How well do you know the facts of the flu? Test your knowledge!

Stay a step ahead of the common cold and flu bug!

We've got a pop quiz for you today and it's all about the flu. The New York Times presents The Well Flu Quiz and will put your health knowledge to the test.

What surfaces are the most flu-virus friendly? How far away do you need to be from a person who's got some serious sniffles? Take the quiz and find out!

If you feel you've got a cold coming, try some of our Immune Support products. My personal favourites are Sunkist Vitamin C's and Virus-A-Tak. Echinacea has always been a wonderful help in staving off that cold or, at the very least, shortening my cold length!

Stay healthy everyone! I know spring is just around the corner but there is still plenty of time for that cold-weather flu!

Image source: New York Times

Learn 10 simple ways to stay healthy this year!

Whether it's with the cold or the flu, getting sick is something that presumably everyone would like to avoid. Here at webber naturals, we've tabulated a few facts about colds and the flu.

Cold:	Flu:
200 different types of viruses are known to cause various symptoms of the common cold.	Flu season is usually between November and April.
There are 1 billion colds per year in the U.S..	10-25% of Canadians get the flu each year.
Children have 6-8 colds per year while adults have 2-4.	Approximately 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians die annually from the flu and its complications.

Although there are several distinct differences between the common cold and the flu virus, prevention techniques are similar for both. Below you can find 10 simple ways to prevent getting sick.

10 Simple Ways to Prevent Getting Sick:

1. Exercise: Exercise helps strengthen the immune system. We recommend a combination of strength training and cardio, however, you can also strengthen your immune system with physical activity such as planting a garden, taking a walk or using the stairs instead of the elevator.
   
   
2. Eat well: Include things like colourful fruits and veggies in your diet and avoid refined sugars such as white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Read more about foods that can prevent a cold from our friends over at PGX.com.
   

3. 

   Supplement: Add Zinc Citrate, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, COLD-A-TAK, VIRUS-A-TAK and/or Echinacea to your supplement routine. Learn more about each individual product by clicking on the product name above or you can also find a full list of our immune support products here.
   
   
4. Drink plenty of water: Cold and flu bugs thrive in dried out throats and nasal passages, so be sure to stay hydrated!
   
   
5.  Drink green tea: Try swapping out your morning coffee for a cup of green tea. Studies have show that it may help prevent the flu.
   
   
6. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth: Touching these areas on your face is how germs are spread.
   
   
7. Avoid stress and stressors: It's important to manage your time and responsibilities well in order to alleviate unnecessary stress. However, if stressful situations are unavoidable for you, try webber naturals B-Calm to help you cope with stress.
   
   
8. Wash your hands: When soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
   
   
9. Send sick employees home: People infected with the flu may be able to infect others one full day before they even experience any flu-like symptoms. Those who contract the flu can also be contagious up to five to seven days after becoming sick. So, if someone you work with seems run down or is suffering from the flu, suggest they go home, rest and recover.
   
   
10. Avoid contact with those that are sick: Our most obvious point, to prevent contracting the cold or flu, steer clear of those that already have a cold or the flu!

Image source: http://www.cnhsa.com/hand-washing.aspx

Learn how you can evade cold season this year with Echinacea!

Get the run down on the mighty powers of Echinacea from guest blogger and webber naturals expert, Wendy Tao, BSc.

Nearly everybody who has ever used medicinal herbs to treat a cold has heard of Echinacea, also known as "purple coneflower."  With its bright pinky purple flowers, Echinacea has long been a favourite herbal remedy due to its immune-boosting capacity. When harvested and processed properly, the natural compounds in Echinacea can lessen the duration and severity of cold symptoms. And who doesn't want that!

A little history on Echinacea:

During 1885 to 1921, the Eclectic physicians would prescribe Echinacea for everything from abscesses, cholera, eczema, fevers, indigestion, leg ulcers, malaria, mastitis, psoriasis, respiratory congestion, syphilis, tetanus, tonsillitis, wasp sting, to snake bites! Specifically, regarding the use of Echinacea for syphilis, Ellingwood once wrote: “The longest time of all cases yet reported, needed to perfect the cure, was nine months.” Which begs the question, why are we not using this wonderful herb more often?

More importantly, however, as some people discover that different Echinacea products may vary, why don't all Echinacea extracts work the same? The answer is that there are a multitude of Echinacea-based cold products out there and they all use different species, different plant parts and vastly diverse manufacturing methods. No standard procedure has been made regarding which phytochemicals, plant compounds, are to be used, nor is there a standard amount of each compound that must be used in order for Echinacea to provide health benefits. However, since the beginning of the last century, Canadian researchers and European experts have studied Echinacea (E. purpurea) in both laboratory and clinical trials to develop effective standards for Echinacea extracts.

Active components in Echinacea:

Polysaccharides (PS) in Echinacea have received research attention as active components because purified polysaccharides, prepared from cultures of E. purpurea, were shown to strongly activate macrophages, the white blood cells that engulf and digest bacteria and viruses. The polysaccharides stimulated white blood cell activity in spleen and bone marrow, causing the body to create increased defenses against infections.

Another active component in E. purpurea is alkylamides. Herbalists usually consider the tingling in the tongue, when taking the tincture orally, as an indicator of good quality and attribute it to the alkylamides. Alkylamides exert anti-inflammatory effects and bind to certain receptors in the body that are believed to modulate immune function. 

Other studies demonstrate that bioactive constituents found in Echinacea purpurea, including alkylamides, polysaccharides and cichoric acid all support the immune system, and have a synergistic effect; they work better when all three are present. By standardizing extracts of Echinacea purpurea to ensure adequate levels of these bioactive ingredients, consistent immune enhancement is possible. These natural compounds stimulate macrophages and enhance production of the body's natural "killer cells."

So, don’t let a nasty cold get you down this season! Get immune support with Echinacea that contains all three of the plant's active therapeutic components, including alkylamides, polysaccharides and cichoric acid. And, even better, sound like a scientist when you tell your friends the reasons why they should try Echinacea!

References:

1. Bone K.  Immunity: The New Priority for the Modern Patient.  BCNA Conference 2012.
2. Echinace - Monograph. www.webbernaturals.com
3. Ellingwood F, Lloyd JU.  American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy.  11^th Edn. Naturopathic Medical Series: Botanical Volume 2.  First published 1898, reprinted Eclectic Medical Publications, Portland, 1983.
4. Snow, JM.  Echinacea (Moench) Spp.  The Protocol Journal of Botanical Medicine, Vol 2, No. 2: 18-24.