It’s October and the days are shorter, the temperatures cooler, and most importantly your body’s vitamin D production stops. When this happens, our defenses against the cold and flu become weak. Why is it that you do not get the cold and flu during the Spring and Summer? This is because your body is making 20-30,000 IU of vitamin D every day. Vitamin D is one of the many effective ways to avoid the flu and because you cannot get that protection from the beginning of October to the end of March is why many people get sick during this time period.
But if you are like most people and you do not want to get the flu vaccine which contains Thimerosal, an organo-mercury compound, then fear not there is a better, safer, and more effective way to protect yourself from the cold and flu viruses.
HOW TO GET VITAMIN D DURING THE FALL AND WINTER
The only way you can keep your blood levels of vitamin D up to where they were during the Spring and Summer is to take vitamin D3 supplements. It is physically impossible to get enough from food and from the sun at this time of the year. But just because your body makes 20-30,000 IU of vitamin D from the sun and then converting it to D3 every day during the Spring and Summer, does not mean you have to take that much every day during the Fall and Winter to be protected. Anywhere from 2-5,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day is sufficient, effective and safe.
However if you have diabetes, cancer, MS, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or any auto immune disease you will more than likely need to take much more than 5,000 IU per day. You shouldn’t make that decision on your own. Taking 5,000 IU per day is totally safe and effective. I take that much every day and if I should feel a cold coming on I double it to 10,000 IU per day until I do not feel the cold anymore and then I’m back down to 5,000. If you feel that you need more, then have your doctor perform a 25(OH)D blood test to determine how much more you need to take.
Studies have shown that 75% of Americans and even more of Canadians are vitamin D deficient. Simply put, the further away from the equator of the earth that you live the less vitamin D your body creates. Another factor in the lack of vitamin D production depends on how dark your skin is. So you must take vitamin D3 supplements during the Fall and Winter months for the best way to protect yourself from the cold and flu. Plus you will also get many other health benefits from taking vitamin D3. I get my 5,000 IU vitamin D3 from Puritan’s Pride, see why on My Reviews page.
IF THIS WERE A DRUG IT WOULD BE CALLED A MIRACLE DRUG
Another effective way to avoid colds is to consume an abundance of antioxidants. Though vitamin D3 is my top choice for antioxidant protection, there are hundreds of other antioxidants that can and should be taken. – After vitamin D3, Alpha Lipoic Acid would be your second best option. I have heard from a couple of doctors and researchers who have said that if Alpha Lipoic Acid were a drug it would be called a “Miracle Drug”. This is because of how effective it is at protecting the entire body from not just the cold and flu but also in its abundance of other health benefits.
We have all heard that vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant but Alpha Lipoic Acid is way more powerful than vitamin C. How is this possible you ask? All antioxidants are either water soluble, meaning they work their antioxidant powers in the liquid portion of your body or fat soluble by working in the fleshy fatty areas of your body. However Alpha Lipoic Acid is both water and fat soluble. Plus Alpha Lipoic Acid has the unique ability to recharge vitamin C and certain other antioxidants once those antioxidants lose their power to fight infections. It’s like adding a fresh tank of gasoline to your car once it is about to run out so you can drive further.
The only way to get therapeutic amounts of Alpha Lipoic Acid is through supplements, 300 mg per day will do the trick. Alpha Lipoic Acid, like vitamins D3 and C, is extremely cheap. You can get a 2-month supply anywhere from $7-$12.00 dollars, depending on where you buy it. There is no need to spend any more than that. Think about that. You spend $12 on one meal when going out to eat, yet you can get a 2-month supply of a potent antioxidant that will help you stay healthy for the same price or less. I buy my Alpha Lipoic Acid from either Vitamin World or Puritan’s Pride, which ever one has the better sale at the time I order.
EATING YOUR ANTIOXIDANTS
Next you will also want to get antioxidants into you from fruits and vegetables. The most potent of them all are any kind of fresh berries. Fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries,… and also melons since they can also act as a natural diuretic and help to flush toxins out of the body as well as provide you with antioxidants and fiber. Cantaloupe is the most powerful of melons and then Watermelon and next Honey Dew.
As for vegetables Carrots, Broccoli and Spinach are the top in antioxidant powers. However you should also eat a broad range of colorful vegetables such as different kind of red, yellow, orange and green peppers, other leafy greens such as parsley, kale and collard and other cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Being that most people myself included, have a hard time eating so many vegetables, having a juicer is the best way to consume your vegetables.
By consuming antioxidants year round but especially from October to the end of March, by way of Vitamin D3 and Alpha Lipoic Acid supplements and eating berries, melons and vegetables, you will have a strong immune system to fend off any cold or flu virus.
OTHER WAYS THOUGH HARDER TO ACCOMPLISH
Other effective ways to avoid getting sick is to practice good hygiene. Always wash your hands after coming inside from a public place and if washing your hands is not an option, use a hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your face, though this is extremely hard to do, until you can clean your hands. You get sick by germs entering your body through the eyes, nose and mouth. Getting sick can be as easy as you touching a door handle that has been infected by someone who was sick and then you now have the germs on your hand. Then you have an itchy nose or eye, you go to rub your itchy nose or eye and boom, you have infected yourself.
Depending on how hard (forceful) a sneeze or cough is, germs from that sneeze or cough can travel 7-10 feet and linger for hours. Avoid people who are clearly sick when at all possible. This option is almost as hard as not touching your face because when people are sick they do not take the proper course of action and stay home in bed for 2-3 days until they are no longer sick. So they come out into the population to infect everybody else. If you are sick and you have to go out wear an N95 disposable face mask so you do not spread the germs to other people. Obviously no one will do this because they do not want to bring attention to themselves. My answer to that fear is, either you wear a mask and be a responsible citizen or STAY HOME!
If you have any comments, please leave them below and I will reply back in short order.