You may think of flu season as limited to the fall and winter months, but this is no longer the case. Although flus may be most rampant during the wintertime, there are now waves of flus occurring all year round. Even in the summer it is important to take protective measures because flus can occur in Summer months as well. During these warm months, people still find themselves dealing with sinus infections, stomach flus, bronchitis, and more. One reason for this never-ending flu season is the rise in international travel. For example, when it is winter in Australia and flus are rampant, countless people hop on planes and travel from Australia to places experiencing summertime, such as the United States.
When it comes to flu viruses, you may be wondering how to avoid catching something in the first place. Fortunately, there are many preventative steps you can take to protect you and your loved ones from catching a flu bug. If you do feel like a flu virus is starting to cause trouble in your system, quickly implementing some of these steps can help knock out the virus early before it has the chance to hit you hard. * One important and more obvious step is to not let yourself get too run down. If you’re noticing yourself becoming more tired, frazzled, or stressed out, try to ramp up your self-care practices, including getting enough sleep.
* Having a bottle of high-quality liquid zinc on hand at all times is essential. If you have the slightest inkling you might be starting to feel flu symptoms, squirting zinc directly into your throat and letting it coat the area can be a powerful defensive measure. If you are very sensitive to zinc, try using just a few drops. Even this can make a difference. For kids, you can put drops in water or juice which I recommend daily because they are in the serious germ pool at school. * Be mindful of your hands and try to wash them regularly as you go throughout your day. From shaking other’s hands, to pushing shopping carts, to opening doors, there are countless ways your hands can come into contact with unwanted germs and flu viruses.
Carry handy-wipes with you when you are out and about.
A few other helpful supplements to add daily will make a huge difference as well.
*Olive Leaf Extract– put a few drops in your water or tea daily(kids and adults)
*Ester C with Rose Hips– Take 2 daily for adults/1 for kids
*Echinacea & Goldenseal- put a few drops in your water or tea daily(kids and adults)
*Elderberry Syrup for Adults & a great version for Children – This is great to take during the flu along with Lemon Balm Tea. Another preventative step involves the foods you choose to include in your diet. You may be surprised to learn that flu viruses, like other viruses, love to eat. The truth is, viruses are hungry and can proliferate when fueled by certain foods. It is important to understand that the foods you put into your body can either help prevent viruses or help feed and support viruses. Connecting with this concept and starting to make some dietary changes can help you begin to protect yourself. A couple of foods that feed viruses are dairy and eggs. These are two of their favorite foods so cutting down or eliminating these during flu season and definitely when you are fighting a flu is imperative.
Eat extra fruits and vegetables as often as you can. I give my kids smoothies daily and they are a good way to sneak in healers like wild blueberries(found in frozen fruit section), spinach, mango, and bananas.
My boys even eat the frozen wild blueberries alone for a snack.
How important and how often to you plug in and charge up your cell phone, computer or electronic device? My guess is, very often and daily. Our immune system is just as important. We have to plug in and charge up our immunity too. Especially moving into flu season, its important to be as mindful about your body as you are about your phone, your work, and play.
Rest, filtered water with lemon/lime juice, fruits/veg, herbs/supps, hand washing……..STAY HEALTHY!!
