OVERVIEW

Cross-culturally, we seem to have been trained to think that the flu is something that attacks us out of the blue and that we get it from co-workers, fellow airplane passengers, school kids and house guests.

We use terms like, “it’s going around,” or “I caught it from my husband.” But if we go by the symptoms, you might be surprised as to what a flu may actually be.

THE PROBLEM

Your body is equipped with a defense system to protect it from all sorts of assault, to one degree or another.

But when your defense system is weak or run down, you become susceptible to getting sick.

A lot has been said about the immune system, which consists of white blood cells, intestinal bacteria, the lymph system, antibodies and more. But sometimes this system is overwhelmed, resulting in runny nose, fever, vomiting, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, sore throat and other familiar symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 76 million foodborne illness cases occur in the United States every year.  This amounts to one in four Americans becoming ill after eating foods contaminated with such pathogens as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, Campylobacter, Shigella, Norovirus, and Listeria.

What few people realize is that their symptoms may be called a cold or flu, but they are often the result of being poisoned by restaurant food, too much sugar, bad fats, exposure to extreme temperature changes, drinking tainted water and not eating enough of the foods your immune system requires.

THE NATURAL APPROACH

Taking drugs, antihistamines and antibiotics does not in any way address a poisoned body or a suppressed immune system.

Instead, these chemicals attempt to quell the symptoms. What your body needs are nutrients from nature’s foods — nutrients that support your immune system, push out toxins, and feed your cells what they need to fight the flu.

THE RESEARCH

Antibiotics are usually prescribed for a cold and flu, but they are harmful and cause long term side effects such as yeast infections and lowered immunity because they kill good bacteria that are in your intestines and used to fight off foreign invaders. Victor Nizel, MD, an infectious disease specialist and UCSD assistant professor of pediatrics, said, “Overuse of pharmaceutical antibiotics often leads to bacterial resistance.”

Garlic is one of the most available antibiotic foods around, which is why it’s a main ingredient in Immune Support.

A research article by the American Chemical Society states, “As powerful antibiotics lose their punch against “superbugs” such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), scientists are searching for new antimicrobial agents from natural sources. Allicin, the major component of garlic, is one such agent, and it was recently shown to be potent against VRE and MRSA in two studies presented at the 41st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy….

“’The basic problem with VRE is that it colonizes the gut,’ says Jaya Prakash, National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL. ‘Many antibiotics used to control or prevent colonization also affect the normal flora.’ The ideal solution, she explains, would be to prevent colonization with a food substance, given the safety of such compounds over antibiotics. Furthermore, she adds, the chance of organisms developing resistance is low. “Even with small amounts of these agents, they don’t become resistant.”

Foods such as garlic, olive leaf extract and pau d’arco are proven to kill microorganisms, but do not cause the negative side effects of drugs.

SUPPLEMENTS

Immune Support is a supplement made only from foods and herbs. Take ten a day just as you feel yourself getting sick, as well as all the way through your cold to get through it faster.

CalMag Balance contains calcium lactate which is good for lowering fever and chills.

Super Greens offers rich nutrients to build your health even as you’re going through the phases of a cold.