FitSugar

5 Ways to Make Your Home a Safe Haven From Colds and Flu

Michele Foley — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:07:44 PST

A home is supposed to be a safe haven away from the outside world, but it's often the reason we come down with cold or flu viruses. Take back your home and health by doing these five things to ensure you're living in an immunity-boosting environment!

Feeling Sick? Do These 3 Things Stat

Leta Shy — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:16:08 PST

It starts with a few sniffles, a scratchy throat, or a nagging cough. Many times you don't think twice about it, either because you're too busy or you just hope it goes away soon. As soon as those telltale signs of an oncoming cold appear, follow these tips to encourage a speedy recovery.

Take zinc: When the sniffles strike, take zinc; it's been proven to shorten the life span of colds, as well as make symptoms less severe. The studies found that zinc only works when taken as soon as your cold symptoms begin, so hit the cold aisle as soon as you notice any rundown feelings.
Make rest a priority: You don't have to quarantine yourself, but you do have to rest. If you feel a cold coming on, don't just ignore it; revamp your schedule so your day includes plenty of rest. Whether that means canceling evening plans or foregoing the DVR for an earlier bedtime, make rest a priority.
Drink water and tea: Staying hydrated should be your top priority, but that doesn't mean you should reach for sugary sodas or dehydrating cocktails. Keep your water bottle full and drink some warming tea (try our recipes for cold-fighting ginger tea and sage tea for a cough) to hydrate and feel better.

Besides these three things, don't forget to exercise regularly (but not if you're too sick!); it helps build your immunity so you can cut colds short or prevent them from happening in the first place.

6 Unique Ways to Fend Off Illnesses and Avoid Medical Bills

Emily Co — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:57:16 PST

There are very few things that are worse than getting sick. Not only will you have pricey medical bills to pay, but you may also have to skip out on work. Fortunately, you can employ plenty of preventative methods to avoid falling ill. We've heard the usual "eat right and exercise" advice, so here are a couple of tactics that you may not have heard of:

Immune boosters in a pill: Although you've heard of the usual immune boosters like vegetables and fruits, there are a couple of holistic cures you might want to try. There's New Chapter's LifeShield Immunity ($20), which is a supplement made out of a combination of mycelium, fruiting bodies, spores, and extracellular compounds from tonic mushrooms.
Take ginseng with your vaccine: When you get a flu vaccine, try taking some ginseng with it so you'll bounce back from the effects of the vaccine. There was a study done in which only 13 percent of the group of participants who took ginseng with flu vaccinations caught colds vs. 37 percent of the placebo group.
Trick yourself psychologically: Don't discount old wives' remedies! Even if you don't have any scientific proof, perhaps the cures have some sort of psychological effect that results in physical effects. For example, a cure for cough that works for me is rubbing vapor rub over my feet and wearing socks at night. Another scientifically disproved treatment is Airborne, which somehow always fends off a cold when I feel one coming on.

Read on for more tips.

5 Quick, Easy Ginger Recipes For Kids

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:00:02 PDT

Ginger has been used for centuries as an immune system booster, thanks to its antibacterial and antiviral properties. In addition, ginger helps alleviate indigestion and other stomach upsets. Warming and soothing, ginger can also help alleviate respiratory problems like coughs, bronchitis, and asthma. Especially during the upcoming flu season, keep your family healthy with these five kid-friendly preparations of ginger. Get the recipes.

Feel Better Soon! 5 Must Dos When You're Sick

Michele Foley — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 14:16:56 PDT

Even though you've taken all the recommended precautions, you still wake up feeling congested, sore, and miserable. The common cold or flu may happen to the best of us, but how we treat ourselves once we're sick can be the difference between a seven-day cold or one that lasts for just a few days.

Boost Your Immune System Naturally

Susi May — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 04:30:38 PDT

How many people have you heard coughing and sneezing around you lately? Cold and flu season is already upon us! I am a fan of frequent hand washing as a means of prevention and always keep some sanitizer nearby, but you can do more. You can also prime your immune system to be a fighting machine. Start by eating a well-balanced diet, full of fruits and veggies, to nourish your immune system and try these other techniques to fight the good fight against the germs of the season.

Source: Thinkstock

Boost Your Immune System With a Massage

FitSugar — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 03:00:14 PDT

Swedish massages are good for many things: relieving tension, destressing, taking a much-needed mind break. And now there's scientific proof that all that time you spend with soft hands and aromatic oils can be good for your health. The study compared Swedish massage to light touch only and found that just one 45-minute massage session increased white blood cell counts, which are an important part of your immune system, and had other measurable health benefits as well. With flu season just around the corner, keeping your immune system in tip-top shape is vital, but a day at the spa may not be the most cost-effective option. For cheaper doctor-tested immune-boosting alternatives,

Get some daily exercise - Research has shown that moderate exercise on a regular basis can strengthen your immune system.
Snack on yogurt - The probiotics in yogurt and other foods add good bacteria to your intestines, keeping them balanced and ready to defend you against viruses.
Eat some flaxseed - Omega-3s, like those found in certain seeds, nuts, and fish, keep you from having a weakened immune system.
Wash those mitts - Like we've been told countless times, washing your hands is an effective way of stopping germs from getting to you.
Don't worry, be happy - Do something you enjoy! Happiness has been shown to boost your immune system.

Another Reason For Moderation: Overeating Affects Your Brain

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:00:00 PDT

Not only does overeating make you digestive system work overtime, but it also does a doozy on your brain.

American scientists recently found that overeating stimulates a usually dormant immune pathway in the brain. Once stimulated the brain then sounds the alarm for the immune system to battle invaders that aren't really there. The overactive immune system then creates an inflammation response all over the body. Chronic inflammation leads to chronic disease like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The pathway between the hypothalamus, the brain center that regulates energy, and the immune system is usually inactive - a remnant of an immune system that we have evolved beyond needing. It seems that "overnutrition," a scientific term (or euphemism?) for overeating has stimulated this vestigial immune system and the consequences are making us ill.

While scientists hope this discovery can lead to a medical intervention for obesity and obesity-related illnesses, it is just another reminder that moderation is key to a healthy lifestyle.

Source

Another Reason to Exercise: Boost Your Immune System

FitSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:00:00 PDT

We're nearing the end of flu season and heading into allergy season, but that doesn't mean we should get complacent about fighting off illness. Since I am always looking for new reasons to exercise and new ways to avoid getting sick, I was excited to find this research suggesting that consistent exercise can boost your immune system.

Moderate exercise temporarily increases your body's production of macrophages, the cells designed to fend off bacteria, and allows them to travel more efficiently through the body. Though these are temporary responses to working out, new research suggests that the more often you exercise, the more permanent the health benefits become. According to Dr. David Nieman of Appalachian State University, moderate exercise on a regular basis also strengthens your immune system in the long run.

But for super-serious athletes like marathoners, exercise can actually make the body more susceptible to illness, so be sure to give yourself plenty of recovery days if you're training for a big event.

Do you exercise daily? If so, do you think it helps you avoid getting sick?

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Gut Feeling: Probiotics For Immune Health

FitSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:45:00 PST

Probiotics seem to be the "functional food" darling of the moment, but it seems to me these healthful microbes might really deserve their super star status. Probiotics add good bacteria to your intestines, helping to maintain the balance between the good micro-organisms and the bad. New research shows that they might be beneficial to more than just your guts. It seems keeping your intestinal flora balanced is good for the overall health of your immune system. The tiny, yet powerful microbes bolster the immune system helping stimulate the production of more killer cells that attack viral infected cells. Sounds like there is a war being waged in our intestines.

To ensure that the good bacteria have a fighting chance, eat foods like yogurt bearing the live and active cultures label or take a probiotics supplement. Don't just go with your gut feeling (sorry about the pun) when shopping for a probiotics. Read the label and make sure the supplement contains at least one billion (yep, one billion that is not a typo) organisms.

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