So lately everyone I have seen in the office has had some type of illness passing through their houses. It's the sick season. Everyone thinks it is normal for this time of the year. I wonder why that's ok for all of us to except that this time of the year we are going to be sick. We are all just victims to the cruel weather. Well anyone who knows me knows I loathe being a victim. I'm determined to give the sickness a fight! :)
So here are some interesting things about the "sick season". The flu season is explained by some proposed ideas: People are in doors more often because it is cold outside and get less natural sun light, therefore less Vitamin D production in the body because sunlight is where we get Vitamin D from and Vitamin D is essential in proper immune system support. Indoors the air is drier and the flu virus thrives in dry air. While we are in doors, we are in closer contact with other people. The virus lives longer on surfaces in dry air. The season can start as early as October and go throughout the Spring.
Many health care professionals believe the flu season starts and ends in the manner because of some environmental and nutritional aspects. October is known for Halloween and the large amount of sugary candy and food that we eat in association with this holiday. Sugar lowers the efficiency of the immune system. Cold weather, lack of sunlight, being in doors with others, and a poor diet lead to the increase of the flu outbreak and other seasonal illnesses. The flu virus and other viruses and bacteria are not monsters who live in their caves and only come out certain times of the year. These micro-organisms are present all year long so why do we have a season for them? The above ideas could be the explanation.
So what can we do besides proper hand washing techniques and spraying surfaces with a disinfectant? Notice I left out the flu vaccine all together........ Some other things we can do to support our immune system are making sure our diet isn't poor. There are eight important immune-boosting vitamins and minerals found in
whole foods- Vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, bioflavonoids,
carotenoids, selenium, omega 3 fatty acids and zinc.That's the whole point of eating good foods. Because we want these good ingredients out of them. These vitamins and minerals help us to function. Some good and tasty food options for these essential minerals and vitamins are: oranges and tangerines for Vitamin C, grains for Vitamin E, carrots for beta carotene and carotenoids, garlic for antioxidants and selenium, almonds and lima beans for protein and zinc, flax oil for omega-3 fatty acids, and broccoli for Vitamins A and C and much more. And of course if you don't get enough of these foods or just can't make yourself eat them, supplementation is always an easy possibility. Taking a good multivitamin is always a good idea, but especially during this time of the year.
Also, a recent clinical trial showed that green tea-based supplements reduced
the risk of flu by 75%. This is far better than the 60% risk reduction
recently reported in the Lancet for vaccinations. Given that green tea
provides a host of other health benefits and none of the risks of
injections, it would appear to be a far superior alternative to
vaccination. There are many natural things that we can to for treatment, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
I hope this helps reduce the fear and increase the confidence in the power of the human body.....of YOUR body! It's an amazing thing, especially when it works right and when it doesn't it's usually because we haven't given it the necessary fuel and tools to do so.
"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates (an old smart guy) ;)
