7 Simple Techniques to Minimize Your

Swine Flu Risk

It is that time of the year when the weather changes in most parts of the world and the common cold starts rearing its ugly head.  Flu season also begins.  This season is causing more anxiety amongst the general population because of the H1N1 swine flu.

There is almost a panic because the experts feel that this flu virus is more severe than the others.

Let me give you some statistics.

•    Seasonal flu annually sickens 5-20% of the population.
•    More than 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu complications
•    About 36,000 people die from influenza related complications each year in the United States alone.
•    75 million work days are lost each year
•    1765 deaths are due to influenza annually

Now I didn’t give these statistics to scare you or alarm you.  I provided these to show you that these statistics are from what we know as general flu, which means that the swine flu is not necessarily more harmful.

This means all flu may be potentially harmful and life threatening.  That is why you need to take the proper steps to avoid all types of flu this season and not just worry about the swine flu.

The National Institute for Health and Center for Disease Control also states that 62 million cases of the common cold are reported each year.

So what are we to do?

We have all heard of the common tips that we should be doing and these are pretty powerful.

1.    Consistently wash your hands
2.    Avoid contacting your face with your hands unless you have recently washed them of germs.
3.    If you are in contact with public areas where germs tend to thrive make sure you wash your hands afterward and avoid touching your face prior to washing your hands.

Did you know that your nutritional habits play an important role in combating the common cold and flu?

More and more research is showing that Vitamin D can play an important role in fighting off the flu.

The problem with this is we have become so scared of the sun and skin cancer that we tend to cover our bodies in sunscreen, which limits the amount of Vitamin D we can absorb from the sun.

The result is we are actually starting to see a deficiency in Vitamin D, which the experts thought would never happen.

Which type of Vitamin D should I take?

You can take a good multi-vitamin that has Vitamin D in it, but many multivitamins contain Vitamin D2 instead of D3.  Both are usable forms of Vitamin D, but D3 converts 500% faster and binds with protein more effectively than D2.

The other solution is to spend 10-15 minutes a day in the sun without sunscreen on.   This is more difficult right now in Oklahoma or if you are in climates where the wind is blowing and the temperature is 20 degrees during the winter months.  That is why a good multi-vitamin that contains Vitamin D3 is a good alternative.

Many experts believe this is why flu is worst in the fall and winter because most people spend their time indoors because of the nasty weather.

Here are 7 simple inexpensive ways to dramatically boost your immune system and reduce the risk of the cold or flu this year.

1.    Vitamin D through sun exposure or a good multi-vitamin that contains Vitamin D3
2.    Avoid sugar and processed foods
3.    Exercise
4.    Daily Omega 3 fats from krill oil to boost your immune system
5.    Get enough rest.  Some believe getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night dramatically increases you chances of contracting the flu
6.    Wash your hands thoroughly throughout the day
7.    Consume anti-oxidants to help fight off free radicals that can weaken your immune system

If you’re looking for the way to stay healthy this year then that means following all 7 seven steps above.

Can you think of any reason not to take care of your health this year?

Now there is no one miracle solution and relying on the swine flu vaccination which for many won’t be available until sometime in December is not the safest route to go.  Combining as many solutions as possible is going to give you the best defense against colds and flu this season.

Don’t risk your health on poor nutrition.

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You have to love that sweet tooth but next time your sweet tooth starts to act up come back to this post before you give into it’s bliss.

Sometimes pictures are way better than words.

We know the facts, but this brings perspective quickly, doesn’t it? Each cube is a teaspoonful.

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Myth: Low-fat or fat-free means no calories.

Fact: A low-fat or fat-free food is most often lower in calories than the same size portion of the full-fat product. But many processed low-fat or fat-free foods have just as many calories as the full-fat version of the same food—or even more calories. They may contain added sugar, flour, or starch thickeners to improve flavor and texture after fat is removed. These ingredients add mega calories so don’t be fooled by the placement of words. (Yoplait brand yogurt may be low fat, it’s still loaded with added sugars.)

Tip: Read the Nutritional Facts on a food package to find out how many calories are in a serving. Check the serving size too—it may be less than you are used to eating.

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Myth: Fast foods are always an unhealthy choice and you should not eat them when trying to lose weight.

Fact: You can make fast food part of a healthy weight-loss program with a little bit of know-how.

Tip: Avoid super size combo meals, or split one with a friend. Sip on water or fat-free milk instead of soda. Choose salads and grilled foods, like a grilled chicken breast sandwich or small hamburger. Try a “ fresco” taco (with salsa instead of cheese or sauce) at taco stands. Fried foods, like french fries and fried chicken, are high in fat and calories, so order them only once in a while (on your splurge day), order a small portion, or split an order with a friend. Use very very small amounts of high-fat, high-calorie toppings, like regular mayonnaise, salad dressings, bacon, and cheese.

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Myth: Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight.

Fact: Studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier (and grumpier) than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day. This may be because people who skip meals tend to feel hungrier later on, and eat more than they normally would. It may also be that eating many small meals throughout the day helps people control their appetites. This will all your metabolism to speed up and burn fat faster.

Tip: Eat small meals throughout the day that include a variety of healthy, low-fat, low-calorie foods.

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Myth: Eating after 8-9 p.m. causes weight gain.

Fact: It does not matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat.

Tip: If you want to have a snack before bedtime, think first about how many calories you have eaten that day. And try to avoid snacking in front of the TV at night—it may be easier to overeat when you are distracted by the television.

Since a lot of you at my Oklahoma City boot camp are going to be going into your second month of boot camp I wanted to give you 16 Tips on how to get lean.

1.) Attend Okc Fit Body Boot Camp at least 3x’s a week. No Questions Asked!

2.) DO what I like to call “Hellacious Cardio Circuits”. A period of high intensity cardio circuits with low intensity cardio circuits. An easy way to easily achieve this is to attend the amazing boot camp 3-4x’s a week. A pattern is starting to form…

3.) Get some complex carbohydrates like…pasta, macaroni, high fiber breakfast cereals, oatcakes, beans, lentils

And your Protein immediately within 30 minutes of you workout.

4.) Eat small meals every three hours.

5.) Eat a lean protein source every 3 hours… sushi, hard boiled eggs, lean ground beef, chicken tenderloins

6.) Take an essential fatty acid supplement

7.) Always take your multivitamins (always…always…)

8.) Green leafy veggies are your friend and you need to be eating them all the time

9.)Replace your BBQ sauce and mayo with Salsa, mustard, and for some extreme flavor use hot sauce.

10.) VERY IMPORTANT: Drink Water… Drink Water… Drink Water… Drink water and get rid of the liquid calories unless it is a nice protein drink.

11.) Limit Alchohol (This is one of my weaknesses as well but remember alcohol has 7 calories/gram)

12.) Liquid Calories are best if you steer clear but if you must drink it, only in moderate amounts and please all you coffee drinkers don’t add creamer, milk, sugar, and syrup.

13.) If you can, 15 minute Cat-Nap in the afternoon (this is impossible for some but if you can slip one in when the boss isn’t looking do it.)

14.) Never ever skip Breakfast, not even once.

15.) Always know your schedule the night before and know when you are going to eat the next day.

16.) Always have an (RTD) Ready to Drink Shake at all times, just in case you can’t get that meal in.