It’s that time of year.

Summer will soon be winding down, fall is fast approaching, kids will be going back to school, cooler temperatures are around the corner, and the holidays will be upon us before you know it.

And you know what all that means…

People will be getting sick with colds and flu!

Of course, pharma would like you to think that your only saving grace lies in flu shots, Tamiflu and any of the ocean of cough and cold medicines that line the drug store shelves. 

But that’s simply not true! In fact, shots and the standard remedies are minimally helpful (if at all) and expose you to serious side effects.

The real answer to colds and flu lies in prevention, and if you do get sick, rely on safe, natural remedies.

Here’s how—let’s start at the very beginning with prevention:

6 Super-Effective Ways to Prevent Colds and Flu 

#1: Eat the right foods…and stay away from the wrong ones

Here are the foods that will give you the biggest bang for your buck in terms of fighting off colds and flu:

• Fish rich in Omega-3 essential fatty acids: These include salmon, tuna and cod. Omega-3 EFAs are the precursors for series-3 prostaglandins, which are compounds that regulate your immune system.

• Brightly colored fruits and vegetables: These are rich in vitamins A, C and E as well as phytonutrients, all of which enhance your immune functioning. Especially helpful are citrus fruits, root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, mangoes, red bell peppers and broccoli.

On the flip side, here are immune-depressing foods which should be avoided at all cost:

• Vegetable oils: These produce harmful substances that undermine your immune system.

• Refined carbs, processed food and fast food: Rather than nourishing you, these deplete your body’s supplies of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for proper immune function.

• Sugar: This flat out crushes the responsiveness of your immune cells.

#2: Proper hand washing

Washing your hands frequently throughout the day is crucial, especially after being in public places.

Using ordinary soap and water is best—no need for constant anti-bacterial products. Anti-bacterial soaps actually work against you and reduce your body’s ability to fight off illness because your immune system is strengthened by repeated exposure to microbes in the environment.

Stay away from the hand sanitizer while you’re at it—all that does is trap bacteria in your hands under a layer of goop.

#3: Listen to Mom and dress warmly

Mom always said to dress warmly, or you’ll catch a cold…and come to find out, she was somewhat right!

While merely stepping outside in chilly weather without a jacket on doesn't cause a cold, hypothermia (the lowering of your body's core temperature) suppresses immunity, which can make you more susceptible to colds. 

#4: Get enough vitamin D

Although most nutrients have some type of positive effect on your immune system functioning, vitamin D is an immune-boosting superstar.

The problem with vitamin D (especially during the colder months in the northern hemisphere) is that you are not outdoors as much, so your skin doesn’t get the sun exposure it needs to make vitamin D.

So, supplementation is a reliable way to make sure you always have enough…and Optimum DK Formula with FruiteX-B is the way to go!

Each daily dose of Optimum DK Formula gives you a whopping 5,000 IUs of vitamin D, as well as vitamins K1 and K2 and the mineral boron for bone and cardiovascular support too!

#5: Get your Zzzz’s

To all you late night TV watchers or social media scrollers out there: this is not the time to skimp on sleep.

Lacking sleep can compromise your immune system functioning, making you more susceptible to infections and viruses of all kinds…and even just one night of poor sleep can reduce the activity of your immune system’s natural killer cells by as much as 30 percent!

Make sure you’re getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

#6: Reduce stress

Stress causes your body's protective mucosal barrier to become less effective at defending you against dangerous pathogens. That’s why you seem to get sick more often when you are under stress—your body literally cannot fight off illness as well.

There are many ways to help de-stress: Meditation, regular exercise, taking up a hobby, counseling, deep breathing, prayer, adopting a pet (if you are an animal lover), and acupuncture, to name a few.

Now let’s switch gears to…

How to help if you DO get sick

Here are some helpful strategies to fight back at colds and flu and get on the road to feeling better:

Blow your nose

I know--this should be obvious. But the fact is, many people opt to just sniffle when their nose runs, and sniffing mucus back into your head perpetuates the problem.

Take the time to blow your nose as often as needed, and don’t reuse tissues—one and done should be your motto for a tissue. Just be careful not to blow too hard, or you can trigger an earache or nosebleed.

If you end up looking like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, vitamin C cream applied around the area can help.

REST!

Now is not the time to push yourself. It’s vital to get plenty of rest while you’re recovering from illness (especially the flu).

Stay hydrated

Liquids help relieve nasal congestion, prevent dehydration, and soothe the inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat.

Good choices here are filtered water (add some fresh lemon for flavor and a vitamin C boost), soups and broths (vegetable, chicken or beef—see recipe below), and herbal teas.

Eat onions and garlic

Onions contain compounds that have antibiotic properties and serve as a natural anti-inflammatory, which can help in reducing the severity of congestion.

And garlic has sulfur-containing compounds such as allicin that have been shown to be effective against viruses. My daughter, Danielle, will actually eat a whole fresh clove of garlic if she feels a cold coming on.

Try elderberry

Research has shown that compounds in elderberry can directly inhibit the flu virus's entrance into your cells and reduce its subsequent replication.

Here’s an interesting tidbit--Hippocrates (the father of modern medicine) was the first physician to use elderberry and described it as his "medicine chest."

Our very own Elderberry Immune Blend gummies are a great way to put this natural anti-viral to work for you!

In addition to elderberry extract, Elderberry Immune Blend also provides vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin B12—all well-proven immune-supporting nutrients.

Try raw honey 

Honey is known for its antibacterial properties, it soothes irritated mucous membranes, reduces coughing, and helps boost immunity with its antioxidants.

The key is to find a source of natural raw honey. Try to seek out a local beekeeper that doesn’t treat their bees with any chemicals and extracts the honey throughout each season and bloom with minimal processing.

Note that local raw honey is also excellent for allergies too!

Now you know how to support your body’s efforts in fighting viruses and help pave the way for feeling great all year long!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

 

PS: Here is the soup recipe I promised you:

Sherry’s Chicken Soup

Serves: 6-8 

1 3-4 lb. whole chicken 
3 quarts chicken stock or broth 
6 large carrots, peeled 
6 stalks celery 
2 onions 
5 black peppercorns 
2 garlic cloves, minced 
10 sprigs fresh parsley 
2 sprigs fresh thyme 
1 bay leaf 
1 lb. escarole, rinsed and chopped 
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1 large leek, rinsed and soaked to remove sand 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon pepper

Chicken stock:

Place the whole chicken and chicken stock or broth in a large stockpot and set it over medium-high heat.

Roughly chop 2 of the carrots, 2 of the celery stalks and one of the onions and add to the pot. Add the peppercorns, garlic, 2 sprigs of the parsley, the thyme, and bay leaf. Add water to just cover the chicken (if needed).

Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for one hour or until chicken is tender. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool slightly.

Strain the broth through a strainer or sieve into a large bowl or stockpot. Discard the boiled vegetables and herbs.

Soup: 

Slice the remaining carrots, celery, onion and leek and set aside. Remove and discard the skin and bones from the chicken, cut meat into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Chop the remaining parsley leaves and set aside.

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion and leek and cook until the onions are translucent—about 7 minutes. Add the reserved broth, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Simmer the soup until vegetables are tender—about 1/2 hour.

Stir in escarole and simmer until tender—about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken meat, heat 1-2 minutes until hot, then serve.