Keeping Big Ben in mind it is time to explore how to prevent the flu before it starts.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” -Benjamin Franklin

Why wait until the heart of cold and flu season, or worse yet, when you are already sick? Take action today. This is not going to cover the hopefully obvious “cover your mouth, wash your hands and avoid those that are sick” (I’m not going to even talk about the flu shot right now as that is a can of worms for another time, but I will say that I have never let that needle touch my arm). This article will however show you small things that you can and should be implementing into your everyday life that will go a long way in keeping your health this year.

Are Germs Really Bad?

This too can be opening a can of worms, but it is a topic at least worth touching on at this time. When I am speaking of germs I am referring to microorganisms as a whole. This can be everything from the human microbiota (all of the microorganisms that are on and inside of our bodies that are estimated to outnumber human cells 10 to 1), to other bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, etc. These are not meant to be avoided, but we are meant to live in a symbiotic harmony with them. However, pathogens are a different story. These would be the infectious forms of the microorganisms that we do not want ravaging our bodies. They will certainly always be present, but it is more about being able to fight them off that is the key.

What is the Immune System?

This is the part of the body that will go out and fight these pathogens. A properly functioning immune system will be able to distinguish the pathogens from human cells (attacking of the human cells is referred to as auto-immunity of which sever conditions are becoming quite prevalent: celiac disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus type 1, to name a few and check here for a full list of these).

Since the immune system is made up of several different parts it is a must to keep them all well-functioning. This goes for the skin, bone marrow, thymus, lymphatic system, spleen and mucosal tissue. Each has specific points around the body to protect against pathogens and is why overall health is so crucial as a breakdown at any one point can lead to infection. The big takeaway is for the body to be able to identify an invader, send the proper attack to eliminate it and cause minimal to no harm to the actual body. Now let us begin our look at how to help the body do that properly…

“I give my kids a glass of water and get them to bed.”- Patient of mine

Recently one of my patients told me this quote and it really is one of the simplest things that you could do to really combat any pathogen in the body. Make sure to get some extra sleep and stay well hydrated. If you take nothing else from this writing, just doing that alone will go a long way in keeping you very healthy and if you do get sick, it will help speed up your recovery process exponentially.

In the past I have gone into quite a bit on sleep. If you want to read more on sleep check out any of these articles:

Each of these goes into a few different topics, but what I want to bring this back to is sleep and preventing the flu. It is an absolute must. Do not think that you are going to stay healthy all cold and flu season if you are skimping out on sleep. It will not happen. You will get sick and it will last for longer and longer. That is the point. The pathogen is meant to be a teacher to be able to show you that you were hard charging with all of these big things and let a very tiny invader come in and knock you off your feet. In turn you now have to take the time to pay attention to this pathogen and really catch up on some rest.

Now I do understand your problem with this. Just how on earth are you going to be able to get more sleep??? Well let’s do the math this way. If you get the flu and on average you are down and out for three days that is 72 hours. You could just use this a little more productively and get one extra hour of sleep over 72 days, sleep an extra 45 minutes over 108 days or even get an extra 30 minutes over 144 days. These seem a bit more reasonable to me, but I might just be crazy too.

As for water, that is pretty simple. The equation stays the same:

Drink ½ of your bodyweight in ounces of water

This is not a sometimes thing, or only after you have caught a cold or the flu. No! It is an all the time thing as in every single day of your life. This is non-negotiable. Remember that there are over 6 billion cellular processes that happen every second in the body and every one of which is water dependent. I feel that it would be very important to have my immune system well hydrated so that it is always functioning at its best.

To step up the game of your water you can always use the pinch of salt trick to add a little antimicrobial power to your water. This will also mean that you are getting the right electrolytes on board provided you are using Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan salt. These minerals become even more important in times of illness as they will be used up more quickly.

“What about food?”

Where would we be in preventing the flu without talking about food? Well this one might be a little bit boring for you since there is not a whole lot new. Eat whole foods that are Organic and local if possible. Make sure to have a good balance of carbs, fats and proteins. After you start with that then you may continue to the next section talking about a few specific foods that I am a big fan of for helping boost the immune system.

It is also important to note that since there are a lot of garbage and processed foods “prepared” (taken out of the package) and set out to eat during the holidays that this can be a tough time. You will have to make sure to ask yourself “is this the right food for my health.” If the answer is no then the decision is simple. Just pass until the whole food comes out. Remember that I said this decision is simple, but not always easy. To help make it easier think about how your body will react. If it is taking in these packaged foods it is not going to help in keeping your immune system strong, you are very likely surrounded by a lot of other people at this time and they are probably not the healthiest. If you keep doing the math here you start to see how flu and cold season spreads very rapidly. This combined with the late nights and increased stress can be the perfect recipe for sickness.

Do Not Fear, Garlic is Here

As promised I will talk about a few foods that can help protect you from the flu. One of my ultimate choices both now and when growing up is garlic. This started with my grandfather and I have not gone away from it. The antimicrobial properties of raw garlic is off the charts and is also why it keeps vampires at bay. Really a clove of this everyday will really help. I know that not everybody is going to pop a clove a day at full strength, so even cooking with it regularly as well as pickling it or dipping it even in some honey can help you to choke it down.

A Few Oils to Try

The other two things that I will use to make sure that I stay flu-free are Thieves Oil and oregano oil. Thieves is an essential oil blend that has very strong immune boosting effects. It is something that I will use when exposed to people with illnesses, traveling or when I am very stressed and want a little extra protection. I use it by putting a drop in my water bottle, shaking it around and then drinking throughout the day. It is very powerful and you will not need more than that. If you have already become sick continue to use it like this and then also put a drop on the bottoms of your feet and rub in.

As for the oregano oil, this is another very strong punch with more strong anti-oxidant powers. If the oil is a bit much for you in your water, and chances are it is, you can cook with it or put in a gelcap and swallow. Again one drop at a time will be plenty as these are both extremely potent oils. If you prefer to use some fresh or dried oregano this is another excellent choice, as well as delicious and one of my favorite spices.

A Few Supplements to Try

Making sure to get vitamin D3 and K2 together is one that I overlooked for some time. Not anymore. Now I understand the importance of vitamin D3 in immune health and will never look past it again. When combined with vitamin K2, something special is in the air. This is the reason that very few things occur in isolation. Each compliments each other very well and the combination of the two also helps with calcium absorption and is why Weston A. Price even referred to Vitamin K2 as Activator X. He knew how important it was to unlocking the health of the body.

Here are my favorite ways to get the combination:

Butter
Hard Cheese
Egg Yolks
Organs over muscle meat
Animal Bone
Fish Roe

And for those who want a quick supplement there are still very good options:

Thorne Vitamin D/K2– Great and easy product to use. Less expensive than the next option (the next is still better). Travels well to help protect you on the road.
High Vitamin Butter Oil– Second to none this stuff is awesome. The go to choice especially during the winter months when you are not getting enough sunshine so that you can get plenty of Vitamin D and K2. It is more expensive, but still well worth it. Remember this is your health!

Misguided Vitamin C

Okay, so once and for all the real truth about Vitamin C and help stop or prevent the flu and the common cold. The real answer may surprise you…the research shows both ways. Sorry for the big buildup, but as per usual nobody knows. What I can tell you is I feel that it helps. Vitamin C is healthy for you and that is what counts.

Think of all of the foods high in vitamin C: papaya, oranges, peppers, melons. These are all great foods and rich in other vitamins and minerals. If they are healthy and happen to be high in vitamin C, then great. Again, I feel that this is something that can be very beneficial at anytime for health, but even more during cold and flu season.

You can eat the foods mentioned above and if looking for a food supplement I like camu camu. This is an awesome fruit that boasts one of the highest vitamin C counts in the world. It really just leaves me buzzing with energy and I will certainly use it if exposed to people with illnesses.

Magnesium

I recently did a lengthy blog on magnesium. I encourage you to check it out to learn more about it, but if you are just looking for a boost from your immune system, here is another biggie. Natural Calm is a great supplement if you need a little extra and I feel everybody does with the depleted soils we are growing in.

This really ends up being such a critical nutrient because you blow through it in times of stress and fighting the flu or even a cold is certainly a high stress time. Do not let yourself be deficient when you need it most

Finally…Zinc

This is fitting to be the last supplement since it ends in Z. This is probably not a new one to you. Zinc and vitamin C have been touted together to help you get over an illness for years. There is good reason to this. It works! Not to mention most people are zinc deficient to begin with. It is certainly possible that by starting to take zinc when they are ill that it just brings their zinc up to where it should be and helps them get better.

I like Vitamin Code Raw Zinc and Zinc Supreme for myself. Either way look for a chelated form to help you body best absorb it and not dump the minerals away. Raw oysters however are far and above the best option. Even just a few a week can go a long way in keeping you flu free.

Lifestyle Factors:

Stay Active

Notice I wrote stay active and not run yourself into the ground with more working out. There is a big difference that is not always considered. Being sure to move your body through work ins and moving throughout the day is a great way to keep the immune system firing well. A tough workout while important at times can also leave your body drained of reserves as well as put you in a susceptible state for the flu and cold.

Make sure that you are moving at least 30-60 minutes every single day! This should be your easy moving times and if you are up for it then go for a workout, but do not force one. The body must fully recover in between each bout of heavy exercise or you are just tearing it down and hampering your immune system as well.

Balance Stress

Remember that stress is always going to be around. There is no getting rid of it, nor do you want to. Without it you would be dead. End of story, but with the wrong kind of stress, this can also kill you or at least have you catch the flu or several colds throughout the year. They key is still getting in the right types of stressors.

Good food vs. garbage food
Clean water vs. contaminated water
Working in vs. working out
Proper breathing vs. forced/shallow breathing
Healthy thoughts vs. stinkin’ thinkin’
Balanced hormones and chemicals vs. messed up hormones and harsh toxins

Where might you be out of balance. Helping to identify this area can go a long way in keeping you healthy all year long. Any time that your body breaks down in the form of an injury or the flu it has become out of balance you and you must rebalance it just like you would a car that does not drive straight. This is not always easy, but this must be constantly done.

Sleep and Water

Just as a reminder since it was at the beginning of the article, make sure that you are still getting adequate sleep and drinking enough water. It is dark longer so catch up on some zzzz’s and make sure to stay hydrated, because even though it is not the dog days of summer your body still must thrive on water. This one really is that important that it deserved to be mentioned twice and for those that adhere to it you will be handsomely rewarded this cold and flu season.

In closing, it is important to use the flu as a teacher. This is something that was given to you to help you slow down and focus on what is breaking your body down. Take the time to get well if it does happen. It is not a bad thing, but merely something that you must overcome.

If you are wondering how the health of your brain is, I have the answer. Check out this FREE Brain Health Quiz to find out where you are at and I will send you my new free book “The 4 Morning Secrets to Perfect Brain Health.” This is important because a healthy, strong brain will mimic itself in a healthy strong body!

Have a Great Day!

Nick Horowski