Influenza: How To Beat The Bug This Flu Season

Even though the influenza virus circulates year-round, it really begins to take hold in late fall, marking the start of flu season. Since this time is approaching, let’s talk about it now and get you prepared.

The pharmaceutical industry is already in full swing marketing the latest version of the flu vaccine.

It may surprise you to learn that research does not support everyone getting a flu shot. Indeed, there are many reasons why the flu vaccine should be considered carefully before simply accepting that you should get one. Just because the sign outside your local drugstore is basically commanding you to walk inside and get a shot, often for free, it’s not necessarily the reason you should do it.

Be sure you understand what the vaccine product is and what the research says before deciding if it’s the right thing for you.

Most of the research shows that flu vaccines have a low success rate. Those low rates tend to get even worse over time, meaning that each year you get a shot, it’s less likely to work for you, and your chances of getting a severe infection may go up.

Some types, like live virus vaccines, actually encourage the transmission of virus strains between people, so think very carefully if you spend time around young children, elderly folks, or people who are immune compromised.

Unfortunately, vaccines do contain some toxic ingredients that you would not otherwise ever inject into your body, or eat for that matter. These toxins are in relatively small amounts, there’s no doubt about that, but the cumulative effect of toxins you’re exposed to over your lifetime is what can create most toxin-related related health problems. So it’s not a good idea to expose yourself to these things unless there’s a benefit that outweighs the potential damage. Only you can make that decision, so be sure you understand what you’re dealing with.

Another option that makes sense is to build up your body’s natural defenses. For most of us, that starts with the food we eat and the dietary supplements we take.

Here’s what you can consume (and avoid) now to start building a solid immune system:

• Probiotics: Ensure your body has plenty of the good bacteria by consuming a variety of probiotic strains each day, both in your food and in supplement form.
• Avoid sugar: Sugar upsets the balance between the good and the bad bacteria.
• Vitamin D: This is probably the most crucial nutrient you need to fight any infection. I’ve seen tens of thousands of patients in practice and almost all, believe it or not, need to take a vitamin D supplement because their levels are too low. This is particularly important in fall and winter since we tend to spend more time indoors and thus don’t get the sunlight that’s needed for our bodies to make enough vitamin D. BodyManual’s vitamin D with K2 ensures the right ratio of these key nutrients. Indeed, you should never take vitamin D without also taking vitamin K2.
• Healthy fats: Like Omega-3 fatty acids that come from fish. Omega-3s support your heart, your brain, and your immune system. The BodyManual Omega-3 Fish Oil formula contains the ideal ratio of the key fatty acids DHA and EPA. They’re in easy-to-swallow soft gels and the fish oil in the product is sourced from the cold waters off the coast of Norway, so you know you’re getting fresh and pure oil.

These other key nutrients will support your immune system as you prep for flu season.

• Antioxidants: Especially vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, and B12.
• Key minerals: Especially zinc, iodine, and magnesium.
• Herbs: Like Echinacea, holy basil, and olive leaf.

I’ve included all of the above and more immune boosting ingredients in the BodyManual product called Super Immune Boost. It also contains monolaurin to support overall immunity and, according to recent research, it destroy’s the membrane structure of viruses. The product is formulated so you can take it daily, when you’re a bit stressed or throughout flu season. It will support your body when you’re not feeling well or when you come down with something.

In preparation for flu season, the best plan is to start building your body’s natural defenses right now by eating a healthy diet, limiting your intake of sugar and other toxic foods, and supplementing with high-quality nutritional supplements. If you get on that path, you can improve your immune function, which will not only pay dividends during flu season but will continue to pay you back for the rest of your life.