Boost it up! 8 Natural Immune System Boosters

It’s right around the corner and if you have children in preschool and kindergarten like I do, you know germ season is brutal, if you don’t have a strong immune system. Don’t wait to feel that little tickle in your throat or bit of congestion, because at that time, it’s too late! The flu symptoms start showing 3-4 days after you’ve been exposed to the virus.

The flu can be avoided naturally by strengthening your immune system with 8 easy steps!

1. Taste the rainbow

Eating a wide variety of fresh, whole foods packed with powerful vitamins and minerals is the first step to ensuring a strong immune system. Vitamins A, B6, C and E and the minerals zinc, iron, copper and selenium are critical for maintaining strength and immunity. Make sure that your diet consists of a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to ensure that you are getting all of the necessary nutrients.

Also, Cinnamon does more than boost the immune system. It actually fights the pathogens that cause illness. Cinnamon is one of the easiest nutrient rich foods to add to your diet.  It enhances the flavor of coffee, perks up your morning oatmeal or eggs and livens up the taste of fresh fruit.  It is also on the Super Food list for foods that help to prevent diabetes. (Let’s not forget some whole grain french toast loaded with cinnamon 🙂

2. Garlic isn’t just to keep vampires away… 

Certain foods can give you an extra boost and should be factored into your regular eating habits. Garlic is known for its antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties and can prevent infections from taking hold and spreading. A daily serving of two raw garlic cloves will provide you with the bulbous herb’s healthy benefits. (There is no such thing as too much garlic, ok maybe there is but I usually put 1 or 2 more cloves than recipes call for because it just plain tastes good in everything!)

Tip: To avoid offensive garlic breath, cut the cloves into smaller pieces and then swallow them with water or herbal tea if you are brave. Follow with a sprig of parsley.  Or just toss any fresh sauteed veggies with garlic!

3. A mushroom a day (Just make sure it wasn’t from a cow patty or you may spend the day hallucinating!)

Mushrooms have been found to increase production and activity of white blood cells, improving your chances of fighting off infection. Both shiitake and maitake mushrooms provide the biggest immunity boost.

4. Have a tea party

Jump-start your immune system each morning with a fresh pot of black tea. While the healthy properties in black tea have been known for centuries, a recent Harvard University study confirmed its healing effects. The study found that people who drank five cups of black tea a day for two weeks had 10 times higher levels of the cold- and virus-fighting chemical interferon than those who did not drink tea. Researchers suspect that green tea has the same effect.

5. Run away

Exercising for 30 to 60 minutes daily can give your immune system the extra kick that it needs. A study conducted by David Nieman at Appalachian State University found that people who walked regularly for 12 weeks had half the number of colds and sore throats as people who were less active.

Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress and its harmful effects on the immune system. It has been estimated that 90 percent of illness and disease is stress related. But don’t overdo it! Too much exercise can have the opposite effect on your immune system. Exercising for more than 90 minutes a day could make you more susceptible to the flu virus.

6. Sleep on it

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for the immune system to recharge itself. An overly fatigued body doesn’t have the necessary strength to fight off infections. With eight hours a night of solid sleep, your body will be ready to face a new day and ward off pesky invaders.

7. Lather Up

A strong immune system should be able to combat the flu virus, but washing your hands frequently can increase your health odds even more. Use warm water and soap and avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes to prevent the virus from entering your system.

8. Avoid the flu shot

According to Dr. J. Anthony Morris, the former Chief Vaccine Control Officer at the FDA, “There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine, thus far developed, is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza.” When you also consider the toxic mixture of chemicals found in the flu vaccine, the decision becomes a no-brainer. Among the vaccine’s ingredients are such toxins as ethylene glycol (a.k.a. antifreeze), formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), aluminum (linked to Alzheimer’s disease and known to produce cancer in mice) and thimerosol (a form of mercury, the most toxic of all heavy metals). Thimerosol has had so much scrutiny in the past decade that it has been banned in all childhood vaccinations in the United States, yet it still remains in the influenza vaccine today.

This year the flu season doesn’t have to get you down. Take good care of your body and you will be rewarded with a lifetime of good health. And just think of what you can do with all of those unused sick days!

CLICK HERE for a list of foods that aid in boosting the immune system.

-LL

{Source}