Several reports have predicted this season’s flu strain to be particularly severe. Deciding whether to have a flu shot is a personal decision but sometimes a controversial one, as experts don’t always agree on the effectiveness of these vaccines* (see below for an article citing new research on the long-term effects of annual flu vaccinations).
The purpose of this blog is not to ignite any such debate, but rather to remind people of the simple things that they can do to stay healthy.
We encourage our patients to be proactive in matters that affect their health. For those who are seeking alternatives to the flu vaccine, we wanted to share with you what we are doing here at Brio to prepare for this flu season. To begin, take a look at this video to understand how our body is infected:
Courtesy: npr.org
Below is a list of things that we recommend to patients to prevent illness:
- Hand washing: We interact with many people and our hands contact many objects and surfaces daily, so it’s essential that we wash our hands frequently. It is also important to regularly disinfect door knobs, light switches, remote controls, etc.
- Sleep: With such busy and full schedules, many people are sacrificing their sleep to squeeze in those extra hours of TV or internet time. It’s important to remember that during the fall and winter seasons, our bodies naturally crave more sleep. To learn more about how our sleep is affected by the light from TVs and devices, click here: http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2313158777
- Vitamin D3 & K2: Not all Vitamin D products are created equal. To get the best immune boosting effect from your Vitamin D, make sure it’s a Vitamin D3 & K2 combination. Dr. Lee highly recommends “SolRayD” from Physica Energetics. It comes in a convenient spray bottle.
- I.V. Nutrient Therapy: We offer a variety of I.V. Therapy options to ensure you have sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals in your body to strengthen your immune system. Many of our I.V. patients who work in settings that expose them to sick people (e.g. teachers or healthcare workers) report that they are less susceptible to illness or that they recover much faster. To learn more about how I.V. Therapy can help, please click here.
*Some new studies from the University of British Columbia suggest a long-term negative consequence of annual flu shots. In her research, Dr. Danuta Skowronski has found that “the more influenza vaccinations you receive in your lifetime, the less protection you have from the virus in subsequent seasons.” You can read more about this study here.
