There are abundant natural remedies for reducing your risk for flu. Yes, garlic and chicken soup are the gold standard!
The cold and flu season got off to an early start this year in the US, and everywhere you turn, you’ve undoubtedly seen ads and media reports urging you to get the flu vaccine. I have never had a flu vaccine and thankfully I have never had the flu. Here are some of my secrets to help prevent the flu.
Scientific reviews by the independent Cochrane Database published last fall again refuted pervasive “expert” health and media claims that the flu vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself against the flu, and that it is a safe way of doing so...
Fortunately, there are many alternatives available, from optimizing your vitamin D levels and taking zinc at the first sign of infection, to incorporating immune boosting foods into your daily diet. Dr. Joseph Mercola has cited some excellent suggestions on his website www.mercola.com.
Garlic – As Good or Better Than Tamiflu?
A recent article by PreventDisease.com highlighted the use of garlic, which has natural antiviral, antibiotic, and antifungal activity. “Forget the flu shot. A soup based on more than 50 cloves of garlic, onions, thyme and lemon will destroy almost any virus that enters its path including colds, flu and even norovirus,” John Summerly writes.
Garlic has long been hailed for its healing powers, especially against infectious diseases like cold and flu. This is likely due to its immune boosting effects. According to the featured article:
“...Compounds in this familiar bulb kill many organisms, including bacteria and viruses that cause earaches, flu and colds. Research indicates that garlic is also effective against digestive ailments and diarrhea... A recent and significant finding from Washington State University shows that garlic is 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics at fighting disease causing bacteria commonly responsible for food-borne illness.”
Does Chicken Soup Really Work?
Short answer, yes, chicken soup can be helpful against cold and flu symptoms. Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily.
Processed, canned soups won't work as well as the homemade version, however. For best results, make up a fresh batch yourself (or ask a friend or family member to do so) and make the soup hot and spicy with plenty of pepper. The spices will trigger a sudden release of watery fluids in your mouth, throat, and lungs, which will help thin down the respiratory mucus so it's easier to cough up and expel.
Vitamin D – An Excellent Cold and Flu Prevention Strategy
Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold or flu virus packing, it can prevent them from invading your body in the first place. Contrary to flu vaccines, this recommendation has been steadily gaining scientific validation. In fact, there’s compelling evidence suggesting cold and flu may actually be symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.
Dr. John Cannell, founder of the Vitamin D Council, was one of the first to introduce the idea that vitamin D deficiency may actually be an underlying cause of influenza, which would help explain its apparent benefits as a flu-fighter. His hypothesis was published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection in 2006 which was followed up with another study published in the Virology Journal in 2008. His hypothesis received further support and confirmation when, in the following year, the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date discovered that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.
In another study, published in 2010, researchers investigated the effect of vitamin D on the incidence of seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Over the course of a year, influenza A occurred in just 10.8 percent of the children in the vitamin D group, compared with 18.6 percent of the children in the placebo group. According to the authors: "This study suggests that vitamin D3 supplementation during the winter may reduce the incidence of influenza A, especially in specific subgroups of schoolchildren."
For more information go to Mercola.com
Dr. Kavulich’s Personal Prevention Program:
1. I follow my nutritional program and use my “Flu Prevention Trio”
a. Multi-Immune
b. D3 Serum
c. Probiotic
2. Hydrate with water
3. Receive chiropractic adjustments weekly to maximize my immune system
4. Rest and pray. They complement each other
5. Exercise, especially getting sunshine outdoors
6. Wash my hands constantly
7. Allow myself time, even if for a few minutes, to re-group and think about what makes me happy
8. You can schedule even five minutes of deep breathing to release tension
9. Check my urine pH to determine acidity. This will determine how likely you are to be infected. Constant acidity under 6.4 will activate viruses. Let us know if you need help with this
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