It's that time of year when you are bombarded with news stories hyping swine and flu shots and warning you of the dangers of both.  Reporters are likely to scare you with reports of 36,000 Americans dying each year.  Those statistics are usually seriously flawed and take into consideration deaths from other causes than the flu, such as pneumonia.  The real number may be closer to 700 a year, with the majority of those people having severely compromised immune systems. While these individuals are susceptible to getting a serious case of the flu, most people, including infants, children and pregnant women, are ale to overcome it with no problems. People with strong, healthy immune systems may not even get the flu and could avoid the shot altogether.  
 
Obvious precautions such as washing hands frequently, avoiding touching your eyes, nose & mouth, coughing into your elbow, staying home when sick, and avoiding crowded places can help stop the spread of germs.  Beyond this, you need to boost your immune system to stay healthy, and use alternative treatments that may prevent you from getting sick or that may actually help if you do get ill. All the news has been on vaccines and prescriptions that often do nothing at all. There is no guarantee that a vaccine will work, and antiviral meds usually only lessen the duration of the flu by half a day.
 
 
When you get exposed to a virus or bacteria naturally, your body follows certain pathways to deal with it so that the organism systematically gets weaker and weaker.  This happens so that if you do become sick, the organism will be in a weakened state and easier for your body to defend.  After the virus runs its course, your body is able to expel all the remaining parts of the virus that made you sick and you are left with antibodies to that virus that will give you full, life long immunity. 
 
When you get vaccinated, you are introduced to the organism in an artificial way, and it bypasses all of the lines of defense your body has set up.  It is administered directly into the bloodstream, and not weakened by your body's immune system.  Even though it is inactivated, your body still has to try to defend it.  Often times, the body has a harder time fighting the invading organism in this manner.  The immune system has a harder time "processing" it or breaking it down, and may seal up the viral parts in little "envelopes" since it can't expel it properly.  When this happens, your body is constantly fighting something because the foreign invader never really leaves, which can take a huge toll on your immune system. This in and of itself may lead to chronic problems in the future. Many are also questioning the safety of this year's swine flu vaccine, as there has not been very much time to study it. Not to mention some of the more questionable ingredients in it such as squalene and thimerosal.
 
There are simple things you can do to boost your immune system, and this works for everything, not just the swine flu.
 
Get into the habit of cleaning your mucus membranes on a regular basis. Using a neti pot or some kind of all natural nasal wash will help clear out foreign invaders, keep tissues moist and healthy, and move any extra mucus out so that viruses and bacteria don't have a place to breed. Hydrogen peroxide drops in the ears can also kill microbes that try to enter the body through the ear canal. Even using eye drops to keep the eyes flushed will help keep germs from entering. A salt-water gargle can help keep the mouth and throat area clean.
 
Next, you want to make sure you keep your digestive system healthy. About 80% of our immune system lies in our gut, so if we are going to fight off anything, this area has to be healthy. Probiotics are key to keeping good bacteria in our body, and stopping the growth of bad bacteria, viruses and fungi. Probiotics are important for everyone, but especially important if you have been sick a lot, or have been on antibiotics in the recent past. Fermented foods are also loaded with probiotics, but they need to be unpasteurized, as the heat will destroy the good bacteria. High fiber foods are also important to keep things cleaned out so that toxins don't remain in your body.
 
When it comes to diet, there are many things you can do to boost your immune system. Avoid sugar and processed foods, as these weaken your immune system almost immediately. Make sure you get enough Vitamin D. You want to take 4000-6000 IUS a day during the flu season. Get 7-8 hours a sleep at night, and make sure to get regular exercise. Both of these boost the immune system and decrease stress levels, as higher stress levels have been shown to weaken the immune system. If you are under a lot of stress, try adding mediation, yoga or EFT to your daily routine.
 
Make sure to eat fresh, raw garlic everyday. Garlic is a natural anti-viral and anti-bacterial, but microbes can't develop a resistance to it. Coconut oil is also a great natural anti-microbial, and it can be eaten raw, used for frying or applied to skin. Take a high quality omega-3 supplement such as fish or krill oil. This will decrease inflammation and help boost the immune system. Many essential oils also have natural anti-viral properties as well. Thieves, which is a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, rosemary, eucalyptus radiata and others has shown great results as anti-microbial. Therapeutic grade essential oils can be ingested, diffused, or applied topically. It is also important to drink plenty of filtered water, as staying hydrated is a simple way to stay healthy. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic and locally grown, as these tend to be higher in nutrients and have fewer chemicals.
 
Alternative treatments such as chiropractic, acupuncture and massage with essential oils are also important to building a strong immune system and staying healthy. Keeping your nervous system balanced so that it can properly regulate your immune and digestive systems, and maintaining proper blood flow and lymph drainage will ensure that your body is working at its best to help fight off any foreign invaders.