With the recent designation of the
Swine Flu as a pandemic, I thought it might be a good idea to start juicing some things that could help strengthen my
immune system and therefore prevent myself from catching
Swing Flu. After some research, I've found some valuable information.
Influenza, or better known as the
flu is a virus and once you have it, there is no cure for it. Antibiotics don't work on viruses, so if you ever have the flu, the best way to get rid of it is to simply stay healthy and let it play its course. (Tips on what you can do to help get over it more quickly will follow!) So, the best thing to do to avoid getting the flu (or the Swine Flu) is to strengthen your
immune system. Research shows, a strengthened immune system helps reduce the likelihood of contracting the virus, but it also ensures you experience a less severe case of the
flu even if you do contract it. So, it's probably a good idea to start juicing some immune-builders!
Where to Find Nutrients that Strengthen Your Immune System and Fight Against the Flu
Here is a list of some nutrients that will strengthen your immune system (and therefore reduce the chances that you catch the
Swine Flu... or any other flu) and the best juicing sources for them:
- Selenium: Turnips, Swiss Chard, Radishes, Garlic, Carrots and Cabbage
- Cartotene: Carrots, Parsley, Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Watercress, Broccoli, Beetroot Greens, and Romaine Lettuce
- Vitamin C: Orange, Lemon, Lime, Parsley, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Spinach, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Turnips, Asparagus, and Watercress
- Bioflavonoids: Bell Peppers, Parsley, Broccoli, Tomato, Cabbage, Lemon, and Lime
- Vitamin E: Watercress, Spinach, Asparagus, Carrots, and Tomatoes
- Zinc: Ginger, Parsley, Garlic, Turnips, Spinach, Cabbage, Carrots, Lettuce and Cucumbers
See the list of recipes below for great recipes that are high in these nutrients!
Try Some of These Juicing Recipes to Strengthen Your Immune System and Avoid Catching Swine Flu - Or Any Flu
What to Do if You Have the Flu
If you already have the flu, there are a few things you can do to help ensure your body fights it off more quickly:
It is recommended that you go on a liquid diet for the first day or 2. That means you should drink a lot of water, juice, tea, fruit and vegetable smoothies and chicken stock (HOME-MADE!). Sugar blocks the consumption of Vitamin C to the body and makes it harder for you body to fight off illnesses. Therefore, it is important that you are careful not to drink too much fruit juice (it has lots of natural fruit sugars called fructose)- you want to try to choose juices that are high in vegetables and greens! This way, your body can access all those rich nutrients! See the list above for suggested juice recipes.
After your first few days of a liquid diet, you should continue to stay hydrated and drink lots of water and vegetable juices, but you can now reintroduce foods to your diet. Try to avoid heavy foods and eliminate junk foods- they don't help fight off the virus and just add junk to your body, which creates work but does not provide anything helpful in return.
Try to have lots of chicken soup, but
home-made chicken soup! Buying something like Liptons Chicken Noodle might make you feel nice and warm inside when you drink it, but it really doesn't have any of the healing properties that real chicken soup has! If you can't make it yourself, try to get someone you know to make it for you, or at least by some of the home-made style chicken soup from the grocery store (that comes in a big glass jar). It's a good idea to put a lot of garlic and even some ginger in the soup for the extra helpful nutrients!
Continue staying hydrated, eating lots of chicken soup and drinking some of the juicing recipes below. You should feel better in no time! If your flu lasts longer than 3-4 days, you should probably go see a doctor.
