Skip the Winter Flu Vaccine with Vitamins, Herbs, Good Nutrition and Common Sense

With the FDA, CDC, doctors, schools and pharmacies breathing down our necks to get a flu vaccine, I feel like David against Goliath. I refuse the flu shot; I'd rather stay healthy with herbs, vitamins, supplements, good nutrition and common sense.

Why would I not get the flu shot and have my children vaccinated? Several reasons: first, I don't submit to any random and unilateral dousing of drugs and I'm certainly not going to expose myself or my children to a live strain of flu, when they've shown no reason to need it. Second, my husband discussed the flu vaccine with his employer's company nurse. She made a cogent point. Once a person has received the flu vaccine, they are likely to need it again every year from that time going forward. I'm not ready to start down that road and I'm certainly not subjecting my children to a possible lifetime "addiction" to the flu shot. When they are of age, they can make that decision.

I also believe and have proved to myself, that it is possible to remain healthy during flu season without the flu shot. In fact, of the people I have observed and polled, those who got the flu shot are generally have as much illness as those who don't. Sometime more. What's my winter cold and flu first aid kit?

-Avoid sick people. Keep kids home when they are ill. This includes unnecessary trips to germ filled doctor waiting rooms. Sneeze in your arm. Wash hands often. Use hand sanitizer. Wash and rinse dishes with hot water. Use bleach to sanitize.

-Dress warmly. Keep your feet, hands, head and neck covered. If it is windy or cold keep your mucus membranes (mouth and nose) covered.

-Rest. Be sure that you and your children get enough rest. Think that's easier said than done? It is. Think it's easy for me to say? It's not. I have suffered with sleep apnea all my life and have only began using a CPAP a year and a half ago. For the first 45 years of my life, sleep apnea stole 45-55 minutes of every hour I "slept". In an 8 hour night, I got about 30 minutes to an hour of real sleep. Since getting the CPAP I am so much healthier in every area. Can't sleep? Try valerian, skullcap, chamomile Tea or warm milk with Tryptophan.

-Get good nutrition. Eat nutrient rich foods. Skip the junk food and fast food. Eat more fresh and raw vegetables and less sweets, salty snacks, soda pop, caffeine and processed food. Eat lots of Vitamin A and Vitamin C rich salads. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily, too. If you drink alcohol, switch to dry red wine. It has resveratrol, an anti-oxidant that helps boost immunity. Only two 5 ounce glasses per day, though.

-These herbs and supplements ward off infection: echinacea, goldenseal (do not consume if you are pregnant) and slippery elm (for sore throat). The reviews are mixed about colloidal silver, but some advocate it to ward off infection.

-Soothe cold symptoms with Traditional Medicinals cold care herb teas.

-Drink Emergen-C This effervescent, powdered drink is a vitamin, mineral and amino acid powerhouse. It has nothing artificial, very few calories is all natural and available at every major pharmacy and grocery store. Meijer and Wal-Greens sell their own off brand. Emergen-C costs about $8-$10 for 36 packets. It comes in lots of great flavors. Drink one packet every day and make your children each drink one to prevent colds and flu. I always feel a sense of wellness and health after drinking an Emergen-C.

-When you feel cold symptoms try Cold-Eeze These little lozenges are a little pricey, but they do work great to ward off colds and flu. The basic ingredient in Cold-Eeze is zinc, which you can take separately. Cold-Eeze have other good stuff that helps, too. Take Cold-Eeze if you start to feel a cold coming on.

For more health tips, visit my blogs linked. Be well.