As cold and flu season begins we are once again being advised by the allopathic medical community to go out and get our annual flu shot. If this annual vaccination was as effective as they claim, why do we have a long “season” every year where we are far more prone to getting sick? Shouldn’t this have been taken care of by now?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
How well the flu vaccine works (or its ability to prevent flu illness) can range widely from season to season. The vaccine’s effectiveness also can vary depending on who is being vaccinated. At least two factors play an important role in determining the likelihood that flu vaccine will protect a person from flu illness: 1) characteristics of the person being vaccinated (such as their age and health), and 2) the similarity or “match” between the flu viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against and the flu viruses spreading in the community. During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating viruses, it’s possible that no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed.
With this information in mind, what can you do to stay healthy this upcoming season? Let’s start by thinking about what we miss in the winter but get a lot more of in the summer: vitamin D. Vitamin D, which we get from the sun in the summer, is vital to keeping your immune system strong and healthy. Health Canada now recommends that all Canadians take a vitamin D supplement. From my clinical experience, I suggest that most people take between 1000 and 5000 IU daily of vitamin D3 daily. If you are wondering about your vitamin D level, it can very easily be checked with a standard blood test through your medical doctor; however in Ontario we now must pay for this test.
There are a plethora of natural health products on the market that one can take to boost the immune system or kill these nasty bugs if we do get them. I do suggest that you seek advice and purchase your products from a reputable health care provider. Everyone is unique and will respond differently to the various herbs, vitamins, minerals, probiotics and homeopathics that are typically used to ward off these nasty bugs. If you suffer from an auto-immune disease then you need to be very careful about “boosting” your immune system.
Lately there has been some buzz in the news about non-professional grade supplements being contaminated with fillers and toxins:
You will find these supplements at your local drug and grocery stores. All of the products that I personally recommend are of professional quality and are third-party tested to ensure that what the label says is actually in the bottle without unnecessary fillers or toxins.
We all know the standard advice about washing our hands, getting plenty of rest, taking our vitamin C, staying hydrated, eating chicken soup and staying home when we are under the weather. Believe it or not, it is normal to get sick once or twice each year. This is actually healthy because it builds your immune system and helps your body to detoxify. Your body should be able to fight these inconveniences without the use of antibiotics with the help of the right supplements and rest. It is not normal to be sick all the time. If you or your children are sick all the time then there is an underlying issue. Seek advice from a natural health care practitioner like myself for help.
Please visit www.divinewellness.ca for information on Kim's services and to read her other blog articles.
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