Acording to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), flu season can occur as early as September and last as late as May. All 50 states have reported outbreaks. What's the best protection? Given its contagious nature, fortify your defenses! Supplements or vaccinate? While the CDC warns supplement companies not to tout flu protection or treatment, here are a few flu facts they offer that you should know and a few from TyH. Remember always check with your health care professional for individual medical advice.

STOP THE SPREAD. Stay home. You can transmit flu to others up to 6 feet away by talking, sneezing or coughing contaminated "droplets". (This is one time not to share dishes and objects, too.) You can infect people 5-7 days after becoming sick.

BE PRO-ACTIVE & DEFENSIVE. A healthy immune system will eliminate viruses before they get a change to replicate. Wash your hands frequently. Don't touch your mouth or nose, vulnerable areas of flu entry. Maintain a healthy Vitamin D3 level. This pro-hormone supports immunity. Keep your GI tract eliminating toxins with a daily probiotic (supplement or live cultures in yogurt). Vitamin C and Green Tea Extract have both been shown to thwart viral replication. Consider Olive Leaf ES™, which has the ability to fight viruses even when they mutate to new strains (unlike the flu vaccine which is based predominantly on past flu strains.)

FIGHT IT IF YOU DO GET IT. First, rest to let your body do its job. Add nutritional ammunition. Naturopathic doctors suggest 50,000 IU Vitamin D3 for 3 days only. You can decrease D3 to 2000 IU on the 4th day. Take Vitamin C to bowel tolerance (loose stools), and decrease dose as you feel better. Zinc lozenges up to 50 mg a day may help. Skip the sugar. One teaspoon can lower your immunity for up to 4 hours. Sip on Green Tea.

BE INFORMED. Need more information? Check out the CDC website and these articles from the TyH Library.

• Cold & Flu Season, What's in YOUR Medicine Cabinet?
  
• Foolin' the Flu
• Immunity: Defend Yourself,
• Olive Leaf Extract, Immune Power from a Plant
• Vitamin D3 Dilemma

©TyH Publications (M. Squires). For informational purposes only.