Boost Your Immunity to Colds and Flu

1) Take a vitamin D supplement every day. Check our Vitamin D guide for details about choosing the proper dosage.

2) Get as much sunlight as you can for as late into the year as you can manage. Even getting sunlight on just your face helps produce more vitamin D in your body.

3) Drink immune-boost beverages like organic Cocoa Mojo, which contains a blend of 4 medicinal mushrooms. And it tastes like a delicious hot chocolate!

4) Use a high-quality air filter in your home to filter out bacteria and mold spores that may be circulating inside your home.

5) Get regular exercise to boost your circulation and immune strength. This exercise should be frequent and moderate. Do not over-stress yourself at the gym, or your immune system will be temporarily compromised.

6) Take supplements especially designed to protect your respiratory tract. These include Lomatium, Osha, Elderberry and more. You’ll find many of these in the herbal medicine cabinets offered at the NaturalNews Store.

7) Take measures to minimize your exposure to immune-damaging chemicals such as those you’ll find in laundry products, cosmetics, personal care products and fragrance products. The artificial fragrance chemicals found in most of these products are carcinogenic and cause liver damage.

8) Get off all medications that you can safely eliminate! Work with a naturopath to accomplish this, of course, as quitting medications cold turkey can also be dangerous. Most medications suppress your immune system, liver function, kidney function and even your reproductive function.

9) Eat more meals that are rich in pungent spices. Eat more curry, which is rich in turmeric. Eat more ginger. Eat more cilantro, rosemary, thyme and other rich spices. This includes cloves and nutmeg, two spices you’ll typically find in eggnog drinks. These spices boost immune function and taste great, too!

10) Clean up your diet. If you’re eating cheese and drinking processed milk, those substances are to be avoided during the winter influenza season, especially. In many people, cheese and dairy products tend to cause sinus stuffiness, which is really a lack of sinus circulation. This can make you more susceptible to physically catching and harboring a virus floating around.

11) Boost your trace minerals intake, especially zinc. Both zinc and selenium are hugely important for immune function. Zinc is especially well known for functioning as a shield support against many viral attacks. One of the best ways to boost your trace minerals intake is to switch to a natural sea salt or a high-mineral salt. We’ll be offering these salts by Thanksgiving, by the way.

12) Move your lymph! Rebounders (mini trampolines) are great for this purpose. Jumping rope also works, as does just hopping in place for a few minutes each day. You can also do arm rotations and other simple movements to keep your lymph circulating. Lymph movement is crucial for immunity.

13) Take immune-protective herbal tinctures such as goldenseal, garlic, echinacea, osha root and elderberry. All of these herbs are found in the Enerfood Herbal Medicine Cabinet – intermediate. We also have a “basic” and “advanced” kit available.

14) While you’re at it, wash your hands more frequently. Many of the infections we receive during the flu season come from us touching contaminated surfaces and then touching our eyes, nose or mouth. The simple act of washing your hands can dramatically cut down on viral infections.

15) At the same time, demand high levels of hygiene by those around you. Ask them to wash their hands, for example. Ask them to boost their immunity with herbs, nutrients and supplements that really work. In fact, when others fail to boost their immune systems, it’s actually highly irresponsible on their part. Merely relying on a vaccine is actually putting other people at risk, since vaccines don’t work 99 times out of 100.

16) Have an emergency supply of colloidal silver available. Not only do you want the liquid colloidal silver, you may also want to consider an inhalable form of silver like what you’ll find in the Silver Lungs product. At the Natural News Store, we currently carry GHC’s colloidal silver product called Silver Fuzion, and we’ll soon be carrying Sovereign Silver products.

17) Get plenty of sleep. A lack of sleep compromises the immune system.

18) Reduce your levels of chronic stress, if possible. Stress also compromises your immune system, and it even “uses up” nutrients in your body, leaving you nutritionally depleted.

19) Drink more “live” vegetable juice. If that sounds too cold, make yourself some warm but raw vegetable soups. Search online for recipes. My favorites include a raw avocado soup recipe using red peppers, to which I add some Tobasco sauce. You make these soups in a blender like the Vita-Mix.

20) Laugh a little! Watch some comedy movies, or spend some fun time with family and friends. Laughter boosts immune function at many levels. It’s good for your body and your mental health. Find creative ways to expose yourself to comical situations and you’ll benefit as a result.