The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that more than 20,000 people die from the flu and its complications each year. Even though this is only half the number of people that die from car accidents annually, this number can be significantly reduced with a little bit of information from medical experts and a little bit more effort from patients.

When you are exposed to the flu, your immune system responds by making antibodies that attack the flu like Pac-man and although you feel like you got hit by a Mac Truck, you slowly recover your strength once the battle has been won. Since so many people lose the battle to the flu each year, the CDC recommends that healthy children, adolescents and adults receive the flu shot with extreme variations in effectiveness outcomes. There are two forms, an injectable form (dead virus) and an intranasal form (live virus). The vaccines are made up of three viral strains from the previous year. I believe the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. and Canadian Public Health Services do their best to try to identify which strains may be the ones that we will be exposed to however there is no guarantee - which is one reason that effectiveness outcomes vary so much year to year.

The question that vibrates the walls of my office is, "should I get the flu shot?" To that I ask, "do you typically get the flu shot and do you typically get the flu?" and then listen for which of the four possible answers will follow before I respond.

• If the answer is "yes, and I never get the flu", I support their decision to continue this ritual.

• If the answer is "yes, and I always get the flu", I suggest they skip it this year since it hasn't worked and teach them how to strengthen their immune system.

• If the answer is "no, but I always get the flu", I ask them not to start getting the flu vaccine but to support their immune system instead.

• If the answer is "no, and I never get the flu", the answer is obviously that they should not start getting the vaccine.

Supporting your immune system is important regardless of whether you get the vaccine or not. The goal, therefore, is to ascertain your immune system is making abundant, healthy antibodies and that you have enough reserve, or energy stores, to get back on your feet as quickly as possible. Here is a checklist for you to see how well you are protected:

• Make sure your body is getting plenty of rest. Sleep is the time our body makes its antibodies - among many other restorative actions. Sleep is the time our bodies recover from the day of thinking, digesting, moving and doing. Sleeping at least eight hours, uninterrupted is one of your best protections. If you are not sleeping, it takes more energy for every cell to do all of their jobs.

• Try to decrease your stress by making healthy choices that support more peace and ease. Simply put, ease is the opposite of dis-ease. Minimizing stress is most often easier said than done. Regardless, recognizing if stress is affecting your health is essential.

• The next step is to make sure that your body is well fed. Your cells need energy to do their jobs well. Making antibodies is only one job. The nutrition you give your body dictates the type of energy you will have. If you eat highly processed foods from fast food stores or from packages and cans, you are getting calorie dense, nutrient deficient foods. Your repair and protection mechanisms will be deficient without proper nourishment for your cells have to do their work. There are a few guidelines to enhance your nourishment.

1. Become aware of what you are putting into your mouth. Sometimes writing a simple food log at the end of the day allows you to look in the mirror and reflect on your food and beverage choices.

2. Educate yourself about what a nutritious meal looks like. A good snapshot of a healthy plate is one that contains fifty to seventy-five percent of vegetables and fruit. The remaining twenty-five percent is divided between your protein and your starch. Protein comes from animal, fish, dairy and legumes. Starch is either your grain or root vegetables like sweet potatoes.

3. Stay hydrated with lots of water (half of your body weight in ounces of water per day), limit or avoid caffeine from coffee, soda, and tea as caffeine not only dehydrates you but also creates a false sense of energy that your body may become dependent upon. Limit or avoid alcohol as well as it dehydrates you and is a fermented sugar that is rapidly absorbed creating rapid blood sugar shifts while at the same time adding stress to your liver which is responsible for cleaning your body like your vacuum cleans your house.

• You might also consider supplements to boost your immune system, assist with sleep and to help your body best deal with stress. Think of supplements as just that - something that will add to your body's resources to do its job. Supplements help the body by nourishing it. Basic supplements like vitamin C, selenium, zinc, and the B-vitamins are safe as they are water soluble and won't build up in your tissues or imbalance your other nutrients. Vitamins like A, D and E are also beneficial, however they are fat soluble and can cause toxicity if you take too much.

Although I am not a strong proponent of the flu vaccine, I do at times have to prescribe antihistamines or antibiotics when the body is unable to protect itself. We must be mindful to not overuse prescription drugs and to respect them for short periods of time and to also protect the body against their potential side effects. Antihistamines dry up body secretions and therefore can cause electrolyte imbalances and cause dehydration. Antibiotics destroy the acidophilus in our digestive tracts which weakens our immune system. Prescriptions for insomnia make your body sleep but they interrupt the natural sleep cycles which is when healing occurs. For these reasons, these medications must be utilized with respect and for the shortest amount of time necessary.

In closing, I hope that you are getting excited about making your body stronger and that you are building your confidence as you enter the season of colds and flu's. On that note, if you do get the sniffles or body pain, give yourself some downtime and read a good book with a cup of warm tea. If you push too hard when you are worn down, you will end up needing more time off in the long-run.