Q: Everyone at work seems to have a cold, flu, or sinus infection. What should I do to protect myself ? – Denise in Tulsa
A:
1) Wash hands frequently
Read what happened to the frequency of illness in an elementary school that scheduled hand washing 4 times daily.
Then, check out our tips on the best and worst hand sanitizers.
2) Avoid sweets. 1 teaspoon of sugar suppresses your body’s ability to fight off bacterial infection for 6 hours.
When you feel tempted, think about the discomfort of your last sinus infection!
3) Drink elderberry syrup.
In cell studies, elderberry binds to H1N1 flu as effectively as the drug Tamiflu does.
4) Have enough vitamin D.
In a clinical trial, supplementing school-aged children with 1200 IU vitamin D prevented influenza.
5) Take probiotics.
In a clinical trial, children who took probiotics got sick less often and recovered more quickly.
Seniors who received probiotics along with their flu shot had a stronger beneficial immune response to vaccination, suggesting that probiotics may make the flu vaccine more effective.
6) For a practical approach to the flu vaccine, check out this advice from Dr. Shani Fox in Portland, Oregon.
Merry Christmas and Healthy Holidays from the Restoration Health Care team.
