Cold and flu season is upon us once again. The flu (short name for influenza) is a highly contagious infection caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs creating fever, malaise and fatigue. The flu is normally a relatively mild disease for people who are healthy. However, the flu can be an acute disease for the elderly and for people of any age who have chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart, lung or kidney diseases.
Can you Count on your Immune System?
Each winter, millions of people suffer from the flu. It comes about quickly and can linger for days, even weeks. So, what are you doing to protect yourself against the flu? Can you count on your immune system? The immune system is the body’s defence mechanism that protects us against infections (viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi) and foreign substances. Unfortunately, the immune system is subject to many negative lifestyle choices and environmental hazards that may weaken its status. By understanding the enemies and friends of the immune system, we can slowly learn how to take care of ourselves and stay as healthy as possible.
Friend or Foe?
The following is a list of possible contributors for a weakened immune system, resulting in frequent colds/flus and long-term illnesses:
• stress and poor stress coping mechanisms
• inadequate nutrition
• excess refined foods (i.e. white sugar) and caffeine
• inadequate sleep
• lack of exercise and movement
• environment: smoke, pollution
By acknowledging and recognizing the effect that these enemies have on our immune system, we can slowly start to change our behaviour and habits in order to help our body become stronger and healthier.
The following list includes a few basic guidelines to assist you in achieving a balanced immune system:
• get adequate rest/sleep and exercise/movement
• eat your fruits and vegetables and good quality protein
• ensure you receive adequate amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc and selenium.
• Drink plenty of water and herbal teas. Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• .Boost your immune system with nutritional and herbal supplements such as ginseng, licorice, astragalus and echinacea.
Three Common Ginsengs
Every year, there are a billion upper respiratory tract infections that occur in the United States. It is no wonder that researchers and virologists constantly strive to come up with effective treatments against these viruses. As we come closer to understanding the process of how these pesky viruses change each year and how they impact our immune system, the viruses continue to mutate and become more virulent. As a result, the flu is a common cause of morbidity every year. Thankfully, different treatments are being explored such as supplementation with various vitamins and minerals (i.e. vitamin C and iron), botanical herbs and the flu vaccine.
