Swine Flu - Avoid it by Boosting Your Immune System

The recent panic over swine flu is closing schools, canceling church services and scaring everyone. It appears that everybody who contracted Swine Flu in the United States has had a mild case and recovered quickly. However, nobody wants to get the flu. How to avoid getting the Swine Flu? By boosting your immune system which keeps you from ever contracting the virus in the first place.

To boost your immune system and avoid getting swine flu, you can follow simple health precautions, such as washing hands frequently and avoid touching your nose and mouth when you're out in public. You can also take certain supplements and eat certain foods to boost your immune system and avoid Swine Flu.

Boost Your Immune System with these Foods

• Green Tea -Avoid Swine flu by adding 4 cups of this antioxidant packed drink to your daily diet. Drink it hot or cold, with a little lemon juice. Vitamin C, when taken with green tea, boosts the absorption of the antioxidants by 20%.
• Garlic - Garlic is a terrific ingredient in your anti-Swine flu arsenal. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and anitviral. You ahve to eat it fresh and crushed or minced, to bring out the healthful properties. Add it to salsa, salad dressing or on a piece of buttered toast.
• Berries, especially blueberries, acai and gogi berries boost the immune system, but all kinds of berries contain antioxidants.
• Ginger - Ginger in all forms boosts the immune system.
• Honey is also an antiviral and boosts the immune system. Add to your tea instead of sugar.
Do an herbal detox regularly for health and wellness.

Supplements, Natural Herbs and Extracts to Help Boost the Immune System
Here are some supplements and herbal extracts you can take daily to keep your immune system in peak condition and avoid the Swine flu or other illness:

• Astragalus - herbal extract can be taken daily. Try it in an immune boosting smoothie.
• Ashwagandha - an herbal extract that helps the body handle stress and boosts the immune system.
• Vitamin C - I take a powder packet with 1,000 mg per day.
• Vitamin D - besides improving bone health, vitamin D also helps the immune system.
• Take a good multi-vitamin - preferably a whole food vitamin.
  

If you've been exposed to someone who is ill or you feel that first tickle of a sore throat, try these remedies immediately:

• Echinacea/goldenseal herbal extract - I prefer extracts as they hold potency better than pills which can sit on shelves for some time. Echinacea should only be taken about one week at a time or it lose its effectiveness.
• Elderberry extract - or elderberry juice is antiviral and helps to kill the virus before it takes hold. When taking elderberry extract, be sure to eat something with it as it can upset the stomach.
• Eat fresh, minced garlic.
• Add Cayenne pepper to some salsa and make it as hot as you can and eat some. According to Chinese Medicine this helps warm your body and kills germs.
• Add extra cranberry juice, green tea, acai berry or gogi berry juice to your daily routine.
• Drink some Holy Tea to flush toxins, viruses and bacteria from your system. Calli is very effective if you drink it every day as well.

If you get the Swine Flu or any kind of illness, try this recipe:

Warm lemonade

Boil one cup of water, squeeze in the juice of two lemons. Add honey to taste, plus 2 dashes of cayenne pepper. Drink this several times a day until your cold is gone or you have averted it.
Other Natural Immune Boosters to help you avoid Swine Flu:

• Get plenty of sleep to boost your immune system.
• Drink lots of water - This keeps the germs and toxins flushed from your body.
• Exercise - Keep your body in shape for peak immunity.

Boosting the immune system should be a way of life, not just during times of worry over illnesses like Swine Flu. Your immune system protects you from not only minor illnesses, but more serious illness and disease, like cancer and common ailments like allergies. A healthy immune system means you have more time to enjoy life and isn't that what we all want most?

Read more about adding superfoods to your daily diet to boost your immune system