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No matter what time of year you are reading this, cold viruses are lurking. And flu season will have it’s way with you or try to at some point.

There are over 200 viral invaders that can cause colds according to the Real Age site. And the closed buildings we work, shop, and work out in are breeding grounds but that’s not the whole story. The cold virus is prevalent no matter where you spend your days or who you are swapping germs with. The key to fighting it off is a healthy immune system.

Exercise—I know not again with the exercise, but once again moving your body and getting your blood circulating helps keep the immune system in full force.

Add regular sound sleep and I mean regular, every day! Rest and sleep some more if you feel run down or you’ve been traveling. Daily Show reruns be damned, Jon Stewart would understand.

Stress lowers the body’s immune responses period. If you take stress reduction seriously—that means incorporating it into your daily routine as opposed to having a pint of ice cream or 3 glasses of wine after an especially hard day—you have a better chance of avoiding winter bugs or getting through them faster.

There are a couple of products I keep on hand at this time of year: EpiCor is a product discovered by accident when insurance adjusters noticed lower numbers of sick-leave claims among employees who handled fermented baker’s yeast.

www.vrp.com/epicor. It lowers the # of immune suppressor cells.

I’m convinced that one of the best immune support products on the market right now is called GXL. It boost glutathione which is the body’s master antioxidant and helps all the circulating antioxidants do their work in top form. You can learn more at this website.

I take extra Vit. C and keep a bottle of Nature’s Way EchinaGuard on hand—it’s an Echinacea formula and my recommendation is to take this only if you feel sick, not as a season long preventative.

If I’m feeling flu-ish I run, don’t walk and think about, but run to my Oscillocococcinum or Oscillo. It’s a homeopathic made by Boiron and it has never let me down if I get it in soon enough. Nature’s Way Sambucol or Umcka Cold and Flu formulas are based on elderberry which may work by inactivating the flu virus but Andrew Weil says it’s to be taken only for symptoms not for prevention. I’ll go with him on that.

When cold symptoms are bad enough and I’ve got to work and be clear headed I take an over the counter Day time formula or aspirin depending on what’s going on. And I never skimp on rest once I’m down for the count. It’s rare that one can’t shut down a bit early or skip a meeting—people understand, and if not you might want to think about why you are tolerating that.

Don’t underestimate chicken soup. If it’s cooked with garlic you’ll get lots of cold and flu fighing properties from the chicken and it’s pot-mate garlic.

My two, all-time, favorite hot drinks when I’m down for the count? Hot ginger tea with lemon and honey or hot chicken soup with lots of garlic and chopped jalapenos. Science be damned on these home remedies tho there is some. I take these cause they taste good and feel good going down. If you like spicy foods you’re familiar with the endorphin rush a dose of capsaicin can produce. How can something so good be legal? Not to mention therapeutic which they are as well.

Be well and stay well.

Got remedies or products you want to share? Leave them in a comment.