The kids are back in school, the rain has begun to fall and it’s time again to rely on your furnace to warm the house. It’s also the time to prepare your immune system for the cold and flu season. People may be getting sick around you, but you don’t have to be the one who catches the cold or flu – as long as you keep your system strong.

Here are some things you can do to boost your immune system:

1. Take Jade Screen, which is a powerful herbal formula that has been used for over 300 years in China. The chief ingredient is Astragalus, which has been shown in clinical studies to increase resistance to colds and flu and to shorten duration of infection.
2. Benefit from regular acupuncture treatments to tune-up and balance your body. As a trained acupuncturist, I can detect subtle imbalances in your system. Treating these imbalances will optimize how your body functions.
3. Exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5+ days a week. This is an important ingredient to immune and overall health. Regular, consisten exercise has been proven to help decresase the chances of catching the cold and flu.
4. Matintain your Vitamin D levels. More and more people are being diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency, and this is particularly true during the winter months. A simple test to determine your Vitamin D level is available at our office.
5. Add mushrooms. Medicinal mushrooms like Shiitake and Maitake are all excellent additions to your meals. There are hundreds of research reports showing the benefit of these mushrooms’ effects on boosting the immune system. These mushrooms can also be found in several pill forms at my office if you need a larger dose or don’t like the taste of the mushrooms.

Of course, there are other factors involved in keeping your immune system healthy and strong. Plenty of rest is essential. Proper levels of Vitamin C and Zinc are extremely important to the body. And the importance of a good diet full of the essential vitamins and minerals can’t be stressed enough.