Flu Survival Tips "They" Don't Tell You

February -- the thick of cold and flu season.  A typical cold may last 8-9 days or longer, while a flu may last 4-7 days.  How quickly you recover depends on your lifestyle.

A strong immune system is your best defense against colds and flu!

We all know that getting plenty of rest, regular exercise, drinking plenty of pure water, monitoring stress levels and regular hand-washings are important factors to assist in cold and flu prevention.  But there are more keys to disease prevention you need to know to truly optimize your health.

• Avoid sugar and processed foods.   Natural sugar (fructose) occurs in many foods -- fruit is usually the first that comes to mind.  Your body knows how to convert this kind of sugar and use it for energy.  But there are other sources of sugar that can contribute to disease.  High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a food additive which lurks in fruit drinks and many processed packaged foods.  Most Americans consume 75 grams of HFCS per day, a level that can deplete your immune system by creating a gut flora imbalance.  This is crucial because 80% of your immune system lies in your gastrointestinal tract.  Avoid all HFCS products.  Keep your total fructose consumption below 25 grams per day when in good health, and lower it to 15 grams per day if you suffer from diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or are insulin resistant.  In addition to HFCS juices, avoid foods which process as sugar, such as pastas and breads (grains).

• Vitamin D deficiencies.  One reason why colds and flu rise in winter months is due to lack of sun exposure.  Twenty minutes of unprotected, natural sun exposure per day boosts Vitamin D3 levels.  If this is not possible, a Vitamin D3 supplement is better than not doing anything for yourself.

• Avoid over-the-counter pain relief medications.  Taking aspirin or acetaminophen may actually suppress your body's ability to produce antibodies to destroy the cold virus. When taken in excess, aspirin has also been linked to an abnormal fluid build up in the lungs.  Only use these medications when absolutely necessary, such as if you have a temperature greater than 105 degrees F (40.5 degrees C), severe muscle aches or weakness.

• The over-prescribing of antibiotics.   Antibiotics weren't created for viruses, and DO NOT WORK against them.  Unless you have a bacterial pneumonia/bronchitis, an antibiotic will likely to more harm than good because you'll be increasing your susceptibility to developing infections with resistance to that antibiotic -- and you'll become the carrier of this bug and can spread it to others.

Foods that Strengthen Your Immune System

• raw milk

• raw, crushed garlic

• turmeric

• cloves

• oregano

• cinnamon

• coconuts and coconut oil

• Reishi, Shiitake and Maitake mushrooms

• fermented foods, such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso

• organic vegetables

• organic eggs from free range chickens (no antibiotics)

Kick-start your prevention/healing with supplements

• Olive leaf extract

• Oregano Oil -- excellent anti-viral

• Vitamin C

There's increasing scientific evidence to show that flu shots are NOT effective in flu prevention.  The Cochrane Database Review, the gold standard for assessing the effectiveness of common medical interventions, published five reviews between 2006 and 2010, completely decimating the claim that flu vaccinations are the best course of action to prevent the flu.

Basic good health practices are still the best prevention.  Homemade Chicken Soup is a favorite remedy.  Be sure to start with pure water and organic, raw, free range, antibiotic-free ingredients --- and skip the noodles!

Fat-Burning Foods That Bust Fat-Storing Grenades

Read ingredient labels carefully before purchase.

It's February!  Time to start planning for "bikini season".  Wanna lose a few pounds?  We'll make it easy for you to make good food choices.

Start by ditching the orange juice, artificial sweeteners (Equal, Splenda, etc.), artificial butter (I Can't Believe It's Not Butter-type products), whole wheat bread and pasta, and processed soy milk.  Many products are advertised to be "natural" or "good for you", but they aren't. Don't be fooled!

Your enemies:
• Foods that metabolize as sugar, such as whole wheat bread and pasta.
When your blood sugar levels are more than 100-120 for an extended period of time, insulin is released, forcing the body to store fat.  There are more benefits to eating an orange than drinking orange juice -- and you'll consume a lot less sugar!
• Fats that make you store fat versus fats that make you burn fat.
Hydrogenated oils, canola and vegetable oil, margarine and artificial butter products all make the body store fat.  Read the ingredients label. You won't see real food names, but you'll see chemical names -- and your body will store them as fat.
• Artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and processed soy products.
Most processed foods contain bad fats, a lot of sugar, and a lot of chemicals your body won't break down.  These compromise your liver.  You won't lose weight when the liver is working overtime in an effort to break down chemicals.
• Packaged 'healthy' snacks, 'health' bars, 'healthy' cereals, etc.
These are generally fat storage grenades, as they contain artificial sweeteners and chemical food additives.

Your friends:
• Millet, quinoa and sprouted grains.
• Fruits and vegetables (no limits) - fat burners
• The right kind of fats, such as avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, raw nuts and (real) butter increase the metabolic process to burn off unwanted fat.
• Foods that contain ONE ingredient, like steak, fish, chicken, eggs, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, rice, sweet potato, etc.

Remember, losing weight is NOT about calories.  It's about the quality of your food choices and the metabolic effect they have on your body.  You can eat a lot of the right foods and still lose weight.

LNH always suggests consuming organic, Non-GMO Verified foods.