Boost up that Immune System!

Hello All!
I hope the change of the season is faring well for you. I know here in Arizona we are very grateful for this wonderful time of year! However, the change of the season also comes with the dreaded cold and flu season. So how can you be sure that your immune system is ready for the challenge? Well, today I'm going to give you some tips and insight into the best ways to boost it up!

Lately I have been getting calls from friends and family who are battling colds and flu. Kids seem to get hit the worst this time of year because of everything they are exposed to at school. Then they bring all that yucky stuff home, and well I'm sure you know the cycle. So for my family, it starts with keeping my little ones immune systems in tip top shape! I have been fortunate that my kids rarely get sick and I have to attribute that to their little rock star immune systems! Yay!

Our bodies are amazingly smart and given the right nutrients and care they can overcome and prevent almost all illness. The first step in  this process is to boost your immune system! Below, are the top 3 nutrients for boosting the immune system. Now, normally I look to food as the first source of "medicine" for the body, but under the type of stress that our immune systems encounter during a day in the typical American lifestyle, food alone cannot provide you all of the nutrients you need. The first list I provide you with are for supplements that need to be part of your immune system arsenal. Next I provide you with a list of foods where you can find key nutrients needed to boost you up! And finally, a few of my absolute favorite herbal remedies to get you through cold and flu season.

Supplements

1.Vitamin C

My favorite nutrient!  This one is pretty well know throughout our society as a natural cold remedy, but did you know that everyone should be taking Vitamin C EVERYDAY, not just when your sick? Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that helps your cells to fight free radicals. Just by breathing in the air in a city atmosphere, your body is exposed to a ridiculous amount of toxins and free radicals. While many foods contain vitamin C, you could eat a 5lb bag of oranges and still not get into what's know as a therapeutic dose.  Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin which means your body does not store any for reserve and is essentially urinated out everyday. This is why Vitamin C needs to be replenished on a DAILY basis! Vitamin C is one of the most important lines of defense for your immune system!

2.Vitamin A

Vitamin A is also an essential nutrient for the immune system. It is another great antioxidant. Vitamin A also helps your body fight viral infections and helps your body to make new immune cells (the more you have the better!). Unlike Vitamin C, Vitamin A is a fat soluble nutrient, which means that what your body doesn't need it will store for later. Also, Vit. A is fairly easy to find in food. For example, just 1 cup of carrots has a enough Vit. A for your whole day! Spinach is also another great source of Vit. A.  But if you eat a diet that is not high in fruits and vegetables, you need to supplement with Vit. A, especially if your immune system is compromised.

3.Zinc

Zinc is super important for a strong immune system! It plays an essential role in the activation of Vitamin A and interacts with Vitamin C also. Zinc allows your body to speed up it's biochemical reactions, meaning is helps you get better faster! Zinc is another nutrient that needs to be supplemented because it is not found in very many foods in a therapeutic amount.

So you might be wondering, "how much of this stuff do I need to be taking?" Here are the recommended dosages to get you into that therapeutic range that I was talking about earlier:

Adults
Vitamin C- 3000mg-5000mg per day (FYI dont take Vit. C at night  , it will keep you up!)
Vitamin A- 25,000 IU for women, 9,000 IU for men
Zinc- 25mg per day regular usage, 40mg per day when you are sick

Kids 40-75 lbs. 
Vitamin C 1,500mg-2,500mg per day
Vitamin A- 12,000 IU per day
Zinc 12.5mg per day regular usage, 20mg per day when sick

Kids Under 40 lbs.
Vitamin C- 750mg-1,250mg per day
Vitamin A- 6,000 IU per day
Zinc- 6mg per day regular usage, 10mg per day when sick

Foods

1. Coconut Milk- Provides lauric acid which is a strong anti-viral.
  2. Cinnamon- Has an outrageous amount of antioxidants!
3. Oats- Provides  D-beta glucans which make viruses "sticky" so immune cells  can grab them and kill them!
4. Carrots- Provide high amounts of vitamin A.
5. Garlic- Provides a substance called Allicin which essential kills everything bad.
6. Pumpkin Seeds- Provides zinc.
7. Papaya- One of the highest food sources of vitamin C.
8. Avocado- Provides glutothione also know as "the Mother of all antioxidants" (super important!)

Herbal Remedies

1.Sambucus

This is one of my all time favorite herbal remedies! I keep a bottle in my medicine cabinet at all times! Sambucus is made from the black elderberry. It is a super strong anti- viral. Most of the time when we get sick it is viral, and not bacterial, which means antibiotics are not the answer! Using Sambucus during times when your immune system is weak is one of the best things you can do to kill those nasty viruses! It comes in a tasty syrup too, which means its super easy to get kids to take.






2.Medicinal Mushrooms
Don't worry, you don't have to eat them! Today, medicinal mushrooms are easily found in a pill form. You do need to make sure you are buying a high quality product though. Medicinal Mushrooms are the rock stars in the world of natural medicine. They are super immune boosters and are even used to support the immune systems of cancer patients who are going through chemotherapy. Like the oats I mentioned earlier, mushrooms provide D-Beta Glucans. This substance has amazing abilities to help anyone who has a compromised immune system.

3.Astragalus  

This is a very powerful herbal medicine that is an antioxidant. It is pretty easily found in most vitamin shops and health food stores. Astragalus is a member of the pea family of plants but the  part used for its medicinal properties is the root. Astragalus helps protects the liver from toxins, boosts the immune system, and  can even generate anticancer cells in the body. Now isn't that an amazing plant!


So there you have it! With the information I have provided you here, you should be able to cruise through cold and flu season with ease. Remember, antibiotics kill all of the good bacteria in your body and are also really hard on your digestive system. Antibiotics should never be your first line of defense when a sickness strikes. A healthy immune system will be able to fight and recover from a typical cold or flu without the use of antibiotics. One key thing to know is that most of the time a temperature of under 103 degrees is likely a viral infection. Above 103 degrees is more likely bacterial, and it is time to consult with your doctor at that time.

One final note to remember is that when you are sick or fighting infection, STAY AWAY FROM SUGAR! Refined sugars turn off your immune system, making it impossible to fight anything. In addition, refined sugars actually feed the infection!

I hope you all found this information useful and I look forward to hearing any questions or comments you may have.

Wishing you well,
Lisa