This year many people will get the flu, which for most will mean a few days in bed. People who suffer complications to the flu tend to be the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. While it’s definitely not fun, most healthy people can kick the flu without much of a problem.
There are many strains of the influenza virus that cause the flu, and they mutate as they travel the globe. The flu vaccine is largely ineffective because of this concept. In fact, many people have complications because of the flu shot itself.
At Arizona Pain & Posture, we encourage our patients to build up a strong immune system instead of getting a flu shot. Your body will fight off the flu the same way it fights off other viruses.
If you are eating a clean diet with few processed foods and lots of organic fruits and veggies, plus balancing your gut bacteria with probiotic and prebiotic foods, you should be strong and healthy enough to prevent the flu.
We recommend several supplements as well, to boost immunity during winter months. Here is a short list, available through our website which is linked to Natural Partners FullScript for easy ordering: V-clear for fighting viruses, BioVeg for immune system support, and of course Vitamin C.
It’s also a great idea to make some homemade, pasture-raised organic chicken broth for your freezer, in case you do come down with the flu. Chicken broth is packed full of immune system boosting nutrition!
Cure-All Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 whole organic chicken
- 1 large organic carrots, broken into pieces
- 2 large organic celery stalks plus inner celery leaves
- 1 small organic onion
- handful of fresh organic parsley
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt, to taste
- filtered water
Directions:
Place the whole chicken backside-down in the bottom of a large pot, then add the carrots, celery, onion, parsley. Fill the pot to the top with water and set to boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer with a tilted lid for 5-8 hours. Add more water if the level gets low. Skim away the impurities as they rise to the top. Some people like to remove the chicken meat after about two hours to avoid the chicken drying out and becoming bland, but be sure to leave the bones, cartilage and skin simmering the whole time to extract nutrients.
Use a fine mesh strainer to separate the broth from the rest of the ingredients, then add the salt to the broth. Let the broth cool and pour into storage containers for the freezer. Once the broth has settled into freezing, you should see a layer of fat on top. Don’t discard the fat. The broth itself, when cold, should be thick and gelatinous. This shows that you have simmered the broth long enough to extract fat, collagen and gelatin from the chicken, which are all deeply nutritious. This broth is filled with Vitamins A and D, not to mention glucosamine and chondroitin, and a vast array of minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and sulphur.
Use the tender chicken meat for tacos or sandwiches, and toss the remaining leftover vegetables into the compost pile.
Consuming broth first thing in the morning every day is an excellent way to start the day, as broth has a healing effect on the gut and readies it for digestion. For those who practice intermittent fasting, broth is a light yet fortifying food to eat around noon to gently break the fast and maintain excellent energy for the next several hours.
