Lime In The Coconut Specialty Compounding Pharmacy: Tips To Build Your Immune System

Friday, October 21, 2016

8 Ways To Strengthen Your Immune System This Flu Season

The colder weather and changing leaves make it impossible to ignore - fall is officially here. The changing temperatures (coupled with the new school year that is now in full swing) can take a serious toll on your immune system if you aren't prepared. This flu season, your friends at The Lime in the Coconut Specialty Compounding Pharmacy are here to help you stay ahead of the game with these simple but effective strategies to strengthen your immune system.

1. Avoid Sugary Foods
It can be hard to avoid sugar's enticing (and often downright addicting) lure, but consuming large quantities of sugar weakens your immune system. This can make you more susceptible to the germs that you will inevitably be exposed to this flu season. Do your immune system a favor by cutting back on sweet treats.

2. Get Plenty Of Sleep
Our body regenerates during sleep. A short night here and there may not be too problematic, but if you have several short nights in a row, you can begin to rack up sleep debt. Sleep deprivation is hard on your entire body, and your immune system is no exception.

3. Take A Vitamin D Supplement
Low vitamin D levels often correlate with greater risks of developing respiratory infections. Unfortunately, Americans as a whole suffer from a chronic vitamin D deficiency. As the days become shorter and the temperatures become colder, we'll get even less of this important vitamin. Offset this deficiency by taking a natural, high-quality supplement.

4. Drink Elderberry Juice
In the holistic health circles, elderberry juice is praised for its amazing immune-boosting qualities. A little bit goes a long way; it doesn't take much to see some fantastic benefits. Most people recommend taking 1-2 tablespoons per day.

5. Eat Raw Fruits And Vegetables
Nature's bounty offers a great resource for strengthening your immune system. Raw or home-cooked vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts offer multiple health benefits. Since they each offer different benefits, it is important to consume a variety.

6. Take A Probiotic
Probiotics have been shown to be enormously beneficial for improving gastrointestinal and respiratory health. There are types of probiotic supplements, and some are more beneficial than others. Be sure you're getting one that will be the most helpful for your body.

7. Limit Alcohol Intake And Tobacco Use
Products like alcohol and tobacco are hard on the body. If your body's systems have to work harder to process the alcohol or tobacco it is exposed to, it will have fewer resources leftover to guard against germs, bacteria, and viruses. Cutting back on alcohol and tobacco use is always beneficial, but it is especially important during flu season.

8. Get Plenty Of Exercise
The "use it or lose it" maxim applies to exercise and the physical benefits it provides. Consistent exercise offers protection against a wide array of health challenges, including osteoporosis, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and more. By keeping your body in good condition, it will be better prepared to fight off the germs it will inevitably be exposed to this time of year.

Get Your Immune-Boosting Agents At The Lime!
In addition to compounded medication, our pharmacy at the Lake of the Ozarks offers a wide variety of over-the-counter immune-boosting agents. We sell high-quality probiotics, vitamin D supplements, elderberry juice, and multiple herbal supplements. Stop by and see us to pick up your immune-boosting agents!

The Lime In The Coconut Specialty Compounding Pharmacy

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111 Crossings West, Suite 6

PO Box 2145

Lake Ozark, MO 65049

(573) 964-6786

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Monday-Thursday
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Monday, August 1, 2016

7 Immune-Boosting Tips For The Coming School Year

August is officially here, which means that another school year is just around the corner. Every August, the start of the new school year brings new schedules, new friends, new knowledge, and (unfortunately), new germs. Households with teachers and school-age children often succumb to numerous colds, coughs, and other sicknesses soon after the school year begins. This year, your friends at our compounding pharmacy at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to help you ward off these nasty germs.

Boosting Your Immune System

As the old saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Strengthening your immune system ahead of time is your best line of defense against the germs that run rampant at the start of the school year. By taking steps to boost your immune system now, you may be less likely to fall victim to the illnesses that attack most households this time of year.

Tips To Strengthen Your Immune System

1. Go For The Garlic
Garlic contains powerful antibodies and immune boosting agents that can help strengthen your immune system. Fortunately, garlic is a delicious seasoning that can be used on or in practically any of your favorite foods, including pizza, pasta, sauces, and more. Fresh, raw garlic is the most effective, so try to avoid cooking it too much if you can.

2. Decrease Alcohol Intake
While the occasional beer or glass of wine probably won't hurt, you may be wise to avoid consuming large quantities of alcohol. In addition to being hard on the liver, consuming alcohol can impair the immune system and make you more susceptible to infections.

3. Get Plenty Of Sleep
Somewhere along the line, our culture became one that idolizes individuals who work so hard (both in their professional and personal lives) that they have little time leftover for sleep. However, the truth is that lack of sleep wears on our bodies more than we often realize (or care to admit). Getting plenty of sleep is one of the best ways to boost your immune system.

4. Avoid Excess Stress
Stress affects more than our mental states - it also wears on our adrenal systems and can begin to take a toll on our physical states as well. Studies show that highly stressed individuals are more likely to succumb to colds and other illnesses.

5. Eat "Real" Foods
What are the primary foods you eat? Most health experts agree that eating "real" foods (that is, foods that come directly from nature) are the best when it comes to building and strengthening your immune system. Nuts, fruit, seeds, and vegetables are incredibly powerful immune-boosting agents.

6. Up Your Vitamin D Intake
Vitamin D plays a big role in the strengthening of your immune system. During the summer, spending some time outdoors in the sunshine (without sunscreen) triggers the body's natural production of Vitamin D. However, most people don't spend enough time in the sun to get the needed effect. We offer Vitamin D supplements to help fill in the gaps.

7. Wash Your Hands Frequently
If you actually stopped to think about all of the germs and bacteria your hands come into contact with on a daily basis, you might be horrified. The truth is that we touch thousands of these microscopic organisms every hour. Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water is the best way to get rid of these germs before they get transferred to your body's more vulnerable locations, such as your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Remember The Lime In The Coconut For All Your Health-Related Needs

As the next school year gets underway, it's important to have a health ally that you can trust. Our Lake of the Ozarks pharmacy will be here to help in any way we can, from offering immune-boosting supplements to helping you combat any illnesses or infections that you might happen to pick up when the school year begins. For more information about our medicinal services at the Lake of the Ozarks, stop by and see us or give us a call at 573-964-6786. We look forward to assisting you!