Natural approaches
To ward off infection this fall and winter, begin to strengthen the immune system with food and supplements.

Eat garlic: shown to be an intense immune booster and it kills several types of bacteria and viruses. Load up on garlic in your food (pasta and sauces), and take an odourless garlic supplement to reap the benefits of the active allelic sulfide compounds.

Supplement with Vitamin C: one of the most powerful immune boosting vitamins around. This precious water-soluble vitamin is found in oranges, orange juice, broccoli, other fruits and vegetables and high quality multi-vitamins. Chewable Ester C or Vitamin C supplements are readily available. An additional immune booster is liquid Vitamin C combined with zinc.

Zinc it up: if C is the ‘super immunity’ vitamin, then zinc must be the ‘super immunity’ mineral, involved in the production of a type of immune building white blood cell called T-lymphocytes. Since soil erosion has caused reduced levels of zinc in food, most people are low in this mineral, leading to widespread immune problems.

The richest food sources of zinc include beef, lamb, pork and salmon; vegetarian options include dairy products (yogurt), whole grains, beans, nuts and nut butters, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Widely-available, zinc lozenges are very effective for sore throats.

Eat probiotic-rich foods: probiotics are the ‘good’ bacteria that naturally inhabit the digestive system. Unfortunately, due to long term antibiotic use, a low fibre diet or a diet heavy in refined flours, sugars and/or alcohol, digestive microflora (the ‘good’ bacteria) can be compromised, causing health to suffer. Probiotics like acidophilus or bifidus promote health by suppressing the growth of harmful bacteria, improving immune system function and enhancing the protective barrier of the digestive tract. They are also helpful in the production of Vitamin K. Probiotics are kept refrigerated and available in capsule, liquid or powdered form. For best results, select a mixed-strain probiotics supplement with five billion organisms per capsule.

Reduce sugar intake: white blood cells fight off infection. A scale called the leukocytic index is often used to measure how many invaders a white blood cell can kill within an hour. The average grading on the leukocytic index is approximately 13.9. According to Dr. Stoll, author of Saving Yourself from the Disease-Care Crisis, within 15 minutes of consuming 100 grams of refined sugar, the leukocytic index rating drops to approximately 1.4. In other words, the average person loses over 90% of immune function in this short time. It’s best to avoid sugar-laden food products like pop, candy, cookies and cake, especially when you are starting to feel run down. Opt for natural sweet choices such as fruit, healthy homemade popsicles or baked goods sweetened with apple sauce or yogurt.

Get alkaline: all foods, after being digested and metabolized, release either an acid or an alkaline base (bicarbonate) into blood. Refined grains, meat, poultry, shellfish, cheese, coffee, milk, and salt all produce acid whereas most fruits, vegetables, beans, almonds, olive and soy tend to be alkaline. The body thrives in an alkaline state rather than an acidic state. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, for bacteria or a virus to flourish in an alkaline state. Your alkaline state can be measured by your urinary or salivary pH (potential of hydrogen). To test your saliva, simply purchase pH paper from your local pharmacy or health food store. Wait at least two hours after eating, fill your mouth with saliva and swallow it. Do this once more to ensure your saliva is clean, and then test with pH paper. In the normal range (7.2 - 7.4), the paper turns blue. If excessively acidic due to diet, medication or for other reasons, the paper turns a greenish yellow. If you’re overly acidic, be sure to get 70% of your food intake from an alkaline source and 30% from acidic choices. Opt for green powders in your morning shake, liquid chlorophyll in your daily water and alkaline forming foods like dark leafy greens (spinach and broccoli).

Stay hydrated: with water and diluted natural juices. This is one of the most effective ways to flush out the system and avoid infection. Products that are labeled fruit drink, fruit beverage, punch, cocktail or -ade may look and even taste like real juice, but they are likely a mixture of sugar and water. Check the ingredient list. If the first words are water, sugar, glucose-fructose, artificial flavor etc., then the product only contains a small amount of real juice and you want to avoid these.

Rest: sleep and rest are the best methods to help restore and revitalize the immune system. Tuck yourself or your little ones in early to get at least 8 hours, and allow an extra nap to help the healing process.

Take home point
In addition to focusing on prevention, following the steps above will help to reduce the frequency and duration of a cold or flu, making the entire family feel healthier and sniffle-free.  H&L

Dr. Joey Shulman’s latest national best selling book The Last 15 – A Weight Loss Breakthrough is available in all bookstores. For more information or to book your free weight loss assessment, please visit www.drjoey.com