How To Improve Your Immunity Against Colds, Flu, and Viruses

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I’ve hardly lived a sheltered life.  I’ve eaten at dodgy road side street vendors in Laos, drank juice from questionable water sources at family homes in Peru, slept in tiny villages surrounded by farm animals in Ecuador, ate from plates and silverware that were rinsed in the same bucket as 40 others before me at a food co-op in Venezuela, hiked in mosquito-ridden jungles in Mexico, and snorkeled near fishing villages with inadequate sewage treatment in Panama.  None of these so-called risky behaviors have resulted in any illness. I’ve never had a flu shot in my adult life, never taken malaria pills, and avoid prescription drugs whenever possible.

At the same time, almost all the people around me complain about getting the flu every year. Even worse, many of my friends complain about colds that “never go away” or “linger for weeks”.  I’ve never experienced this, but my guess is that their immune system has been compromised.

The reasons for a compromised immune system can range from eating “dead” or inadequate food sources, excessive use of antibiotics, vaccinations, prescriptions drugs, or other environmental poisons like heavy metals and chemicals.  A lack of exercise, poor sleeping habits, and stressful lifestyles can also challenge our immune system.

Your Immune System Is Your Only Defense

I am a firm believer that our own immune system is easily the best flu shot.  Our immune system is truly our only form of defense against illness. 

Our immune system is constantly defending us against all kinds of pathogens, bacteria and viruses, and if we keep our immune system strong and functioning correctly, it is by far our best chance at maintaining good health.

Unfortunately, flu shots, antibiotics and other “treatments” prescribed the “sick care” industry effectively weaken your immune system.  Antibiotics literally wipe out the bacteria in your body – both bad and good bacteria. Without good or “friendly” bacteria, your body is completely vulnerable to becoming re-infected by the same or a different infection.  This is why I avoid antibiotics whenever possible, and I avoid flu shots like, well, I avoid flu shots like the PLAGUE!!  For further reading about the dangers of vaccinations check out vran.org (Vaccination Risk Awareness Network).

I also avoid the suddenly very popular “anti-bacterial” or “sanitizing” creams, soaps and other products.  When you “sanitize” your hands throughout the day, not only are you exposing yourself to harmful chemicals, you are removing your body’s exposure to viruses and bacteria so that it can develop its own natural and effective immune response. (2)

Consider vaccines – the whole idea of a vaccine is to give the body a small enough dose so that it can develop its own immunity to that particular virus or bacteria.  “Sanitizing” might temporarily reduce the amount of bacteria or viruses in a particular location, but overall it weakens your immunity, and it does not strengthen your ability to fight disease.

A Natural Approach To Immunity

So, here is how I work with my immune system.  First, I recognize that a healthy immune system starts with a healthy body.  If you are eating right, exercising and getting enough sleep (this is “health 101” people) you have already given your immune system a better chance of fighting off whatever it encounters out there in the world.

Secondly, I recognize the importance of being aware of how my body feels. I can tell within a few minutes if I am suddenly feeling unhealthy.  This might be a small scratch in my throat, some sinus pressure, a small headache, a sneeze, a cough or (most commonly) just feeling extra tired.  In fact, I usually notice this “extra tired” feeling even before any of the typical symptoms that lead to a full blown illness.

Here is what I do immediately after feeling the early signs of any kind of illness:

1.      Acidophilus – Acidophilus and probiotics are live friendly bacterial cultures you can find in most health food stores.  The most effective kinds should be refrigerated when you buy them, and you must keep them refrigerated to keep them alive!  My strategy here is to take high doses immediately when I feel anything remotely close to a cold or illness.  I will keep taking a total of 8-12 tablets per day until I feel 100% healthy again.  Remember to drink LOTS of water if you take Acidophilus, and LOTS of water throughout the day while on this treatment.

2.      Vitamin C – Both in a supplement form (raw powder with no sugar or other additives), and in the form of unprocessed, unsweetened, organic orange juice.  There are other juices that have high levels of vitamin C but orange juice works best for me.  In supplement form, make sure you get 100% pure vitamin C, not this “flavored” junk that is half sugar or half artificial sweetener.  This is not about tasting good, this is about staying healthy!

3.      Echinacea – I find it works best if I take high doses only when I feel I need it.  I take 2-3 times the recommended daily dose IMMEDIATELY whenever I feel anything a bit “off” in my body.  I don’t wait a day or two to see what happens, I react quickly to what my body is telling me.

4.      Sleep – Extra sleep, even a 20-30 mid-day nap, can have a powerful impact toward helping your immune system regain control of the situation.  When you sleep, your etheric body which serves as your cosmic shield is able to rebuild itself.  When you awake, your etheric body feeds re-aligned positive energy back into your body.

Let The Body Rebalance On Its Own

Normally after using the above immunity formula I feel 100% well the next day.  I will usually follow up with another round of doses the following day or two after, just to make sure whatever it is fully gone.  However, once I feel that the symptoms are totally gone, I stop taking my immunity supplements and let my body rebalance itself on its own.

I’ve found this combination to be “highly successful” in ridding myself of any type of cold or flu before it ever really takes hold.  The key is to act fast, literally within a few minutes or an hour after feeling any kind of negative symptom.

On the rare occasion when I do catch something, the above combo helps me recover quickly without taking any drugs, medications, or shots.  I NEVER buy ANY of the store bought cold and flu pills.  I rely 100% on natural remedies and it has worked very well for me so far.

By Michael Manville

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Michael Manville