Most anyone who is reading the newspapers or watching the news on television is more than aware of the latest threats to our health – top of mind for many is the flu. As we have seen in the past, outbreaks in one part of the world can be of concern to all—so it has never been more important to focus on doing all you can to protect your health—beginning with immune function and starting today. Your ability to stay well rests upon the vibrant functioning of your immune system. And while I’m not hear to tell you whether or not you should get a flu shot, here are a few simple things you can do to help prevent the flu:
- Eat a healthy diet, full of antioxidants and immune supporting nutrients. This means avoiding fast food restaurants (generally empty calories) and committing to eating at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
- Get plenty of rest. Your immune system can be very negatively impacted by inadequate sleep. Be sure to get at least seven hours per night (7 ½ to 8 ½ is ideal).
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands frequently. You don’t need antibacterial soaps; in fact, many experts are concerned that the widespread use of antibacterial products may contribute to the increasing prevalence of resistant bacteria that antibiotics do not work against! So, use plain ordinary soap, warm water, and wash your arms and wrists and lather up for 30 to 60 seconds before rinsing off. When hand washing is not possible, hand sanitizers are an option.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Wash down your countertops, bathroom wash areas, and other hard, non-porous surfaces that your hands contact with an effective germicidal product such as Shaklee Basic-G®. Basic-G has been tested and shown to be effective in neutralizing influenza type A viruses as well as a host of other microorganisms and the EPA has issued a statement that it believes, based on available scientific information, that the currently registered influenza A virus products will be effective against the 2009 – H1N1 flu strain and other influenza A virus strains on hard, non-porous surfaces.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
In addition to the simple things above, I recommend one more – take Nutriferon.
And here’s why…first, a little background -Shaklee wanted to do some basic research on how Nutriferon works to prevent viral infections in the lung. So they contacted scientists at Cornell University – world experts in the field of immunology – to do those experiments. The research was two prong. First, they showed how the lungs respond to a particular type of parainfluenza virus that is responsible for croup and bronchitis in children. Then, the same scientists studied how Nutriferon helps the lungs resist infection by flu viruses. In a nutshell, the study showed that Nutriferon activates “natural killer cells” when a flu virus infects lung tissue. This is a significant finding because, as their name suggests, natural killer cells play an important role in “killing” the flu virus. While this research is further proof of Nutriferon’s effectiveness, the chart below shows how cost effective and safe it is as well.
| TAMIFLU | NUTRIFERON | |
| Restrictions? | By prescription only | Non-prescription supplement |
| Active Ingredients? | Synthetic chemical compounds | Natural plant extracts |
| Effectiveness? | Only effective against influenza virus types A & B | Overall boost to immune system proven effective against Hepatitis C virus, allergy symptoms, symptoms of PMS, menopause and more. |
| Known side-effects? | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bronchitis, stomach pain, dizziness, headache
(FDA says this is not a complete list) |
None. |
| Repeat Treatment? | The safety and efficacy of repeated courses of treatment have not been established. FDA | Taken daily, Nutriferon strengthens immune response by boosting the body’s natural interferon |
| Cost? | Pay for Doctor visit: $50 – $150 to get the prescription
Pay Pharmacist $79 for 10 capsules |
RETAIL: one month for $45.90
Member price is $39 for monthly supply (OR 10% off when auto-shipped.) |
| Does it work? | Two other antiviral medications oseltamavir (Tamiflu) and zanamavir would probably work to treat flu caused by the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, but additional studies still need to be done to prove their effectiveness CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/antiviral.htm |
NutriFeron is a patented, clinically proven blend of immune-strengthening plant extracts.
The formula for NutriFeron is proven by four published human clinical studies
http://healthandwellness.myshaklee.com/us/en/category.php?main_cat=Nutrition&sub_cat=ImmuneSupport |
