4 Ways to Beat the Flu This Season
Dr. Nicole Krakora. NMD
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It happens to the best of us. Even the healthiest eaters, meditators and yogis get taken down every now and then. The statistics for flu last year were pretty staggering with over 80% of the flu involving a particularly tough strain called H3N2. So what do we do? We try and prevent it first.
Garlic on Everything
Its possible that your co-workers may be appalled by your breath but when you’re the only one who is still healthy at the office who cares! Garlic has been used for centuries as a powerful medicine. Garlic can be crushed, chewed or sliced to produce allicin, which is thought to give garlic its immune-boosting properties. Studies have shown that its not only preventative but even after you get sick, garlic can help lower the severity of the illness and help you recover faster. The trick is to not overcook it to keep all the properties intact.
Drink Lots of High-Quality Water
One of my mentors teaches that for every 50 pounds of body weight you have to drink one liter of water and then add two more. Ex: A 150 pound woman is drinking 3 liters plus 2 more tallying up to 5 liters of water a day. We aren’t just talking about any water; we emphasize water that is filtered and clean. Unfortunately tap water just has too much fluoride, chlorine, prescription medications etc in it for it to be a flu fighting liquid. All those toxins just bog the body down even more. Clean, filtered water continually renews and washes away toxicity and does a host of amazing things for the body. In fact, I have seen patients get rid of many ailments simply by increasing hydration. Water is water. This means tea and coffee don’t count towards your water goal.
More Vitamin D3
By January, you might already be vitamin D deficient. Draw a horizontal line across the United States starting at LA and everyone north of that line is probably Vitamin D deficient. It’s almost impossible to get enough sun in those places throughout the year. When I practiced south of that line, everyone’s labs were still showing vitamin D deficiency. Not only is Vitamin D antiviral but it's super important to the immune system. Having your levels in normal range automatically cuts your chances for getting the flu in half!
Cut Out the Sugars
Nom nom nom. A bug’s favorite food is sugar. One of the best ways to make sure those flu bugs are populating and creating their perfect home in your body is to feed them sugar. Yes, this includes chocolate. But it also includes sugar in your coffee, bread and pasta which break down into sugar in your body. Until the flu season comes to a close, avoid sugar and your waistline and immune system will thank you.