Cold and flu viruses need an acidic environment that lacks oxygen to live.  When your diet consists of a lot of processed, refined and sweet foods, you are creating this ideal environment.  No wonder so many kids get sick right after Halloween!

Do you read the ingredient list on all of your food and beverage labels before your buy them?  If a 2nd grader can’t pronounce the entire list of ingredients on the food label, you are probably consuming too many processed foods and chemicals.  The goal is to get back to eating REAL food and making WATER your primary choice of a beverage.

1)  Eat a vegetable-based diet to create an alkaline environment in your body.

Vegetables help create an alkaline environment in your body.  Viruses cannot live in this environment.  Kids need at least 2-3 (1/2 cup each) servings of vegetables daily.

Have cut up vegetables sitting out for kids to snack on before dinner.  Include a salad with every dinner meal.  Throw some shredded carrots into the muffins.  Add some pumpkin to your pancakes.  Throw a handful of fresh spinach into the smoothie.  Don’t assume your kids won’t eat their vegetables.  My kids now ask for salads and carrots.  Be a good role model, as adults should be eating 4-5 servings daily.

Go organic if it is on the “dirty dozen” list.

The “dirty dozen” list contains the twelve fruits & vegetables most heavily sprayed with pesticides.  This list was compiled by the Environmental Working Group from approximately 87,000 studies by the USDA and FDA of 47 fruits and vegetables between 2000 and 2007. It is estimated that if you avoid eating the non-organically grown produce on this list, your pesticide exposure can be reduced by up to 80%.

Here are the “dirty dozen” listed in decreasing order of pesticide content:  Peaches (worst), apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes, carrots and pears.

Buying organic produce is a little more expensive initially, but preventing pesticides, which tax your immune and lymphatic systems, from entering your body is worth it.  You will also begin to notice that when you are fueling your body with REAL food that contains live enzymes, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals, your appetite decreases.  This is because you are now nourishing your body’s cells and no longer just feeding your mouth with empty calories.

2)  Satisfy your sweet-tooth without sugar.

Sugar creates an acidic environment in your body and lowers your immune system.  This includes the corn syrup that is found on your ingredient list.  Great substitutes for sugar or fake pancake syrup are raw honey, 100% pure maple syrup or agave nectar.  We use raw honey to replace the sugar in muffin recipes and real maple syrup to sweeten our oatmeal.

Honey is also a great cough suppressant.  You can give your child a teaspoon of honey to calm his or her cough or stir it into a cup of warm water or herbal tea.  Please note the children under the age of 12 months should not consume any honey (even in baked goods), as their intestinal tract is not developed enough to handle the botulism spores.  Corn syrup and molasses also contain botulism spores and should be avoided in infants under 12 months of age.

Use fruit to satisfy your family’s sweet tooth.  Fruit, like vegetables, produce an alkaline reaction in your body and therefore decrease your risk of getting a cold or the flu. Kids should consume 2-3 (1/2 cup) servings of fruit per day and adults should aim for 3-4 servings daily.

Try frozen berries topped with organic yogurt and a little honey or agave nectar for a real treat.  Apples with a little peanut butter are a great after-school snack.  You will be amazed to notice that when you increase your fruit intake, your intense sugar cravings will go away.

3)  Get outside and move your body daily.

Be sure to get outside for at least 15 minutes daily to get fresh air and sunshine.  You get vitamin D from the sun shining on your skin.  Vitamin D helps turn on the body’s immune response.  This could be as simple as walking your child to school or taking a 15-minute family-walk after school.

Ideally, you will move your body for a total of 30 minutes daily.  One of the most important reason to get your body moving is for the stress-reduction benefits.  Excess stress increases your body’s acidity and will cause you to be more susceptible to the invasion of viruses.  Exercise also helps increase your intake of oxygen and viruses do not like an oxygenated environment.

4)  Get plenty of sleep.

Lack of sleep will increase your level of cortisol, which is a stress hormone.  Cortisol increases the acidity of your body, which then increases your susceptibility to cold and flu viruses. Recent research validates the need for adults to get between 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night.

Kids ages 5-12 need 10-11 hours of sleep per night.  For the best sleep, they should not have a TV in their bedroom or it should be unplugged.  Younger kids need up to 12 hours per night and most adults will need 7-8 hours of restful sleep per night.

5)  Keep Your Nose Clean.

To prevent viruses from entering your body, you need to keep your nose clean.  The Neti pot (Food Co-op) is a small ceramic pot designed specifically to flush out your nose.  Just add warm salt water to the pot, tilt your head, pour the water into one nostril and watch it come out the other nostril.  You can also swab the inside of your nose with warm salt water.

When traveling or sending your kids to school during cold and flu season, coat the inside of your nostrils with sesame seed oil.  It is anti-viral, antimicrobial and anti-fungal.  What an easy preventive strategy!

Swine Flu is a viral infection that is caused by the H1N1 Virus. This H1N1 Virus is a type of regular Influenza Virus that also contains some strains which are endemic in pigs (swine influenza) and in birds (Avian Influenza). While scientists across the globe are working round the clock to develop a vaccine for Swine Flu, the doctors are stressing on preventing the Swine Flu from spreading.

There are many things you can do to avoid catching communicable diseases like Swine Flu but some of the most important ones are simple… and the most effective.

For instance – cleaning your hands and covering your mouth when clearing the throat are smart ways to avoid ways of catching and distributing colds and flu, but they are not adequate to prevent these mutated viruses from depleting your immune system.  Giving your body the much-needed support in terms of antiviral activity is the key for warding off the H1N1 virus. And because the Swine Flu is spread from contact with people, halting the spread H1N1 (SIV) by destroying its airborne pathogens will be instrumental in preventing its spread.

Nature appears to have an answer to these pathogens.

Embracing pharmaceutical grade natural essential oils that encompass antiviral and antibacterial components as part of their daily hygiene is how athletes have been protecting themselves from spreading diseases for years.

University of Manchester investigators discovered that essential oils decimated MRSA and E. Coli pathogens in less than 120 seconds, Reuters Health News reported.  “A two of orthopedic surgeons report that two absolutely crucial   oils – Eucalyptus and Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca) are amazingly   productive at healing Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections.”

Contact sport athletes -like wrestlers and MMA combat fighters -know this.  They’ve been using natural essential oil based products for years to protect against contagious and dangerous skin diseases. In fact, The USA Olympic Wrestling Team uses a product called Defense Soap. They’ve discovered that these wipes and bar soaps which contain only natural essential oils to be completely effective. The athletic directors learned early that products containing synthetic chemicals and alcohol actually deplete the skin’s healthy bacteria thus depressing their immune systems. This permits the diseases to continue spreading.

The Defense Soap Advantage
Defense Soap contains a proprietary blend of essential oils that include pharmaceutical grade Tea Tree Oil. This formulation has been clinically shown to have very powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. These natural active ingredients are known to fight MRSA Staph Infection, Ringworm, Impetigo, Herpes, Jock Itch and Athletes Foot.

Our products do not contain any synthetic chemicals whatsoever. Because of this, our soaps do not deplete the skin’s natural healthy bacteria, as chemicals will. Healthy bacteria are left behind to flourish -allowing the skin’s natural immunities to continue to protect you from harmful pathogens.

About Swine Flu

Swine flu is a new form of flu that was detected in the US in April 2009. In a short span of time, the infectious disease spread like a pandemic and affected large numbers of people across the world. The acute respiratory disease is known to be caused by a strain of the influenza type A virus known as H1N1. The swine flu virus contains genetic material from avian, swine and human viruses. As people had little immunity against this new type of flu, the viral disease spread very quickly. The highly infectious disease causes symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, body aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If not treated in time, the symptoms could worsen and even lead to death.

About Tamiflu

Marketed by Roche pharmaceuticals, Tamiflu is an oral antiviral medication, which has been approved by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for the treatment and prevention of the flu. The medicine works effectively against both influenza A and B viruses. During the outbreak of swine flu, the FDA approved the use of Tamiflu for the treatment as well as the prevention of swine flu.

How Tamiflu Works

Tamiflu is an antiviral drug that works by attacking the influenza virus and stopping it from spreading inside your body. The medication interferes with the activity of the neuraminidase enzyme and inhibits new viral particles from being released by infected cells. By preventing the spread of the virus from cell to cell, the symptoms and duration of an influenza infection are significantly reduced. Tamiflu can also be used to prevent the flu following exposure to the virus.

How to Take Tamiflu

For the treatment of swine flu virus, it is necessary to start the treatment within 48 hours of being infected. Doctors usually recommend taking Tamiflu twice a day for 5 days, once in the morning and once in the evening. You are required to complete the treatment of 10 doses, even if you feel better. To prevent getting swine flu, you need to take the medicine within 48 hours of being exposed to the virus (for instance, if someone in your home has the flu or there has been an outbreak in your community). To prevent swine flu, your doctor may suggest you to take Tamiflu once a day for 10 days, or even longer for effective influenza treatment.

How to Purchase Tamiflu

If you suspect that you may be infected with swine flu, or if you have been exposed to the disease, you should contact your doctor immediately. Ask your doctor if Tamiflu treatment is suitable for you. It is the most prescribed medication for the treatment and prevention of swine flu. These days, you can also buy Tamiflu online through online clinics.

The majority of the readers in any search engine are looking of anything under the sun. They are looking about animation, love, showbiz, politics, cartoons, masquerade, games, cards, downloadable materials, travel and leisure, heartache, etc. They are familiar with the aforementioned topics, but are they aware of the recent pandemic outbreaks in the world? What? The pandemic! What? The Swine Flu! Swine or pigs, then Flu means respiratory infections.

So, a simple man will ask: “Am I interested in the Swine Flu outbreak? There are no flu-like symptoms sweeping through my community. I don’t have swine flu. We don’t even have pigs in our community, why should we afraid of the swine flu? Why should I know about that? Should I know how to prevent the swine flu?”

The answer is: Even if there’s no swine flu in your community, you should know how to prevent it. This article, will teach you the basic steps on how to prevent the Swine Flu virus in the simplest way.

First, washing your hands frequently using any germicidal soap with water can help you prevent the spreading virus especially if you suspect someone may have it. If you don’t have available germicidal soap in the area, you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Whether you’re using soap or hand sanitizer, you must follow these steps: connect your two palms facing each other, rub them horizontally and vertically lacing your fingers together to make sure you’ve scrubbed the entire surface. Do it for five to six times a day.

Second, you must cover your nose with a tissue paper before you cough or sneeze especially if you are talking to somebody else. Throw your tissue in the trash can after you use it, so that transfer of the virus will be avoided.

Third, if you are not feeling well avoid going out to your friends, playground, schools or office. A much better preventative is to stay in your house and quarantine yourself for three to four days. Some places of business are even making this a mandatory requirement if you start to show symptoms.

Fourth, if you suspect you may have flu-like symptoms, you better call your doctor immediately for a proper diagnosis. (Note: if you suffered fever, sore throat and coughing for more than two days, don’t hesitate to go to your doctor, it’s better to be safe than sorry).

Fifth, there are a number of things that you can do to prepare yourself and those around you for a flu pandemic. It is important to think of the challenges that you might face, particularly if a pandemic is severe.

Sixth, for assurance in planning for the impact of a Swine Flu virus on you, your family or your business, go to your nearest Health Facility for more information or even check online.

Aside from your own Swine Flu prevention, there are some government agencies such as the Department of Health, Department of Education and the Department of National Defense to help us strengthen our immune system and detect a possible Swine Flu in our community. Planning and preparation can lessen the effects of a pandemic if done ahead of time.

What makes the Swine Flu different from the regular Flu?

I was in San Diego taking a flight back to Virginia when I heard about this thing called Swine Flu.

Some would say California was ground zero for this outbreak in the US.  I didn’t think much about it until I arrived home to learn the outbreak was spreading at high speed.

Now I’m not much for mainstream media hype, but this thing was growing like crazy.

The H1N1 strain of the influenza virus is actually composed of several strains including swine influenza, avian influenza and a human strain of influenza.

This is what has made it so easily transmitted amongst humans!

This is something of a perfect storm when it comes to transmittable viruses.

The fact there is a strain of human influenza makes this virus easily transmittable between humans.

The deadly strain in this virus is not the human strain or even the swine strain of influenza but in fact the avian strain of influenza.

This is better known as the bird flu.

We have been told by the health experts and other leaders in our country that transmission of the swine flu to humans was highly unlikely.

I am sure they had good intentions but this goes to show that you have to take your family’s safety serious and not rely on the words of these experts.  Remember how long it took the Government to get aid to victims in New Orleans?

How can you protect yourself and your family?

Arm yourself with the knowledge that the Swine Flu Survival Guide provides.  I put this guide together to provide you with a reference of what you can do to protect yourself and your family.  This reference is intended to help you with things you can do today to protect yourself and your family.

What You Get With This Guide

Learn what Swine Flu (H1N1) is Why viruses pose a problem What makes the 2009 Swine Flu so dangerous How the Swine Flu is transmitted Symptoms of the Swine Flu Complications of the 2009 Swine Flu Treatments and Prevention Boosting your immune system

Read more and be safe from Swine Flue Symptoms now