Fighting off Cold and Flu Season

Fighting off Cold and Flu Season

Every year as Christmas draws near, I hear the same thing from several friends and relatives.  (Think back, I bet you either know someone who has said this or maybe you've said it yourself.)  "There is always someone sick in our house every Christmas!"  Why is it that some families get through the holidays unscathed and perfectly healthy while others struggle?  The best way to fight off any kind of sickness at any time of the year is to make sure that your immune system is healthy and has all the support it needs to keep you going strong.  I know it isn't fun when someone in your house is sick and can't join in the festivities.  Why not start planning ahead?  Start now, boosting your immune system and your family's and arm yourself with the proper tools to fight off infection. What are some of the things you can do?

1. Rest:  Make sure you are getting enough.  Getting enough sleep isn't just about beauty.  You need to give your body the opportunity to heal and repair itself and minimize the added stress that comes along with lack of sleep.  If you have a baby at home and you are not allowed to sleep through the night, take the nurses' advice and sleep when baby sleeps.  Accept help when it is offered.  For the rest of us, go to bed at a decent time.  Create a bedtime routine for yourself to help your body produce melatonin and relax.  Keep a pad of paper beside your bed to write down those nasty things that creep into your head when you are trying to drift off to dreamland.  Once they are written down you can forget about them and deal with them in the morning without worrying that you won't remember.

2. Get plenty of fluids: Drink lots of water, natural fruit juice, herbal tea (chamomile, ginger, mint and sage all have healing properties), green tea with lemon and home made broth based soups are all good options.  A simple way to measure how much water you need daily is .5 oz of water for every pound of body weight.  For example if you weigh 120 lb you need 120 x .5= 60 oz of water. You can simplify this even more by dividing your result by 8 to determine the number of cups daily (60/8= 7.5 cups). If you do anything physical you are going to need to up that number depending on the intensity of your work and how much fluid is lost.

3. Exercise:  Exercise raises endorphins and decreases stress.  Stress plays havoc with your immune system so you want to do everything you can to keep it at a minimum.  Vigorous exercise triggers the release of chemicals causing that rush (think of the runner's high) while Yoga and similar mind/body exercises stretch tense muscles and calm you through breathing and meditation.  Studies show that people who perform moderate exercise 5 days/week are less likely to contract a cold or flu virus than sedentary people.  Exercise can boost your immune system as long as you don't overdo it.  Set a healthy training schedule with rest penciled in as well and stick to it.

4. Take your supplements:  I know that some of those supplement pills are nasty, gigantic things.  I also know from personal experience that it isn't always easy to remember to take the darn things.  But they are important.  Make sure you are taking your omega 3's, those are important to keep your ratio of omega 3:omega 6 balanced.  Another useful supplement might be cod liver oil, a great source of vitamin A.

5. Eat your vitamins.  What you eat has a huge impact on your immune system function.  You want to eat quality food chock full of vitamin and mineral goodness.  Vitamins A and C both help to boost immune function and vitamin C is also a stress reducer. Magnesium boosts serotonin levels, your feel good hormone, also fighting stress as well as depression, both of which have a negative impact on your immune system. Below is a list of foods to include in your diet this year.  By next Christmas, your immune system will be so strong that even if everyone in your house is sick, you just might be able to fight it off.

Sources of Vitamin C:

- Hot Chilis - Red and green                                                    
- Guava
- Bell Peppers
- Fresh Herbs - Thyme has the most followed by Parsley
- Dark Leafy Greens - kale, spinach, swiss chard
- Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts
- Kiwi
- Papayas
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Cantaloupe
- Mangoes
- Pineapple

Sources of Vitamin A:

- Liver - turkey liver has the most so when you cook a turkey, put the liver to use (chop it up and add it to the stuffing or use it in soup).  Followed by cod liver oil.
- Egg yolks
- Salmon
- Spices - paprika, red pepper, cayenne, chili powder
- Sweet Potatoes
- Carrots
- Dark Leafy Greens - kale, spinach and swiss chard
- Butternut Squash
- Dried or fresh herbs - Parsley has the most followed by Basil, Marjoram, Dill and Oregano
- Lettuce - Dark red and green (darker is better)
- Dried apricots
- Cantaloupe

Sources of Magnesium:

- Dark leafy greens
- Walnuts
- Fish
- Dried fruit
- Bananas

Some of the sources listed above are not local.  I try to keep my footprint small but I do enjoy the occasional pineapple or mango.  If you happen to be somewhere tropical where these foods are in abundance, indulge and enjoy the boost of good vitamins.