Tips to Boost your Immune System

Swine Flu is now the topic of interest and is fast spreading literally and figuratively and causing some panic among people. As a health & fitness expert, I wanted to write up some easy to implement tips to help others guard themselves and their family against Swine Flu.

It appears a vaccine is some way off (see below), so your best measure right now is to look at measures to boost your immunity and stay healthy.

“U.S. scientists hope to have a key ingredient for a swine flu vaccine ready in early May, but tell The Associated Press that the novel virus grows slowly in eggs - the chief way flu vaccines are made.

Even if all goes well, it still will take months before any shots are available for the necessary safety testing in volunteers.”

Swine Flu is now able to be spread from human to human contact, so it is important you learn some tools to boost your immunity and stay safe during this growing pandemic.

Swine Flu is causing panic, so before you work yourself into a frenzy, just be aware of some of the symptoms. These include lethargy, runny nose, muscle aches, reduced appetite and potentially a fever, diarrhea and vomiting. These symptoms are considered normal for a regular flu, so if you feel that you may have severe symptoms, then get yourself to your doctor immediately, if not, just for peace of mind.

Everything you do, what foods you eat, how active you are, how stressed out you are and even how many close friends you have, all affect your immune system. This complex system works in a synergetic way with most, if not all facets of your life.

Tip 1:

Wash your hands!

I can’t stress this enough. Germs and viruses are passed from hand to mouth. Think about all the surfaces you touch on an average day. Enough said!

Wash your hands with Anti-bacterial gel if you don’t have immediate access to soap and water and then when you can, have a good hand scrub while singing (in your head) the “Happy Birthday” song twice through. This is how long you should ideally soap up your hands for and then rinse thoroughly.

Dry your hands on clean paper towels rather than air dryers, as they can just circulate bacteria. If there are no paper towels handy, pack a wad of tissues in your purse and use this while out and about.
Avoid shaking hands or kissing on the cheek when meeting mere acquaintance. Better to be safe than sorry. Also pack your own pens so you never use a public one, as they may be laced with all sorts of germs from countless people (eewww!).

If you have been out in a crowded area; public transport, busy street or mall, come home and wash your face thoroughly.

These little measures and actions can go a long way in making sure you don’t expose yourself to anything nasty. Stay home if you can and if you feel you may have flu symptoms, stay away from others and from work.

Tip 2:

Boost your immune system with food, a big key for boosting your defense against Swine Flu

Whip out your favorite chicken soup recipe. Stephen Rennard at the Nebraska Medical Center found that in a test tube chicken soup suppressed inflammation, which causes many cold symptoms. If you enjoy Chicken Soup, cook up a batch to help boost your immune system. “The Nebraska researchers used a traditional recipe they called “Grandma’s Soup,” which had veggies like onions, parsnips, and carrots, along with chicken. But most of the commercial varieties they tested reduced inflammation, too. For even more protection, add a clove or two of garlic.” (Source http://eating.health.com/2008/01/30/cold-fighting-foods/)

Chicken also contains an amino acid called cysteine that is released when you make chicken soup. This particular amino acid thins mucus and helps to speed up the recovery process.

Foods such as fish, salmon and sardines are also great for your body’s immune system, so make sure you consume these healthy foods around twice per week.

Start eating more vegetables and fruit.
With breakfast, have a cup sized amount of berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or strawberries). If these aren’t in season yet, them load your freezer up with the frozen variety and defrost the portion you need overnight in the Fridge.

Snack on fruit at your mid morning and then mid afternoon break. Mix up the fruits you need for an extra antioxidant hit. Try apples, citrus fruits (for a boost of Vit C) like oranges and kiwi, pears and whatever great fruits are in season, to ensure freshness and optimal antioxidants.

Load up on a variety of vegetables each day too. Fruits are cleansers for the body, but Vegetables are nourishes and rebuilders for the body. Both are important, but Vegetables pack a power punch when it comes to your health. Eat a mixed salad loaded up with cucumber, red peppers (capsaicin), red and white onions, celery and mixed lettuce with both lunch and dinner meals.

You will get some other great eating tips to boost your health as I can’t include them all here, via email over the next few weeks.

For more great tips on boosting your immune system, especially now during this Swine Flu pandemic, come to the below link to get a report on "7 secrets to boosting your immune system": www.healthmastery.co.nz/no-swine-flu