Winter, Spring, Summer and Flu?
When did the flu become a season? Does the virus lie dormant for months and then POOF reemerges to cause mayhem throughout the United States? Of course not! The many strains of influenza are always circulating – able to fly up our noses and snuggle up in our lungs. So why does it seem to be so prevalent from September through February, and so rare in the spring and summer?
Let’s discuss what our habits and environments look like in the summer.
- First, there is abundant sunshine. It is comfortable to be outdoors so we spend more time there soaking up solar rays. This allows our bodies to create large amounts of Vitamin D which is essential to immune function.
- Second, there is abundant fresh food. So many Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables are available (often in our back yards). In addition, our hormones that control our food cravings lean toward lighter fare so we’re biologically inclined to eat more fresh, raw food.
- Third, it can get really, really (I mean wicked) hot out there. When we’re hot, we sweat. When we sweat, we drink more water. Water is critical for maintaining the mucus membrane barrier in our noses and aiding our lungs in filtering out pathogens.
- Fourth, we take time off. We are vacationing fools in the warmer months which keeps our stress levels low. It’s no secret that stress decreases your immune system function.
Come October, we see the sun set earlier. We spend more time indoors. We reach for warm comfort food with a hot cocoa on the side. The stress of snow storms and expensive holidays looms over us. Not to mention, those holidays that bring on sugar overload – from Halloween, to Thanksgiving, to Christmas, to Valentine’s Day. We can barely come up for air with all the sweets being shoved in our faces. All of these factors severely deplete our bodies’ natural ability to ward off microorganisms and allow us to express our optimal health.
Our wish for you this beautiful season, is that you embrace your right to health and never allow marketing to convince you that you’re a victim of the season. Keep up with your healthy habits and have a blessed finish to 2015!
To learn more about how our immune system functions naturally, join us on October 20th for a discussion about vaccines. Are they safe? Are they effective? Are they necessary?