Without Dash

I was stunned this week by the following statement, made at NaturalNews.com:
“You have a 40 times greater chance of being struck by lightning at some point in your life than having your life saved by the swine flu vaccine”

The H1N1 swine flu is scaring the life out of millions of people. Or better said; the main stream media is doing that, because the swine flu itself isn’t doing very much. By now, we all see that the swine flu is not more dangerous than a seasonal flu and vaccines are not going to help much, as the article of Natural News is explaining. The vaccine itself might even be more dangerous than the virus itself. (At this point, that is. Of course, the virus could mutate into something dangerous, but then this vaccine is even more useless.)

Then, the whole idea of avoiding exposure to the virus is become a bit farfetched by now. Who doesn’t know anyone yet who had the swine flu? Who hasn’t been in contact yet with people carrying the virus? And this is only the start of the winter season. In a few months, everyone will be exposed to the virus several times over. The advice is to wash your hands, and cough in your elbow, but instead of focusing on avoiding exposure it would be far more useful to start focusing on our immune system to fight off the germs without doing too much harm.

The flu is most dangerous to people who have an immune deficiency ailment, not just the swine flu. For everyone else, it is important to take care of your immune system. Not just now with this swine flu pandemic, but at any point in your life. Your immune system works like a security crew 24/7, but even a security crew needs to be paid and kept happy to do its job right.

A large part of keeping your immune system working most efficiently is your diet. The lack of the right nutrients and antioxidants in your regular diet will eventually lead to immunodeficiency. To keep your immune system strong, you need to get plenty of protein, vitamins A, C, and E, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, selenium, calcium, iron, and antioxidants, including carotenoids like lycopene and beta carotene:

• Eat a diet that is high in protein, and low in carbs. The proteins are a building block for the immune system, whereas the carbs quickly convert to glucose, which stresses the immune system.
• Eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables for their vitamins, minerals, fiber, enzymes and antioxidants. Use a juicer to turn large quantities of raw fruits and vegetables into a manageable drink, or delicious smoothies.
• Drink plenty of water, at least 2-3 liters per day. The rule of thumb is to drink as many ounces of water as your weight is in kilogram. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages should not be counted as fluids. In case of strong alcoholic drinks, it could even cause to eliminate more water than the drink itself contains. It is recommended to add two glasses of water to your daily intake for every cup of coffee an alcoholic beverage.
• Stay away from refined sugar, which is a real immunity buster. It not only increases the insulin level, which in turn depresses the release of growth hormones, but it also slows down the absorption of Vitamin C, and it draws on the body’s nutrient stores in order to be metabolized into the system.

The next thing is to make sure that you get enough sleep. Your body needs to rest to stay in shape. Sleep deprivation is very common, with the busy lives that we are all trying to lead. But a tired body cannot produce the same amount of antibodies as a fit body does. Also, sleep is related to hormone levels, which are far more balanced in a well-rested person. How many hours of sleep is needed differs per person. Some people need only 6 hours, while others need 10 hours. It is also related to your life style and eating habits. Make sure that you get the sleep that your body needs.

Then, exercise! There is no need to embark on a training program for the Olympics. Regular, gentle exercise, like walking half an hour a day, increases the level of leukocytes (natural killer cells that fight infections). People who do not exercise have an increased risk for colds and flu. Regular exercise also helps fighting obesity. Excess fat cells in overweight people affect the immune system negatively, because obese bodies make fewer antibodies than a healthy body. Obesity also puts you at risk for diseases as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

And be happy! Taking time for yourself, relaxing, spending time with friends, listening to music, are all ways to reduce stress. Laughing and being happy help stress hormone levels drop and release growth hormones and endorphins. Stress hormones as cortisol and adrenaline suppress the immune system and can keep you from having a good night’s sleep, while endorphins benefit the immune system.

With a strong immune system, you do not have to worry about swine flu, or any other flu.

Tags: Health, swine flu