With the flu season just getting underway, now is the time to get your immune system in the best possible position to protect you against flu, colds, and common respiratory illnesses.

October brings cooler temperatures – and the start of the cold and flu season. And even if there isn’t a serious outbreak such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, respiratory illnesses in general can take a serious toll on health, quality of life, and productiveness.

As there are no known cures for the cold and flu, prevention is the best medicine. There are a number of proactive steps – from personal and home hygiene to lifestyle and dietary changes – that you can take to help protect yourself and your family during this season.

PERSONAL AND HOME HYGIENE
Most cold and flu viruses are spread by direct contact – that is, someone who has a cold/flu coughs or sneezes into their hand, then touches a common use object and the virus is then picked up by the next person who touches that object. The germs can live for hours, or even weeks, on surfaces such as door handles, faucets, telephone, glassware, computer mouse, office equipment, kitchen counters, etc.

Wash Your Hands The best defense is to wash your hands often and completely with soap and water, but even rubbing your hands vigorously for a minute without either can help break up the germs. Or, use an alcohol-based sanitizer on your hands.

Wash Shared SurfacesSanitize shared surfaces often, such as those mentioned above, with bleach, sanitizing wipes or spray. Put kitchen sponges in the microwave or dishwasher to stop the spread of germs, and change hand or kitchen towels frequently.

Cover Your Cough or Sneeze But not with your hand – that just continues the germ-spreading cycle. Cough or sneeze into a tissue if possible (then throw it in the trash), or into the inside of your elbow, which is much less likely to come into contact with common surfaces.

Don’t Touch Your FaceNo matter how diligent you are with the washing and sanitizing, your hands can still have cold and flu germs, and the best way for them to enter your body is through your mouth, nose, and eyes. Keep your hands off of your face and it reduces the chance of transmission.

LIFESTYLE
The most effective way to stay well is to keep your immune system strong. Taking care of yourself can go a long way toward helping you prevent illness.

Exercise Regularly Findings continue to support the benefit of regular exercise in strengthening the immune system, enabling it to fight viral and bacterial infections. Aerobic exercise, specifically, helps increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.

Stay Hydrated Water helps to flush out toxins as it rehydrates you and keeps mucous membranes in your nose and lungs moist. Aim for 64 ounces (eight 8 ounce glasses) each day.

Don’t Smoke and Limit Alcohol Not only do heavy smokers get more severe and more frequent colds, but just being around smoke can increase your risk. Smoke dries out your nasal passages and paralyzes cilia, the delicate mucous membrane hairs that sweep cold and flu viruses out of the nasal passages. Alcohol suppresses your immune system at higher intakes, and also dehydrates the body.

Get Enough Sleep Your immune system functions much better when you get enough sleep. Most people really need about 8 hours per night for optimal health. Studies show that sleep deprivation has an adverse effect on immune function; if your body is fatigued, it simply won't be able to fight off the flu virus (or any other infection) very well.

De-Stress Relaxation techniques can actually activate your immune system, increasing the interleukins (immune system responders against cold and flu viruses) in the bloodstream.

DIETARY
Research suggests that following the right diet can not only help prevent colds and flu, but help ease symptoms if we get sick. Doctors have long known that people with nutrient deficiencies develop more infections than well-nourished people. Now, research suggests that certain healthful foods and nutrients can help our immunity even if we don’t have nutritional deficiencies.

Eat Plant-Based and Nutrient-Rich Foods The immune system needs certain nutrients to be strong and fully functional, and the natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost. Some of the best for immune function are fruits and vegetables, garlic, green tea, and cayenne pepper.

Add Yogurt to Your Diet Some studies have shown that eating a daily cup of low-fat yogurt can reduce your susceptibility to colds by 25%. Researchers think the beneficial bacteria in yogurt may stimulate production of immune system substances that fight disease.

Avoid Fast Food, Junk Food, Soft DrinksThese foods offer empty calories with little or no nutritional value. They may also create an environment that encourages bacteria and viruses to take hold; highly caffeinated soft drinks and salty fast food can cause dehydration, while sugary foods allow bacteria to thrive. Even small amounts of sugar can significantly impair your immune function, making you more susceptible to a flu infection.

Consider Supplements There are a number of vitamins and minerals that are known to play an important immune function, including vitamins D, A, C and E, copper, selenium, and zinc. In addition, herbs such as astragalus, elderberry and Siberian ginseng, and compounds such as probiotics, inulin and beta-glucan, have been shown to support the immune system, some specifically in regards to the flu. See Probiotics May Help Fight Flu Symptoms, Protecting Yourself Against H1N1 Flu and Are You Ready for This Flu Season for more information.

Immunity Support contains these (except vitamin D, found in Basic Nutrient Support) and other nutrients, herbs extracts and compounds recommended to achieve optimal immune function, in a convenient formula that is safe enough to take every day – before, during and after flu season. It has been designed to be taken with Basic Nutrient Support, which supplies the full spectrum of nutritional support – including vitamins, minerals, extracts, enzymes, bioflavonoids, and marine oils – needed to maintain a basis of good health.