![\"\"](\"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/prevention-guide-2015-detox-your-body.jpg\")
<\/a>Well we are clearing out of the\u00a0fall season\u00a0and moving fully\u00a0into winter with\u00a0this month of\u00a0January and sometimes our\u00a0immune system becomes more vulnerable, symptoms appear as\u00a0a sore throat or a fever has brought you to flu-like symptoms.\u00a0 It’s\u00a0helpful to focus on strengthening our immune system to give ourselves a leg up.<\/p>\nIn an article in Prevention Magazine December 2015 by Susan Ince entitled “Boost Your Immunity” From the latest research to time-honored remedies, here are the best diet strategies to help you ward off colds and flu this season, <\/em><\/strong>Ms. Ince gives 10 tips that can really help prepare you for the season.<\/p>\n I have offered a brief summary of \u00a0the first\u00a0\u00a05\u00a0 tips\u00a0Ms. Ince provided followed by my own Gut Commentary\u00a0for<\/strong>\u00a0those particularly seeking assistance during the season when the digestive system is in need of such additional support.\u00a0 I will\u00a0comment on\u00a0the\u00a0remaining\u00a06\u00a0through 10 tips of Ms. Ince\u00a0in the follow-up blog for Jan 31st<\/strong>.<\/p>\n 1. Try Probiotics-<\/strong> Suggests bacteria such as Lactobacillus, due to its effectiveness with respiratory and gastrointestinal support.<\/p>\n Gut Commentary: I agree with this idea 100%.\u00a0 Taking probiotic is a great way to boost your immune system.\u00a0 It helps to keep the good bacteria in the body and bring your immune system into balance.\u00a0 Digestive wise, good bacteria is essential to a healthy gastrointestinal system.\u00a0 We use bacteria to break down foods and it is a huge part of what keeps our intestinal tract functionally optimally.\u00a0\u00a0 Taking probiotic on a regular and ongoing basis is the best way to keep the bacteria alive and cultivated.\u00a0 Be sure that the probiotic you take does not contain any additives that could be irritating such as sugars or milk derivatives.<\/p>\n 2. Eat More Garlic<\/strong>– Identifies substance called “allicin” in crushed garlic that is effective with viruses. Suggests the cloves contain less allicin but still effective.<\/p>\n Gut Commentary-Garlic is\u00a0a wonderful ward to building immunity.\u00a0 The strength of its potency is measurable to how much you consume but having a little can go a long way.\u00a0 Incorporating garlic into your cooking is the method of choice I would use.\u00a0 When we are having digestive sensitivity, we want to eliminate those spices that have the potential to be potent in spicy or very pungent ways.\u00a0 Garlic being one.\u00a0 If you choose to use it, I would suggest to cut thin and add to your greens or vegetables in small amounts.<\/p>\n 3. Wash (And Dry) Your Hands Often<\/strong>– Suggests cleaning hands often and mentioned it is equally important drying them\u00a0to prevent germs from clinging to the skin.<\/p>\n Gut Commentary- Washing our hands frequently is a good way to keep ourselves at bay with germs we accumulate throughout our day.\u00a0 We use our hands to do everything that it is essential we keep them as clean as we can.\u00a0 Drying them was a new tip for me I didn’t know but makes a whole lot of sense.\u00a0 I would like to add a cautionary word for using antibacterial soaps.\u00a0\u00a0 I understand some people have the need for them, but overuse can also cause imbalances as we overly sanitize.<\/p>\n 4. Use Herbs and Spices- <\/strong>Suggests adding herbs such as oregano, thyme and turmeric as ingredients\u00a0to your cooking practices for winter that boost immunity.<\/p>\n Gut Commentary- Herbs and spices are a wonderful way to get added levels of immunity protection into your body and cooking is a great first line of defense for health.\u00a0 Using “food as medicine” is what Hippocrates taught and is a proven way to support your body everyday.\u00a0 Oregano, thyme and turmeric are easy on the gut.\u00a0\u00a0As she suggests\u00a0you can add\u00a0these to flavor beans\u00a0or other foods that you enjoy.\u00a0 Other herbs you might include are parsley and cilantro which clean the blood and are lovely as a fresh garnish.<\/p>\n 5. Add Astragalus- <\/strong>Identifies the root of\u00a0astralagus\u00a0as a substance that\u00a0helps\u00a0the body\u00a0defenses to ward off viruses.\u00a0Suggests cutting it up and adding to soups or taking it in pill form.<\/p>\n Gut Commentary-\u00a0 Though I have not used it myself in cooking I am familiar with astralagus as a hardy root used to prevent colds.\u00a0 I\u00a0have not seen it in the local\u00a0supermarkets to try it myself but perhaps you may find it where you are.\u00a0\u00a0As for the gut, I\u00a0would say if you are going to cook with it try using it as the only\u00a0added “new” ingredient to your dish.\u00a0 See how your body responds and\u00a0proceed from there.\u00a0 Note any adverse reactions.\u00a0 As for the pill form, I would suggest to consult your nutritionist.<\/p>\n Here are tips 6-10.\u00a0 I will comment on them with digestive specific suggestions in the Jan 31st blog. Stay tuned! <\/strong><\/p>\n 6. Cut Back on Sweets<\/p>\n 7. Drink Enough Water<\/p>\n 8. Eat Mushrooms<\/p>\n 9. Take What You Trust<\/p>\n 10. Eat More Fruit<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In health,<\/p>\n Safara<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well we are clearing out of the\u00a0fall season\u00a0and moving fully\u00a0into winter with\u00a0this month of\u00a0January and sometimes our\u00a0immune system becomes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,5,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1634"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1634"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1663,"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1634\/revisions\/1663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/safaraf.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}