As a physician, you would think I worry about the flu.

For many doctors, this time of year, their offices are filled with people who believe they are suffering from the flu.

And, while I certainly don’t want to get the flu or don’t want my patients to get the flu, I’m generally not worried about it.

Curious why?

Well, for one reason, most of our patients in the practice just don’t get the flu.  I do not know the exact statistics, but sometimes we joke this time of year saying, “where are all of the sick patients?”  Maybe it is because of our incredible Flu Prevention Protocol.

Flu is also not as prevalent as you might think.

The term “flu” is kind of a catch-all for what most people know as the common cold and other similar illnesses.

A CBS News study noted that when people display the symptoms of the flu, you know, the cough, the fever, the chills, the runny nose, all that, it’s generally not influenza.

In many cases, what you’re experiencing is something that was brought on by other viruses and bacteria.

The odds you’ve got a strain of influenza are generally as low as 3% – 17% according to the study.

And, another reason I’m generally not concerned about the flu is because it isn’t nearly as dangerous as it’s made out to be.

I don’t want you to misunderstand me. The flu can certainly have negative effects on people and can lead to being stuck in a hospital, but if your immune system and overall physiology is healthy, you generally have the ability to fight it off.

Here’s what’s important to understand. There are a variety of lifestyle and natural remedies you can practice that will help keep the flu at bay.

I’ll be talking about those shortly, but I just want you to know that the flu isn’t nearly as concerning as you might be led to believe.

ESPECIALLY if you’re a healthy individual already.

If you take care of your body, get a decent amount of rest, exercise with some frequency, and manage stress appropriately, then the flu isn’t nearly as bad as you might think.

Here’s How You Can Quit Worrying About the Flu Too

The flu is something that pharmacies and doctor’s offices across the country count on encountering in their offices.

What I mean by that is they talk about the flu incessantly because, as it gets colder, the incidences of the flu begin to rise.

You already know that being sick doesn’t necessarily mean you have the flu, so that’s a step in the right direction.

Now, if you’ve ever caught yourself getting caught up in the “flu hype”, let me let you in on a little secret.

Your body is host to trillions upon trillions of virus cells right this very second. There are more virus cells in your body than there are cells that contain human DNA.

Now the reason I mention this is because your body is designed to be able to resist damaging viruses, provided you have a healthy immune system.

Most people who get sick from the flu (or a cold or bacteria) have a compromised immune system.

They might feel healthy, but as soon as the flu or the common cold attacks them, their body folds and they get sick.

So, it stands to reason that, if you can keep your immune system healthy, you can avoid getting the flu altogether.

Fortunately, it’s not hard to keep your immune system healthy.

First: Ensure Adequate Vitamin D levels

You’ll notice that “flu season” appears to begin right as the fall ends and winter begins.

The reason for this is because that’s when your exposure to natural sources of Vitamin D begins to diminish.

Vitamin D is one of the most important “ingredients” for a healthy immune system.

Typically, Vitamin D production in the body occurs when you’re exposed to the sun’s UVA and UVB rays.

In the winter months, those rays become far less powerful than they are during the spring and summer. And that means your body has far less Vitamin D in it which can lead to a weakened immune system.

I’ve talked about Vitamin D in depth before, but let met show you how Vitamin D helps fight the flu.

Vitamin D is actually antimicrobial.  That means it can kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi that contribute to poor health.

So, when you’ve got Vitamin D in your body, you’re then able to fight off sickness and infection. When you don’t, you can’t fight off sickness as well.

During the winter, most people’s Vitamin D levels plummet drastically.

According to Dr. Mercola, “It’s estimated that over 95 percent of U.S. senior citizens may be deficient, along with 85 percent of the American public.”

Similar deficiencies are noted among children as well.

It’s believed as many as 2 in 3 children under the age of 12 have Vitamin D levels that are less than sufficient.

Those two statistics go to show why the elderly and the young are so susceptible to the flu and flu-like illnesses.

But, it’s easy to fix your Vitamin D levels.

As Dr. Mercola reports, “researchers have found that 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day abolished seasonal influenza. ”

All you have to do is supplement with Vitamin D in either pill form or by going to safe tanning booths, and you’re set.

It’s simple, affordable, and life changing.

A Few Other Ways To Fight Sickness

Again, by keeping your immune system healthy, you can fight off sicknesses of all stripes.

Use these tips to further enhance your immune system:

• Get plenty of sleep: Sleep helps to restore the immune system. The regenerative properties of sleep will help your body repair itself so it’s ready to fight another day.
• Take copious amounts of Vitamin C: This is one of nature’s strongest antioxidants. The best forms of Vitamin C are either IV Vitamin C, or bio-available Vitamin C. You can do well to take ascorbic acid, but don’t skimp on it. If you’re feeling a cold come on, load up on Vitamin C.
• Exercise: Vigorous exercise helps to activate the immune system, too. Don’t overdo it though if you’re feeling sick. You don’t want to put too much strain on your body, or then your immune system will be too depleted to fight. If you’re not feeling sick, feel free to exercise as much and as hard as you can.
• Take Propolis: This is one of nature’s most advanced broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents. It’s found in bee-resin and makes use of caffeic acid and apigenin to increase the effectiveness of your immune system.
• Avoid sugar: Between Vitamin D and this suggestion, you could probably knock out a cold quickly without doing much else. Sugar weakens the immune system while also feeding bacteria. A huge no-no for immune health.
• Use Proline Rich Peptides or Colostrum:  Proline Rich Peptides, or PRPs, are super-immune boosting molecules that are isolated and purified from colostrum.  Colostrum is the first fluid produced by nursing moms and helps keep babies from getting sick.  Fortunately, we can get a lot of the same benefit from cow colostrum.

By following these suggestions, and I’m confident you can be like me and not worry about the flu.

Are these recommendations fail-proof?

Not 100%.  But, I’d recommend following this regimen and see how you do this year.

For our comprehensive Flu Prevention and Treament Protocol click here.

 

Talk soon,

 

 

Dr. Wiggy
www.HealthAsItOughtToBe.com