Getting Sick at the Holidays/WHY? And how to STOP it! Here ya GO!!!

So with winter, and the Holiday Season upon us, has your household seen an increase in colds and flu????  It is often blamed upon being inside more, being in the malls, the cold outside itself, but guess what????  While more activity, less sleep, burning the candle at both ends, may have some effect on the immune system, may I suggest what REALLY is likely responsible for more illness this time of year!


The holidays, from Halloween on, trigger, along with Holiday traditions, more eating of SUGAR, Refined goodies, processed foods at football TV gatherings, parties, and it is just "around" in the house more! Lack of fresh foods (fruits and veggies) just "slips" a little as high white flour/white sugar foods become more "acceptable and available. The consequence for many is a weakened immune system. Sugar inhibits and unbalances the natural healthy flora in the intestinal tract,  and feeds the bad bacteria present. And if you get the flu and take ANTIBIOTICS, double trouble can occur. Actually a vicious cycle can occur as the good flora, necessary for health, digestion, immune function are destroyed along with the bad bacteria. So often a rebound effect occurs. One can have symptoms return,  and wonder why, since they took antibiotics to get rid of the bacteria, for colds, flu, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, sinus infections, how could they get sick again?? What they fail to realize is that once the healthy flora has been destroyed, one has little resistance power, and coupled with most likely eating many more dessert/candy foods, which feed the bad bacteria, oh oh, it becomes an overgrowth of the bad and shortage of the good bacteria/flora!

Sooooooooo, if you are finding that you had even ONE case of the flu or a cold, our family was fortunate, and have had none, then perhaps you may want to consider the following:


Watch your intake of refined foods loaded with white sugar and white flour, AND add in things like apples, pears, berries, and veggies and salads as well. But add in something called PROBIOTICS during this time of year, to build the HEALTHY FLORA, which in turn can help build immunity, ward off an overgrowth of the bad bacteria, and help in a myriad of ways.


Think you can get it from eating a container of yogurt everyday??   Don't be fooled by the adds on TV showing that that is the best way to balance your intestinal flora and keep healthy. And don't buy drugstore, non refrigerated Probiotics. Just try ONE capsule daily of a high end, what I call INDUSTRIAL strength Probiotic, found in the refrigerated area of your local health store, or in the nutrition section of your grocery store or by ordering online, and they ship it with dry ice. I do not rely on yogurt to build my intestinal flora that has been destroyed by holiday eating or antibiotics as most carry one to two strains of the flora I need to create a wonderful environment intestinally. And about a fraction of what I need. Instead of eating 30 containers of yogurt a day, I take ONE high end Probiotic capsule, such as the one shown on here tonight, BY ITSELF on an empty stomach, either upon arising, or when going to bed. It costs about .75 per day, but especially during the winter months, I truly believe using this routine, and enjoying but not going "crazy" with sweets, and making many of them with less refined ingredients, is what protects me from colds and flu, almost every winter! I like a Probiotic with 12 strains included, and you won't remember them but look for some of these on the back of the bottle, ( see below) and 20-40 billion of the flora, are what I seek, not a measly 1-2 billion!  Here are the flora I take in the once a day capsule I use.  Just look for "a bunch" on the back. Lactobacillus alone is PUNY! And that is basically all that is in yogurt! The following are great strains of healthy flora, especially look for FOS on the label as well!


 (40 billion viable cells in each capsule!
   FOS (fructooligosaccharides)
   Lactobacillus acidophilus
   L. plantarum
   L. casei
   L. bulgaricus
   L. brevis
   L. rhamnosus
   L. lactis
   Bifidobacterium lactis
   B. bifidum
   L. sporogenes (B. coagulans)
   S. salivarius K12
   S. salivarius M18


So there you go. Go to Lucky Vitamins.com to order online, look in your health food store, or Whole Foods, but wouldn't it be nice to be flu and cold free this winter for you and your family??   If you have questions, on a particular brand you are looking at, ask away. I will be glad to help! CHEERS. Enjoy the Holidays, without the super bugs that seem to be on the attack more and more!  PROBIOTICS!   When I got the right kind, they changed my health!   They can yours too! Hugs!