Dad's Health Tip of the Week - Are you ready for Flu season?

Here are a few tips to keep your immune system up to par at the start of the flu season. 

The first thing you need to do is to keep yourself hydrated. It’s very easy to become dehydrated especially in the winter when the heat is on. A couple of signs that you are becoming dehydrated are: dark urine, dry mouth, and dry skin. You should try to drink a minimum of a half gallon of water every day.

Another important point is to eat a healthy diet that includes foods rich in antioxidants such as greens and berries.  By following some of the recipes on this blog you can increase your immune system and help fight off the flu.

Supplementing with vitamins is also a good idea but make sure they are from a good company. Some of the cheap store bought vitamins may save you money but as a rule of thumb you get what you pay for. Look for vitamins derived from food sources, your body can utilize them more efficiently.

If you start to feel symptoms of the flu, there is a great product you can get that has shown to reduce the duration and ease the effects. The product is called Oscillococcinum.

Oscillococcinum has been shown in clinical trials to help reduce the severity and shorten the duration of flu symptoms.

Oscillococcinum works rapidly, with 63 percent of patients showing complete resolution or clear improvement at 48 hours. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the recovery rate within 48 hours of treatment was significantly greater in the group that received the active drug than in the placebo group.

Unlike other flu medicines, Oscillococcinum does not cause side effects, such as drowsiness, and has no known or reported drug interactions. Oscillococcinum is regulated as a drug by the FDA3 and can be purchased at pharmacies, natural food stores and supermarkets.

Make sure you have Oscillococcinum on hand because it works best when taken early. I recommend Oscillococcinum at the first signs of flu.

My supplement recommendations:

Men’s or women’s multi vitamin by Irwin Naturals

Oscillococcinum by Boiron

Greens Plus powder by Greens Plus

These supplements can be purchased for the best prices at www.physicaladdictions.com

I also recommend Kangen water ionizer from Enagic   www.great2hydrate.net