How to Beat a Cold or the Flu

With the weather slowly starting to change and cold and flu season creeping up on us, I thought I would fill you in on some of my favorite supplements. These are products that I have found help me get over a cold in no time. They are products I have personally tried over the years but I definitely don't take all of them at once.

The first thing is a supplement that I have been taking for years every time I start feeling the slightest inkling of a cold coming on. It is a little secret I have found that I think stops a cold dead in its tracks. It is called Wellness Formula by Source Naturals. The first thing my mother

always asks me when she finds out I am sick is, " Have you been taking your Wellness Formula?" With this product, the name says it all. It contains a multitude of herbs, antioxidants, vitamin, and minerals that help boost your immune system and fight off anything that might be coming your way. It is suggested to take three tablets every three or so hours. By taking Wellness Formula and getting at least 8 hours of sleep, I feel like a new person the very next day!

Wellness Formula is also a great products to bring with you when traveling. Highly populated areas like airports and cruise ships are breeding grounds for colds or the flu. Many people take Wellness Formula for a day or two before a trip to boost their immune systems so they can fight off any bug they might come in contact with.

Another product that I have found that has wonderful immune system benefits is Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is a product I have added to my daily regime year-round. D3 is one of the easiest pills to take because it is only the size of a pea. Don't let its small size fool you though, it packs a lot of potency into one little pill. There has been a lot of research done on Vitamin D3 over the years linking it to a lot of potential health benefits ranging from immune system booster to cancer fighter. I take it daily to keep my body running at its optimal potential and to ward off anything that I might be exposed to. Vitamin D3 has so many benefits I can't get into all of them today, so Ill save that for another post.

The next herb I am going to tell you about is a great immune system booster that Hippocrates used to refer to as "the medicine chest." This herb is the Elderberry. The Elder

-berry is used for its antioxidant ability and its ability to boost your immunity while helping with coughs, colds, flu, chest congestion, viral and bacterial infections. The bioflavonoids and proteins in the Elderberry juice are thought by many people to destroy the ability of cold and flu viruses to infect a cell. In 1995, Elderberry juice was actually used in Panama to treat a flu epidemic. Some scientists also think that Elderberry juice reduces the oxidation of LDL Cholesterol (the bad kind of cholesterol), therefore lowering the risk of heart disease. Another benefit of the Elderberry is there are a variety of different ways you can take it. It comes in a juice and also a pill form. A lot of people enjoy the liquid but I personally like the New Chapter Immunity Take Care Lozenge. This blueberry flavored lozenge gets into the bloodstream within 30 minutes and provides a broad spectrum of herbal chemistries and bioactives. I usually take one lozenge at the first sight of any cold or flu symptom and I really notice the results.

I love the next two products not only because they help me get over a bug quickly, but also because they are both liquids that taste delicious!

The first is olive leaf. The olive leaf is very interesting because its medicinal uses have

been traced back to the days of the ancient Egyptians. Research on olive leaf has found it to contain a lot of antioxidant powers, which make it a great weapon in fighting disease and even aging. Olive Leaf Complex is a concentrated liquid extract made directly from fresh olive leaves. It has antioxidant capability of almost double that of green tea and 400 percent higher than Vitamin C. My favorite is Olive Leaf Complex by Barlean's Organic Oils. All it takes is a tablespoon of the peppermint flavored liquid daily. This is one thing I actually enjoy taking because it tastes delicious and it a nice change from taking supplements in pill form. For more information on Olive Leaf Complex, click here.

The last product I like to take when I am not feeling my best is a liquid called Stabilized Oxygen by Oxylife. It is an anti-microbial immune system booster. This product contains stabilized oxygen that is absorbed directly into the bloodstream in minutes. This blast of oxygen in your bloodstream can help your body eliminate toxins and poisons from your cells, tissue, and blood while helping to boost your energy. It also contains Colloidal Silver which has a long history of destroying viruses, bacteria and fungi on contact. As an added benefit, many people also take this product to help boost their body's recovering capabilities after a hard workout. It comes in berry, unflavored or my personal favorite orange pineapple. All it takes is a tablespoon in the morning or at night, but it tastes so good I would take it all day long if I could.

These are just a few supplements I have noticed great results with when I have gotten sick over the years. I never take all of these supplements at the same time though. There are also many other supplements that target specific symptoms. If you are interested in any of these products or some alternatives stop by the store and talk to someone in the supplements department. They deal with these products every day and talk to people who have personal experiences with them. The supplements representatives can help you find what is best for you to keep you feeling your best in these upcoming winter months!

As always, if you have tried any of these products leave a comment here on the blog or in the testimonials section! We love to hear from you!