Let the FLU Go Around YOU

The barrage of commercials trumpeting the horrors of the upcoming "flu season” come and go every year. "It's never too soon to begin fighting this year's bug" they blare hoping to excite worry and concern. Public health announcements urge us to get our "yearly flu shot", as if this is something we've got permanently scheduled in our planners. All the leading over-the-counter pain medications offer special seasonal "flu" mixtures, and their ads deluge daytime and prime-time broadcasting. For the health consumer, namely us, it seems as if this annual "war on the flu" is received wisdom.  We're just defenseless human beings at the mercy of the all-powerful flu virus.

What's wrong with this picture?

What's never mentioned in the "flu warning" marketing is the versatility and adaptability of our remarkable immune system. We're the lucky owners of a built-in state-of-the-art biowarfare system, on-the-job 24/7 to combat microscopic foreign invaders of our health and well-being. Once our immune system has detected a foreign protein it mounts an immediate defense, attacking and destroying the alien molecules. And, the memory of that particular invader is permanent, enabling a future immune response to be swift and effective.

The big issue with influenza is that new strains appear each year. We've never encountered these germs before. But, the whole basis and strength of our immune system is flexibility. It is specially designed to respond quickly to new attackers. And, for the most part, it does this very, very well.

In the real world, our immune systems can be weakened due to life habits, circumstances, and stress. Stress is a notorious compromiser of immune defenses. And, of course, being human, there's plenty of stress from dawn to dusk.  If worry and anxiety pile on top of not-enough-sleep or sub-optimal nutrition, getting sick is a pretty likely outcome. So, developing and maintaining healthy habits of living and successful strategies for managing stress is really the key.

If you do the simple things that keep you healthy and well, in the winter months you can pretty much "let the flu go around you". You can be confident, knowing you've done the work to fight off the latest flu threat. Someone else's germs are their germs, not yours. If your immune system is on the job, you're far less likely to "catch" something. And, even if you do succumb, you've got a much better chance of getting well again quickly.

Basically, your immune system works spectacularly well, provided you take care of yourself. Good health perpetuates good health.

Peak Performance Immune System Tips:

·       Drink plenty of water - six to eight glasses each day (half your body weight in ounces is best)

·       Eat several servings of fruits and vegetables each day ( juice it or smoothie it too!)

·       Take vitamin/mineral supplements to fill in the gaps in an urban diet

·       Supplement omega 3 oils and vitamin D3

·       Get sufficient sleep - on average, seven to eight hours each night

·       Exercise regularly - five days per week, at least 30 minutes each day ( get out and walk!)

·       Meditate and/or engage in quiet time regularly to center yourself

Sompayrac L: How the Immune System Works, 2nd ed. Blackwell, 2002.

Wein H:Stress and disease - new perspectives. NIH Word on Health, October 2000.

The Truth About Your Immune System - What You Need To Know. Harvard Health Publications, 2007.