How to Build Up Immune System Resistance Against the Flu

Foods that will boost your immune system are a good idea. The best are fresh, organically-grown fruits and vegetables. The brightly colored ones are packed with healthy phytonutrients that can strengthen your immune system, lowering your susceptibility to the flu virus. I suggest fresh green smoothies or green superfoods as a way to get condensed nutrition. Garlic has strong antiviral properties and boosts the immune system. Green tea has the ability to both kill viruses and to stimulate the immune system to fight off flu infection. Cayenne Pepper is a mild immune-booster and increases the circulation.

Exercise helps keep your immune system strong. Mice who performed mild exercise as soon as they were exposed to the flu virus had much lower death rates. Exercise will mean that the active cells of your immune system are better circulated throughout your body which, of course, means they are more likely to find the swine flue virus before it can multiply.

Water and lots of it used internally will keep your mucous membranes well-hydrated. This is a very critical to helping them fight off viruses. Drink at least eight glasses per day.

Get out in the sunshine whenever you can. Also the vitamin D your skin will create is very important for general health and may be a greater factor than we realize in preventing infections such as the flu.

Get fresh air every day. The dry heat from indoor heating systems dries out mucous membranes. Fresh air and sunshine together are very hard on viruses.

Sleep enables your immune system to function at its best. Eight hours per night is best and try to get more of it before midnight. If you have trouble sleeping get help.

Sugar, even in small amounts, significantly impairs immune function, increasing susceptibility to infection. A large dose of sugar (such as from a soft drink) will weaken your immune system for hours.

Stress will make you much more susceptible to infection. Prolonged stress is a contributing factor to the majority of all illness and disease. Proper exercise and sleep both help reduce stress.

Avoid alcohol which is dehydrating and impairs liver and immune function and leaves you open to all kinds of infections.

Avoid cigarette smoke as it significantly impairs your immune system. It also dries nasal passages and paralyzes the cilia that help keep out viruses.

Zinc is a key mineral for the functioning of the thymus gland which is important for the function of your immune system. You should get 15-30 mg/day even more if sick.

So there are some things you can do to build up immune system resistance. Make these a part of your daily lifestyle and you will have a greater degree of protection from the swine flu or any other threat to your immune system. These measures will improve your health in many other ways also.