on the market (Hint: It costs pennies a day)
Why regular old vitamin C won’t do and which form of vitamin C to choose!
My Top supplement picks for preventing the flu.
What you can do in the next 60 seconds that may dramatically improve your primary defenses and prevent cold and flu.
Today I am going to discuss cold and flu prevention, in the next couple weeks we are going to discuss cold and flu management.
I always like to start any discussion about cold and flu prevention by telling a story. As you know, it won’t be long before the newspapers and every government health agency will begin pushing the theoretical benefits of the flu vaccine. They suggest practically everyone get vaccinated against this super villain that mysteriously rears its ugly head during the months of October through January and supposedly kills 10,000 people every year. Sure enough, people herd like “sheeple” to the local Wal-Mart where nurses poke away at people’s arms and send them on their way with a sense of false security.
Is all of this true?
Does the influenza virus really take a nap through the spring and summer months only to wake up with the dastardly intention to make us all sick in October through January? Does it really kill 10,000 people every year? Is the flu vaccine really helpful?
The simple answer is “No” on all counts. The influenza virus does not take a nap, it does not kill 10,000 people every year and the flu vaccine is generally not helpful. We will talk about why the flu hits during these months in the paragraphs below. As to the 10,000 per year death rate, the CDC lumps flu and pneumonia into the same statistic, one that is quoted by newspapers all over the United States. What this means is that 10,000 people per year die from flu and pneumonia together and the majority of these people perish from pneumonia which is labeled as a “complication” of flu. In addition, those people who die are usually people who may be nearing death anyway. They include those with other illnesses, people with poor immune function, as well as morbid elderly people in nursing homes. If you are in this group, then you may need to worry about catching the flu and subsequently developing pneumonia. If you are not in this group then the flu will likely mean a few days of discomfort and a few days off from work. Not ideal, but a whole lot better than impending death!
The second question is, “does the flu vaccine work?” and the answer is “we don’t know for sure” but probably NOT! Because the flu vaccine is a “best guess” medication, there is a bit of a gamble on whether or not we will vaccinate against the right bugs. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we get it wrong but you can rest assured that the cards are stacked against us.
Let me reiterate an important point, the influenza virus exists in the population year round while influenza (the flu) seems to rear its symptomatic little head during the months of October through January. Now, let me tell you a true story.
Bottom Line: The flu vaccine is a “best guess” medicine – meaning we can never say for sure that it will be beneficial. Recent research shows that there is little if any benefit to getting the annual flu vaccine. In addition, the flu vaccine contains a significant amount of mercury that can cause nerve and brain problems that may not show up until years later.
The New York Garbage Strike and the Flu
Years ago, garbage men and women went on strike in New York. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before the trash piled up. The city looked like a wasteland with mountains of trash appearing on practically every corner. Shortly thereafter, the rats arrived. Big, fat, hairy rats took over the city, seemingly invading the city as though they had been patiently building an occupying force underneath the streets over the years, waiting for the day that the garbage people would go on strike. So, here is the question…
Did the rats bring the trash?
Of course not! The trash brought the rats, the rats were, in essence, a symptom of poor trash management. Now, let me challenge you with another question, would it be a successful course of action to try exterminating the rats? The answer again is “no” (they tried) because as long as there is trash on the streets then rats will come much faster than we can get rid of them. The solution is to get rid of the trash and the rats will go shortly thereafter! So how does this apply to the cold and flu? Simple, make your internal environment unwelcoming to the bugs and they will not be able to grow!
Stress: The Great Immune System Poison and What to do About It
Stress is perhaps one of the most important factors in health and is not given nearly the attention it deserves in a balanced lifestyle. When the body is under chronic stress, the immune system is virtually shut down. This opens the door for infections of all kinds. In October, the stress begins with the Halloween season which really lasts all through October. Candy appears on every desk and counter and parties start popping up everywhere. During Halloween, the stress monster is busy setting the stage for sickness. This season is culminated by a night of choking down huge quantities of sugar and artificial colors and flavors that would send a horse into diabetic shock. We know that sugar poisons the immune system and this may be a reason why the cold and flu season begins in October.
If you make it through the Halloween period without getting sick we are greeted at October’s exit by the Thanksgiving season which again involves stuffing our faces with high sugar and high fat foods. Of course, we cannot ignore the other stress of Thanksgiving…in-laws! Then after we are fattened up like turkeys for the Thanksgiving season, in rolls the Christmas/Hanukkah season full of more stress and sugary treats. And finally, let’s top off this triple layered stress season with the cherry on top…New Years. This is a party where we stay up all night and devour as much food and alcohol as humanly possible. Is it any wonder why the flu season peaks in January? So, there it is in a nutshell…could this be the reason why the colds and flu strike us between October and January? Maybe this isn’t the whole story, but you can rest assured it certainly sets the table and invites the flu in for dinner!
I have a number of clients who appear to do everything right, they eat right, they exercise regularly, they don’t smoke, etc. The only thing that they cannot seem to get a grasp on is the stress in their lives and they pay the price. Stress acidifies the system and poisons the immune system. It depletes the body of vital nutrients, kills the good bacteria in your gut, ruins digestion and fills your body with stress hormones that break down the muscles and organs. Sounds pretty terrible, in fact, if I told you that a food did all of these things I am sure that you would avoid that food like the plague. Now, I realize that you cannot always get away from the stress, however, you can learn to cope with stress in a different way and there are supplements that will help your body adapt to stress in a much healthier way. One such product is called Vital Adapt and it has been working wonders for many of our most stressed clients. Vital Adapt is an herbal liquid tincture that combines some of the most powerful adaptogens on the market. An adaptogen is an herbal complex that works at the biochemical level in the body to normalize the stress hormones and bring the body back into balance. This means that you will respond better, feel more focused, have a stronger immune system and sleep better at night even though you may have an excessive amount of stress in your life. The recommended dosage is 2 droppersful three times daily. You can increase the dose to 3 droppersful three times daily during heavy stress. To further support adrenal function, I would recommend 2 tablets daily of Desiccated Adrenal from Standard Process. If you enjoy a good book, I would recommend the book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie. This book is one of my favorites on the subject of stress and worry.
Bottom Line: Stress poisons the immune system. To decrease the impact of stress on your life use the tools taught in the book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” by Dale Carnegie, use Vital Adapt herbal tincture daily (2 droppersful twice daily) along with Desiccated Adrenal (2 tablets daily) by Standard Process.
Now let’s discuss products that will work to keep the rest of the body healthy during the cold and flu season. First, vitamin C plays an important role in keeping the white blood cells healthy (white blood cells contain more vitamin C than any other cell in the body). My recommendation has shifted in recent months from your classic ascorbic acid vitamin tablet to what is called Whole-food Vitamin C. Whole-food vitamin C is a product that combines plant sources of vitamin C standardized to a certain level of vitamin C complex. The formula I use myself is called Pure Radiance C by The Synergy Company and each capsule contains at least 120 mg of true whole food vitamin C. So, why the shift and what’s the difference? The term “vitamin C” and “ascorbic acid” are often used interchangeably, however, in nature vitamin C is much more complex than just a molecule of ascorbic acid. In fact, in nature, ascorbic acid is found in a matrix of bioflavonoids, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamin K factors, enzyme activators such as tyrosinase and other important cofactors that help the body absorb and utilize this precious nutrient. Ascorbic acid, in fact, acts as the protector of the vitamin C complex not as vitamin C itself, in a sense, ascorbic acid is the protective shell of the vitamin C complex. The result is a much more potent vitamin C that requires a lesser quantity to obtain an equal or better result when taken from food sourced nutrients. I recommend 2 capsules twice daily of Pure Radiance C during the cold and flu season. If you feel that you are getting sick, increase the dose to 2 capsules four times daily.
The Most Important Flu-Preventing Supplement on the Market
Starting in October, sun exposure drops significantly which depletes vitamin D levels. The levels are likely at their lowest near the end of December. Vitamin D is most popular for its role in keeping bones strong, however, a lesser known role of vitamin D is in the immune system. When vitamin D levels are low your risk of infection increases significantly! It is thus recommended that most people get at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 on a daily basis. I would recommend that people have their doctors order a blood test to check for 25-OH Vitamin D in order to determine if more or less vitamin D is needed. This considerable drop in vitamin D during these cold and flu months may be a significant cause to the higher rate of viral infection and recent research confirms this link. One paper published in a recent issue of Journal of Hygiene suggests that the vitamin D/influenza connection explains the following observations:
1. Flu rates are highest after the winter solstice and virtually disappear after the summer solstice
2. Children who are exposed to sunlight have lower incidence of influenza
3. Influenza is most common in peoples of the tropics during the rainy season
4. The colder the temperature outside the higher the rate of influenza infection
5. The elderly who live in areas of highest vitamin D intake are less likely to die in the winter
6. Why cod liver oil (a source of vitamin D) protects against respiratory infection
7. Why African Americans are more likely to die of influenza and pneumonia than Caucasians. (African Americans produce less vitamin D due to the higher pigment in skin)
Top Supplements for Preventing the Cold and Flu
There are three specialty supplements that can be added to your arsenal of cold and flu fighting tools. They are especially good for prevention of cold and flu. The first is a homeopathic flu vaccine called Influenzinum. This homeopathic product uses the flu vaccine to make an extremely dilute formula which can convey all of the benefits of the vaccine with none of the potential side effects. By gently nudging the immune system into action against the flu virus, Influenzinum keeps the body’s defenses mobilized. We have used this formula for many years and have received a lot of positive feedback regarding its efficacy.
The second product we recommend is some sort of herbal complex that acts as a natural anti-viral. One such product, which is available through many different brands, is elderberry extract. Elderberry is a very old remedy for all kinds of viral infections especially cold and flu. Certain compounds found in this herb surround the virus with a cage-like structure that prevents the virus from being able to invade the cell. These viruses then become inactivated and cleared by the natural immune reaction. You will find elderberry syrups in the health food store and 1 tablespoon twice daily is a great preventative. There are capsules and tablets available as well, try to find a formula that is concentrated.
The final product category that I recommend is a formula to support immune function. For preventative purposes I recommend a formula that contains herbs such as astragalus, andrographis or Echinacea or medicinal mushrooms such as maitake or shitake.
How to Shore Up Your Primary Defenses in the Next 60 Seconds
Your mucous membranes make up your primary defenses against invading organisms. These mucous secretions contain many different defense factors that bind to and inactivate viruses and bacteria that are trying to sneak in through the nose, mouth or eyes. Unfortunately, these mucous membranes are the first to dry up when the body is not saturated with plenty of water. Hardly anyone drinks enough water in our society and this damages our primary defenses. To add insult to injury, we turn on the heaters in our home that fill the air with dry heat which further inhibits proper mucous flow.The one thing that you can do in the next 60 seconds to significantly improve your primary defenses is drink a couple glasses of water and keep sipping at it throughout the day!
The bottom line is that cold and flu is optional this season! There are many things that we can do to promote health and ward off disease. By eating healthy, exercising, controlling stress and supplementing properly it is entirely possible to get through this season without using even one sick day! Sometimes, I will admit, our lives can get away from us and before we know it a cold or flu has snuck into our bodies and we find the sniffles creeping in. The next newsletter will speak to the treatment of cold and flu so stay tuned!
Final Conclusions:
The flu is not as dangerous as the press and the medical community make you think.
The flu vaccine is not nearly as effective as you are led to believe and may even cause significant side effects.
How healthy you are, your internal terrain, determines your risk of cold or flu. The bug (virus or bacteria) is the least of your worries. They cannot thrive in a healthy system.
Control stress because stress is a potent poison to the immune system. If stress is a big problem, read the book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” by Dale Carnegie.
Vital Adapt is a potent herbal formula that helps the body adapt to stress. This formula helps to keep the immune system strong during stressful times. 2 droppersful twice daily along with 2 tablets of Desiccated Adrenal by Standard Process.
Use only whole food vitamin C such as Pure Radiance C by The Synergy Company. Two capsules two to three times daily.
For further protection use an elderberry extract to add an additional level of defense against viruses.
Use herbs such as Echinacea, astragalus, andrographis complex to stimulate immune function.
Drink plenty of water to keep your mucous membranes healthy, these membranes are your primary defenses against offending organisms.
Dr. Ray Hinish is an owner of the Your Prescription for Health Wellness Campus in Owings Mills, Maryland. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from the University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy in May 2000. He led his class into the world of natural medicine and has received the prestigious Slama Award of Excellence in the field of Biopharmacognosy. Dr. Ray is a Certified Nutritionist and Personal Trainer.
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Thanks for mentioning that flu shots can have side effects. Most people I know don’t even think about it…including me. But then again, I usually don’t get a shot.