dearJulius.com

3 Easy Tips to Outsmart the Flu

 3 Easy Tips to Outsmart the Flu

By Melissa Gotthardt, First for Women

Last year’s flu season was a doozy: It was dominated by a particularly aggressive strain called H3N2 — and twice as many people fell ill than usual, leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to deem 2017/2018 the most severe season in 15 years.

In response, scientists amped up their efforts to formulate a flu vaccine that can fell H3N2 more effectively. “But given the fact that viruses mutate rapidly, they’re notoriously difficult to predict from year to year,” points out Fred Pescatore, MD, an integrative physician based in New York City. “That makes it more important than ever to take steps that enhance the body’s natural ability to fight infection.”

Fortunately, several natural strategies have the study- proven ability to rally the immune system to amplify the body’s viral protection — and to lessen severity and recovery time if you do get sick. And since this season’s nasty viruses have already started making the rounds, experts suggest the following steps to help combat the flu (and the common cold too!) at any stage. 

 
 

To Help Prevent Illness

Upping your intake of mushrooms bolsters your levels of lymphocytes, white blood cells that defend against viruses. “Polysaccharides in mushrooms stimulate the activity of these specialized lymphocytes that protect against viral invaders,” Dr. Pescatore explains.

To fend off infection, he advises tossing two servings of white button, portobello, or shiitake mushrooms into soups and salads and supplementing with 1,000 mg of a mushroom extract called AHCC each day throughout cold and flu season (which typically ends in late April). In one study, AHCC doubled white blood cell counts within one day — and Dr. Pescatore says this cuts flu incidence among his patients by as much as 50 percent.
 
 
 

To Combat Symptoms

Elderberry syrup can lessen the severity of cold and flu symptoms and help you recover faster. “The anthocyanins in elderberry syrup keep viral cells from reproducing,” explains Tasneem Bhatia, MD. “And it’s been shown to increase the production of proteins that help lymphocytes coordinate their attack against infection.”

To get the benefits, she suggests taking 1 Tbs. of the sweet syrup four times a day — a strategy that shortened the course of illness by four days in one study. And for an added assist, cook with garlic. Research suggests this dials down infection by 58 percent because compounds in the herb have antiviral properties. 

 
 

To Prevent Reinfection

To re-energize your immune system after a bout of flu, Dr. Bhatia recommends enjoying fermented fare (such as 1⁄2 cup of sauerkraut, kefir, or kombucha) daily. “More than 70 percent of your immune system is found in the gut, and these foods supply the probiotic bacteria that recharge that system

after it’s done the taxing work of fighting an infection,” she explains. Indeed, researchers reporting in the British Journal of Nutrition found that boosting levels of probiotic bacteria reduced subjects’ annual sick days by 31 percent.

Also smart: See your friends. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh report that spending just 30 minutes of fun-filled time with people you care about each week reduces your odds of catching another viral illness by 67 percent.

|Featured Content_$type=three$c=3$l=0$m=0$s=hide$rm=0


A Part of Julius LLC
Made with in NYC by Julius Choudhury
Name

Acne,1,Advice,48,AIDS,1,Alcohol,5,Allergy,5,Animal Health,1,Anxiety,8,Asthma,3,Autism,1,Back Pain,26,Birth Control,1,Blood Pressure,2,Blood Type,1,Cancer,78,Children's Health,19,Coronavirus,32,Dandruff,1,Dementia,8,Dental Health,29,Dentistry,1,Depression,26,Diabetes,30,Diet,136,Disease,117,Drink,26,Drugs,3,Ears,3,Eczema,1,Exercises,62,Eye Health,30,Fat Loss,74,Featured,102,Features,167,Fitness,659,Fitness & Exercise,218,Flu,3,Food,77,Fruits,4,General,7,Get Healthy,68,Gut Health,2,Halloween,2,Headache,24,heal,1,Health,284,Health & Fitness,267,Health Care,650,Health Insurance,1,Health Tips,9,Healthcare Tech,7,Healthy,12,Healthy Eating,204,Healthy Habits,262,Healthy Living,150,Hearing,7,HIV/AIDS,4,Legs,1,Life,1,LifeStyle,3,Massage,5,Meditation,31,Men & Women,18,Men's Health,12,Mental Health,353,Multiple Sclerosis,1,Muscle Gain,3,Nutrition,490,Oral,4,Pain,24,Posture,9,Pregnancy,71,Psoriasis,1,Psychology,1,Recipes,51,Safety,4,Self-care,29,Sex,7,Sexual Health,20,Skin Care,36,Sleep,74,Smile,1,Snacks,1,Special,6,Special Feature,111,Stress Relief,40,Stroke,4,Teeth,5,Therapy,2,Tips,104,True Health,5,Vegetables,4,Weight Gain,22,Weight Loss,492,Wellness,98,Women's Health,172,Workouts,93,Yoga,64,
ltr
item
Health Magazine: 3 Easy Tips to Outsmart the Flu
3 Easy Tips to Outsmart the Flu
Looking to stay healthy this holiday season? Check out these professional tips for outsmarting the flu, or getting better faster!
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTk8TdWdWu3c8XtTEGeifF3t6FsBNeh0w-n0DCMd60y8kbXSXdZpFM9JUx-aQOWPAWEqqvS5krHw3Q_6ABbJ84yTSjE5JoEQMwZCUW1lPIK_vOCJzveGNSQsBqEMWVACU0haK_48_2MbT/s1600/dearjulius06.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTk8TdWdWu3c8XtTEGeifF3t6FsBNeh0w-n0DCMd60y8kbXSXdZpFM9JUx-aQOWPAWEqqvS5krHw3Q_6ABbJ84yTSjE5JoEQMwZCUW1lPIK_vOCJzveGNSQsBqEMWVACU0haK_48_2MbT/s72-c/dearjulius06.jpg
Health Magazine
https://health.dearjulius.com/2019/12/3-easy-tips-to-outsmart-flu.html
https://health.dearjulius.com/
https://health.dearjulius.com/
https://health.dearjulius.com/2019/12/3-easy-tips-to-outsmart-flu.html
true
3134246339347060015
UTF-8
Loaded All Posts Not found any posts VIEW ALL Read More Reply Cancel reply Delete By Home PAGES POSTS View All RECOMMENDED FOR YOU LABEL ARCHIVE SEARCH ALL POSTS Not found any post match with your request Back Home Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec just now 1 minute ago $$1$$ minutes ago 1 hour ago $$1$$ hours ago Yesterday $$1$$ days ago $$1$$ weeks ago more than 5 weeks ago Followers Follow THIS PREMIUM CONTENT IS LOCKED STEP 1: Share to a social network STEP 2: Click the link on your social network Copy All Code Select All Code All codes were copied to your clipboard Can not copy the codes / texts, please press [CTRL]+[C] (or CMD+C with Mac) to copy Table of Content