31 Oct 09 Build Up Your Defense Against Swine Flu

Everyone seems to be worried about the H1N1 virus, or better known as swine flu, this flu season. While yes this should be a concern on everyone’s mind, it’s also something you shouldn’t feel constant anxiety about. The key to fighting off any flu is simply by making sure you have the right good nutrition to keep your immune system as strong as possible. These are a few tips to strengthen your immune system, and keep you feeling as great as possible through any flu season:

One of the main things you can do, is take a vitamin supplement, to ensure you get all the essential vitamins that your body needs. Unfortunately not enough people realize that they are low on some of the most essential vitamins, and this can cause you to be more likely to get sick. The vitamins you should look for in a good flu fighting supplement are:

-Vitamin D, as this vitamin helps by creating more antimicrobial agents within your body. Essentially providing your body with more materials to build more cold/flu busting soldiers in your blood stream. Vitamin D is very important, and a common vitamin that many people don’t get enough of daily. This should be a first check off in your search, especially during cold and flu season.

-Vitamin E is a good immune system strengthener, and a vitamin that is hard to get from eating food alone. A supplement is a great way to get more vitamin E, which also strengthens your body’s infection fighting capabilities.

-Vitamin C is pretty much the cold and flu fighting staple. Vitamin C helps your body build more white blood cells, which is the key way in which your body fights off any infection. The really cool thing about vitamin C though, is that it boosts your body’s interferon antibodies, which protects your cells from even being affected by a flu virus in the first place. So drink that orange juice to get your daily share!

Finally, eat foods rich in bioflavonoids, as they help your cell receptors resist flu viruses. Bioflavonoids can be found in foods such as dark chocolate, blackberries, and even green tea. Good nutrition is your best route to avoiding swine flu this season, or giving your body what it needs to fight off the virus. So keep your mind at ease by strengthening that immune system.

Tags: Antibodies, Antimicrobial Agents, Bioflavonoids, Blood Stream, Cell Receptors, Cold And Flu, Cold And Flu Season, Cold Flu, Cool Thing, Flu Virus, Good Nutrition, Immune System, Interferon, Key Way, Orange Juice, Swine Flu, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin Supplement, White Blood Cells

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28 Apr 09 Is Chocolate Good For You?

A very good question, especially considering how much most of us do love the occasional chocolate bar, wouldn’t it be great if you weren’t doing damage to your health but actually something positive with your cravings? Well as the facts point out, chocolate actually is good for you, cocoa itself that is, but not all chocolate is good for you. Dark chocolate in particular is the stuff that has high health benefits, and few to no negative side effects.

This is because cocoa is rich in flavanols, which are extraordinarily good for you because they are proven to increase blood vessel function and blood flow, reduce blood pressure, reduce the tendency of your blood to form clots, and increase blood flow to the brain. All of which fantastic things, and all of which offered by the flavanols found in cocoa. However that’s not to say you should run out and buy as much chocolate as you want, as that would just hurt you in the long run.

To receive the full health benefits from chocolate that you could, you want to concentrate on dark chocolate which is low in fats and sugars, whereas milk chocolate is loaded with fat, sugar, and cholesterol, all of which completely erase any benefits from cocoa’s flavanols. Also you have to factor in how much you’re eating and adjust your diet accordingly, as you have to reduce calories elsewhere to allow yourself room for chocolate calories. Otherwise you’re eating extra calories which is going to lead to weight gain.

You want to measure out your chocolate intake, have a little dark chocolate every once and a while as a treat, and then you allow yourself the health benefits without having to worry about any negative side effects. Although it’s also good to note that fruits and vegetables are still the best way to go for antioxidants and beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Like kiwi which has the highest concentration of antioxidants, vitamin c, and numerous other beneficial minerals for your cardiovascular system. Chocolate will never, nor should ever, be a substitute for something as ridiculously healthy as a kiwi.

Tags: Blood Flow, Blood Vessel, Cardiovascular System, Chocolate Bar, Cocoa, Cravings, Dark Chocolate, Fantastic Things, Flavanols, Fruits And Vegetables, Full Health, Good Question, Health Benefits, High Health, Kiwi, Milk Chocolate, Sugars, Vitamin C, Vitamins And Minerals, Weight Gain

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31 Oct 09 Build Up Your Defense Against Swine Flu

28 Apr 09 Is Chocolate Good For You?

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