Avoid Swine Flu - 5 Ways To Boost Immunity

Bad reactions to the swine flu vaccine were reported from all over the world. Reactions from anaphylactic shock, to sudden drop in blood pressure, to death. Did the vaccine even work? A recent Canadian study showed that having a flu shot this winter makes you more likely to get flu next winter, whether swine flu or another sort.

In spite of all this authorities everywhere still put pressure on people to have the flu jab – specially the more vulnerable people, including young children, pregnant women and the elderly – just the people who were most likely to be harmed by it. Many doctors and nurses refused to have the vaccine.

Whatever your views on vaccination, there’s no getting around the fact that this one was not properly tested before being used on millions of people. And it turned out that the swine flu was far milder than normal winter flu anyway.

The safest thing is to know how to avoid swine flu, or any flu, naturally.

How hard flu hits you, even whether you catch it at all, depends on your overall health and how strong your immune system is.

Most cases of flu are very mild. Most of us have had flu before now. You know the Symptoms – shivery, achy, and so on – you stay in bed for a week, you’re back to normal a week later.

You can go to the doctor for drugs, but they aren’t really a great help - the best you can hope from flu drugs like Tamiflu is to shorten the symptoms by a day or two – at the expense of possible nausea, dizziness, vomiting, nightmares, etc. Personally, I'd rather have flu!

Treating the flu naturally will shorten the flu more effectively, without the side effects.

Here are 5 ways that you can give your immune system a boost, and reduce the chance of getting a serious attack of flu.

• Take vitamin D supplements. In summer, you can produce vitamin D on your skin in response to sunshine, but in winter a regular supplement is a good idea. The importance of vitamin D in keeping your immune system strong has only recently been discovered.
• Take more vitamin C. At least 3 grams a day of a good sugar-free supplement which includes bioflavonoids. (Sugar interferes with your cells uptake of vitamin C because it has a similar chemical structure. Bioflavonoids are plant chemicals that work with vitamin C to protect your cells from damage.)

  For natural health vitamins are important. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. These are natural sources of vitamin C, bioflavonoids and other antioxidants not available as supplements – some are recent discoveries. Berries are particularly rich sources of these.

• Clean up your diet. Reduce junk food, fried food and sugar. Avoid artificial anything – your body’s not designed to deal with it. Up to 70% of your immune activity can be in your gut, dealing with stuff you choose to take in as food.
• Echinacea is known to boost immune activity. It can be taken regularly either as a tea or as a tincture.
• Essential oils boost the immune system by stimulating production of white blood cells. Tea tree, lavender and bergamot are particularly good. Almost all essential oils also kill viruses and other germs. Use them in a vaporiser to perfume and disinfect your home, and protect everyone in it. Fresh and dried herbs are also good. Thyme is a powerful disinfectant – add sprigs of thyme to dried flower arrangements or pot pourri.

All of these will help anyone, including those most vulnerable – i.e. very young children, frail elderly people and those who are already ill. For children you can get chewable vitamin C supplements. Even if they contain a little sugar, it’s better than not getting enough vitamin C.

It always a good idea to improve your health. Even though the swine flu didn't turn out to be a repeat of the Spanish flu of 1918 you never know when the next scare will come. Boosting your immune system will protect you from many illnesses and infections.

Look after your family and yourself, and there’s no reason to fear swine `flu or any epidemic.

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