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

Healthy Fruit Smoothie Recipes

You can boost energy and improve your immune system by starting every day with an easy to make smoothie. I've been doing this every day for about 5 years and rarely even get a cold. Smoothies are easy to make and you can even make it the night before and grab it from the frig on the way out the door if you're short of time.

Immune Booster Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup fresh orange or pineapple juice
1 cup Green Tea to detox wastes, viruses and bad bacteria
1 cup strawberries, use fresh or frozen
1 cup vanilla yogurt-preferably low fat
1/4 cup almond butter
1 Scoop of Nuriche for a powerful boost of antioxidants
1-2 TBS spirulina powder
ice cubes

Set your blender on high speed and blend until smooth.

Spirulina gives energy a boost and it promotes cellular health. It's rich in antioxidants, vitamin B12 and iron, plus other great nutrients in easily absorbable form. Boosts energy and promotes good cellular health.

Fruit Smoothie Recipe - Peach Soy Smoothie

Ingredients

one cup peaches fresh or frozen
1 cup Green Tea
1 scoop of Nuriche
6 ounces tofu
1 TBS flax seed meal-preferably freshly ground

Blend all ingredients until they are smooth.

Flax seed contains beneficial omega 3 oils to protect the heart and soy helps increase your bone density.

Try these other options to boost health and energy. Use whatever strikes your fancy or change them every day!

• add a dash of cinnamon to help regulate blood sugar and help lower cholesterol
• Coconut oil
• add one dropper of ginseng extract for energy
• add one dropper of Astragalus as an immune system booster
• add one dropper of gingko to boost brain power
• add one dropper of dandelion extract for cleansing the systems of the body
• add 1/4 cup black cherry extract for joint health
• add 1/8 cup long cooking oatmeal for nerve health
• add one dropper of Echinacea extract if you feel like you're getting a cold or flu.
• add one banana for potassium-necessary for heart health and supports muscle and nerve health
  

Healthy Green Tea Smoothie Recipes