Many of us think that flu season is over once the weather begins to get better and the temperature begins to point towards spring ahead. Did you know that flu season can actually span into spring? That means that we are not as close to the end of the flu season as we might have thought or hoped.
Since this is the case, it is important we continue to do what we can to protect ourselves against the flu. There are a number of people that believe in the protection of the flu shot and that if they receive the shot, they will not get sick with the flu all season. Well, that is not exactly true. Believe it or not but the vaccine is not 100% effective. The vaccine is created to prevent illness from the three most likely flu viruses in circulation for a given year. There are many flu viruses in circulation. How do we know which flu virus we will be infected with? How do we know the vaccine will be effective if we happen to “catch” the right bug? The answer is we don’t know.
The best option we have to stay away from the flu the rest of this year is to continue strengthening our immune system! Following are some tips to help you do just that:
1) Continue your adjustments! Chiropractic care is a great way to keep your immune system and nervous system functioning properly.
2) Maintain a good diet. Drink plenty of liquids. Try to do your best to stay away from too many sugar-rich foods and increase your intake of green veggies. You might also want to decrease the intake of dairy as well because this can cause mucus build-up.
3) Exercise! Now that we are starting to see some breaks in the weather, get out there and do some walking, jogging, or sports. Try to work out about 30 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week.
4) Do your best to maintain your stress level. Practice breathing exercises to control those crazy days and make sure you are sleeping on a good mattress at night that promotes good support.
5) Vitamin Supplements will also help but are not the whole answer. They should be used in conjunction with the suggestions above. Following are some supplement recommendations for this time of year:
a. Vit A 25,000iu/day
b. B-Complex 150mg/day
c. Vit E 400iu/day
d. Vit C 1000mg/2-4 x day
e. CoQ10 60-180mg/day
f. Selenium 200mcg/day
g. Zinc lozenges 50-150mg/day
These tips are easier said than done and we at Monmouth Pain and Rehabilitation know this very well. The good news is that we can help. Come in for a complimentary stress and immune system screening so we can help get you started.
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