Each year, from roughly October to April, we are barraged
with advertisements warning us against “Cold and Flu Season” encouraging us to
get the latest flu shot and/or purchase a wide range of over-the-counter
medications to alleviate “flu-like” symptoms.
Have you ever stopped and wondered what happens to all of
those pesky viruses from May through September?
Do they migrate north to cooler climates? Do they all die off? What changes from May through September? Why do some people get sick every year and
others rarely, if ever, get a cold or the flu?
To answer my first question, the virus is still here with us
during the summer months. In fact, it is
usually sitting idle in the same people who were not negatively affected by the
virus during the winter months. These
people have strong immune systems which render the virus weak and so it remains
dormant in their systems. The reason we
see far fewer cases of colds and flu during the summer months is because the immune
systems of most people are far stronger in the summer than in the winter. The principle reason for this is longer and
warmer days. We spend more time outside,
usually exposing more skin to sunlight than in the winter. By exposing our skin to sunlight, our bodies
are able to manufacture vitamin D (actually a hormone) which is the most
powerful immune boosting nutrient for humans.
The cold and flu virus does not “go away” it is simply
overwhelmed by our own immune system.
So, you have a choice during “cold and flu season”, you can
run around with sani-wipes cleaning off every surface you touch, wear a face
mask wherever you go, and constantly squirt hand sanitizers into your palms or
you can simply (and more effectively) boost your own immune system to counter
the negative affects of the virus.
The means to accomplish this are actually quite simple. The first, and most effective, is to spend 30
minutes a day in direct sunlight, exposing your arms, legs, and head. Avoid the noonday sun and instead sit
outside in the morning or late afternoon.
Do NOT wear sunscreen. When the
weather is no longer suitable for doing this, supplement your diet with 5,000
IUs of vitamin D3 (Only D3 and NEVER
D2) and also take 50 mg of Zinc each day.
Take both nutrients with food.
If possible, ask your doctor for a blood test to measure your
vitamin D level. The OPTIMAL,
protective, immune-boosting serum level of vitamin D is 60 to 100 ng/mL. If your level is
below this, you can safely take up to 10,000 IUs of vitamin D3 a day to
increase the level. Some people have trouble assimilating vitamin
D in capsule form and therefore may have problems boosting their serum vitamin
D levels by taking vitamin D3 capsules alone.
For those people I also recommend supplementing their diet by taking
1,000 mcg of Vitamin K2 a day.
When we think of combating the flu, our
minds are often drawn to vaccines. Keep
in mind that the theoretical action of a vaccine is to stimulate and boost our bodies own
immune system response to combat the virus.
One approach is natural and has no negative side effects and the other,
well, depending upon your personal views of vaccines, may have very serious
side effects. Also, anti-bacterial soaps
for one, are not anti-viral and many contain Triclosan. Triclosan can have
rather nasty long-term negative effects on the body such as adversely affecting
the endocrine system, the heart muscle, and the gut microbiome. Triclosan has already been banned in many
states and countries. I do not recommend
their regular use.
You can be part of the hype, or you can
take control of your own health and protect yourself against seasonal
viruses. Not only will this protocol
help prevent colds and flu, it will also provide protection from a variety of
other chronic health issues such as cancer.
I realize that every person is different,
but since I started on this same protocol 10 years ago, I have not been sick
with a cold or the flu even once AND, I do not take the “flu shot” nor
obsessively wash my hands and wipe all surfaces with disinfectant pads.
For additional thoughts on preventing and
overcoming colds and flu, please refer to the following link:
