Flu Season and Prosperity

It’s all about immunity!!!!

Obviously, prosperity is tied to being healthy.  Illness drains your resources very quickly.  Having a strong immune system is one of the greatest forms of prosperity that we can know. An abundance of antibodies is one of the greatest gifts we can have. The good news is that you can improve your immunity with a few simple practices.

For most people, the immune system works below average because of self-inflicted challenges. Diet, especially sugar, drugs and alcohol, as well as smoking, not getting enough sleep and lack of exercise, compromises immunity. These are all things that you control.   There’s a recent discussion about how many autoimmune diseases may be tied to viruses. If this is true, the best solutions are going to come from lifestyle changes and using your immune system to restore your immune system. It all comes down to how well you support your immune system. 

Flu Season Challenges

The vaccine debate will rage on forever. It’s a roll of the dice. It doesn’t always work and that can be dangerous if people don’t realize that vaccination does not ensure immunity. Some would argue that even if it doesn’t work for everyone, it still has overall value by limiting the spread of the disease. Others argue that it gives people a false sense of immunity, so they are not as careful about prevention. And some say there are serious side effects that should be avoided.

In 2017 in Australia, the vaccine was only about 10% effective. It mutated during the manufacturing process. This resulted in a very bad flu season. 

There’s also a long-running debate about the dangers of vaccination. Some believe that it increases the stress on the immune system and causes diseases or side effects. There has been false information on both sides of the argument and the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. So, what are we to do?

Immunity and Infection Control

The best strategy will always be to build your immunity and to make excellent infection control skills part of your daily routine. Also, the education of those around you will help to extend the value. 

Making sure that all environments are highly vigilant of sick students/teachers/employees/clients and that appropriate actions are taken is an important practice. The challenge of the work environment is that you have very little control over what the rest of the public will do. However, in your private business you can set policies that address this issue. In your home and your work environment, you can implement a touch point plan to make sure that all touch surfaces are continually disinfected.

Not going to work or school if you are sick as well as keeping your distance from others is an important consideration. This is particularly challenging for parents as children have very little awareness of infection control and you don’t want to make them afraid of their world. 

If you have your own business, you can make it a priority that people cannot come to work sick and you send them home if they don’t adhere to that policy. This requires careful education to make them understand that they have a lot of influence over the outcome. Proper hand washing and constant sanitation of all touch surfaces, both at school, work and at home, along with awareness of risk factors in public are an important starting point.

Learning to recognize the risk factors and being proactive in reducing the risk is a learned skill. It requires repetition to make sure that everyone understands. You don’t have to be obsessive, but you do need to be passionate about maintaining high standards. Once you learn the skills, you will be horrified at what you see in many restaurants and even medical facilities. Many places you would expect higher standards are still lagging behind. 

Diet, Exercise and Rest

The value to your immunity of good diet, regular balanced exercise, and good quality sleep are very significant factors. Educating people on the negative impacts of sugar, alcohol, drugs, sitting, TV watching and entertaining that disrupts sleep patterns, is a good starting point. Sugar and carbohydrates (including alcohol) are significant risk factors that are particularly a problem around the holidays. All the cookies, pies, candy and sweet drinks that go with the holiday season have a powerful impact on immunity, partly because they are very hard on the system but also because it’s probably a departure from your normal diet. Most people only think about the calorie increase and weight gain as an issue and don’t realize that the stress on the immune system is far more problematic. 

Holidays and Vacations 

Whereas holidays and vacations are very valuable for restoring perspective and stimulating happiness, they can also have major adverse effects that promote the spread of flu. In addition to the interruption of your normal good health patterns and diet, the exposure to additional people in closed spaces during transportation and unsanitary conditions are a powerful combination. A hidden danger is also too much sun exposure. Many people either get sick during or after returning from holidays and vacations. People return to work or school and proceed to infect everyone else around them. 

The Alternative

It doesn’t have to be like this. Knowing the dangers, avoiding food and drink that you know is bad for you and being vigilant of infection opportunities can help to keep you well. Maintaining a strong immune system is up to you. With some discipline and forethought, you can lead a full and exciting life that isn’t interrupted by annoying illnesses that can be avoided.  Having an abundance of strong antibodies and good habits to reduce your exposure to illness are keys to your success and prosperity. By pairing your awareness with your desire to be healthy and prosperous, you can lead a life of abundance that is fulfilling and rewarding. 

Be well!

Kris