Does it seem like everyone around you has been sick in the last 2 weeks?? There has been a lot of Coughing, Sinus congestion and Flu symptoms going around and according to the CDC the Flu season is off to an early start. (Scroll down to see the USA Flu Map.) So what can you do to keep your immunity strong.

Here is our top six suggestions to BioHack your Immunity

1. Get your diet back on track asap.  Ditch the sugar and poor habits.  Start with home cooking using fresh organic and whole ingredients. Make sure you have plenty of mineral rich veggies and greens on your plate or in your bowl.
2. It’s hard to keep stress at bay when you are itching to get a jump start on the new year.  We suggest that you notice when you are feeling overwhelmed and step back from what you are doing and take some long deep breaths.  If you can sit in silence for 10 minutes to re calibrate the nervous system and negative thought patterns even better.
3. Calm Digestion.  Stress and poor diet can wreak havoc with your digestion. To help decrease gut inflammation and calm digestion symptoms we suggest you add a doctor grade Probiotic and comprehensive digestive enzyme.  We have some great recommendations at our office or we can sent them directly to you.  Call us for more info or go to the products button on the home page. http://www.drpia.com
4. Rest is important to restore health and allow you to function at the top of your game. Sleep allows your body and mind to heal. It also keeps the sugar and carb cravings at bay.
5. Add Nutritional Insurance.  Load up on antioxidants like, Vitamin A ,C and Zinc. Most of us do not get enough zinc in our diets. We conduct a zinc test on all our new patients and very few pass the test. If you have digestive distress then absorption of zinc can be an issue.  The top zinc rich foods are:  seafood, lean meats, poultry, seeds, nuts, leafy greens and beans. During the cold and flu season I highly recommend you add antioxidant supplements to your diet for an extra boost of immunity.
6. Exercise.  Movement allows you to get fresh blood and oxygen to all the cells in the body. Studies have shown that 7 minutes daily can reap huge benefits.
7. Make a pot of homemade broth soup.  We like a chicken or turkey base but you can choose. Add a bunch of veggies, garlic, spices like cumin and curry and a big handful of kale. It will be warming, nourishing, easy on digestion and full of collagen.

Below is a report from the CDC.

Outbreaks of influenza are getting an early start this year in part because of cold weather gripping much of the USA and low efficacy associated with this year’s flu vaccine.

It’s still too early to say whether this winter will be a bad season for the flu, but epidemiologists in 36 states already have reported widespread influenza activity to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in data released Friday. Twenty-one of those states show a high number of cases.

 “They’re seeing that it’s anywhere from 10% to 33% effective, so any time there’s a mismatch between the vaccine and the circulating strain of the flu, you’re going to see more cases.”

Peak flu activity in the U.S. usually occurs around February.