iHealthCast > Physicians<br>& Specialists > Heartbeats Blog - <span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">H1N1 Viral Protection - The Best Defense is a Good Offense</span>

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Posted by: Dr. Chris Meletis, ND	1/7/2010 11:18 AM
There are so many things to worry about in today's hustle bustle world, it just seems too overwhelming sometimes. Now we have to worry about yet another variant virus. We all remember SARS, then there was Bird Flu, now we have moved to Pigs, aka Swine Flu. Swine Flu is a misnomer because this current virus is a quadruple ressortant, meaning that it is actually 4 viruses morphed together. Well enough with reminiscing about viruses past and present. The fact is there are some basic things we all should actively do to fortify our bodies. Allow me to share what my patients are instructed to do: 1.) Drink plenty of hydrating fluids. Moist membranes are generally healthier and more resistant to succumbing to initial infection. 2.) Get your Sleep. If you are tired, your cells are worn down too. Think about it, you are made of 75 trillion cells. You can't be tired if cells are tired and vice versa. Getting 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep is essential. 3.) Vitamin D optimization is a must. I have all my patients get their 25-OH vitamin D levels measured. My goal is to have their levels at 55 (range 20-100) or above. Of course checking with your doctor about their preference is a must. Generally my patients take 2000-5000 IU per day. Low levels of vitamin D can increase your risk of viral infections and even some cancers. So, getting it up and keeping it up is a must. 4.) Green Tea. Making it green is important. Yes, you can still drink your coffee too. In fact, many of my patients supplement their diet with Green Tea capsules with specific levels of ECGC and polyphenols. 5.) Chinese Mushrooms. There are many ancient secrets, and the cool thing about mushrooms as humble as their existence can be, is that they are powerhouses when it comes to the immune system. Use of cordyceps, reishi (lingzhi), maitake and other mushrooms have been used for millennia throughout Asia and now current scientific research have shown many of their amazing mechanisms of support healthy immune function. 6.) De-Stress. Last but not least. You must let it go. Yes, let go of the stress and when possible put stressful things on the sideline. Stress is the ultimate saboteur to your immune health and overall vitality. Bottomline: When the body is fueled properly, given sufficient rest and nutritional support it is best able to thrive, not merely survive. In years gone by, we spent more time in the sun and our vitamin D levels were higher, they have dropped by 50% over the last decade. We had gardens in our backyards. We didn't have cell phones and microwaves just a couple decades ago and living attached to our computers wasn't an option 20 years ago for most of us either. Well, take time to de-stress, get some fresh air, let go of some of those modern gadgets every once in and a while, and tap into the wisdom of the ancients with Green Tea and therapeutic mushrooms and remember a healthier overall body is best able to fend off and deal with what may be at us next.
Copyright ©2010 Dr. Chris Meletis, ND
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