Simple and Effective Ways to Avoid the Cold/flu

There’s been all this talk recently about how living on a farm can boost your immune system, reduce the number of colds or the severity of the flu, and it makes childhood allergies and asthma less likely.  Wouldn’t it be awesome if we could all live on a farm?

But that’s not practical in this day and age.

[And my guess is that living on a farm is my dream ... but maybe not yours

]

That doesn’t mean we can’t look at farm-life and wonder what makes it so great for our bodies.

So when I got an email from Farmer/Rancher Jenny Sabo from Sabo Ranch (it was a group-email, not to me personally) that listed some of the ways she keeps her family healthy through cold and flu season, I immediately emailed her and asked if I could share it with you all.

Woohoo!  She said yes.

Without further ado …

INEXPENSIVE, HOME-BASED, RESPONSIBLE, FLU PREVENTION AND RESPONSE:
a guest post by Jenny Sabo of Sabo Ranch.

Start with keeping up your winter health through consumption of the following: 

1. BONE BROTH from pastured animals- balances calcium and phosphorus needs, maintains intestinal health, trace minerals “refill” body’s needs for raw materials for healing.  Collagen from broth also heals leaky gut linings, reducing overall body inflammation and reactivity to foods.  Broth can be used to cook rice or beans, plain & hot, or as the base of a nourishing soup. [Homemade bone broth tastes better (and is better for you) than store-bought, and it’s so simple.
2. DAILY PROBIOTIC ANIMAL FOODS - kefir, yogurt, creme fraiche, pastured raw cheeses.  The probiotics “seed” the gut with beneficial bacteria which overpower and/or prevent the invasion of bad bacterias and viruses.  Pastured and raw are best, next best is Lifeline Dairy’s (I just visited them- I really like their low grain/high forage system).  (Jeanne’s got a simple recipe for homemade yogurt if you’re inclined to give it a try)
3. PROBIOTIC VEGETABLES – you can lactoferment ANY vegetable, and create the non-animal side of your body’s needs for good bacteria and pre-digested plant matter from the lactofermentation. (check out Abby’s  Mexican Fermented Veggies for a really tasty and exceptionally easy lacto-fermented veggie even picky eaters might enjoy)
4. VITAMIN D3 - best from the sunlight, fermented cod liver oil (tastes terrible, but works!), and finally from pills.

If a flu/cold/bug is coming on, remember these “catch it at the last minute” possible responses:

1. FAST!  Eat as little as possible as soon as you feel the throat tickle or the sore muscles.  Your gut produces 80% or more of your immunity- don’t distract it with digestion, let it work its disease fighting magic.
2. NO SUGAR – Don’t eat any sugar- it is one of the most damaging foods we have created (and this is from your #1 sugarholic!)
3. YES TO WATER – Drink lots of water to give your cells the ability to flush out toxins and replace them with beneficial substances.
4. EAT SIMPLY – If you must eat, choose the basics- applesauce, probiotics like raw sauerkraut & its juice, kombucha/kefir, white rice.  Eat just enough to keep your head clear.  (Ever wonder how to make your own kombucha, which costs pennies next to the $4 store-bought variety?)
5. SLEEP- usually a lack of sleep is one of the basic causes of susceptibility to disease.  As a workaholic, I know how difficult it is to let drop even ONE of my balls in the air!

I recently heard of a friend’s father who used $1,000,000 in his last years- just on health care in a nursing home.  Did he waste his life savings???  Responsible CARE of our OWN health can allow us to use all that money in living comfortably, not in supporting the “sickness/cancer care system”.  We are in charge of our health- the conventional medical system is happy to take charge of our sickness.
– Jenny A note about Jenny and Sabo Ranch:  

Sabo Ranch, owned by Mark and Jenny Sabo and their young sons Riley and Kiril, in Harrison, MT, is committed to managing the land sustainably, keeping land and animals healthy for future generations.

Jeanne is a member of a local group called Women of the Dirt, committed to sustainable land use, organic farming/gardening, and simple living … Jenny is one of the founders of the group and a daily inspiration for our family on our quest to live better.   If you have a moment, check out their website.