Nutritional Supplements May Help Keep Those Sniffling, Sneezing Symptoms at Bay

Cold and flu season has arrived, which means the potential could be high for lots of sniffling co-workers and children who need to stay home from school.

Vaccinations help many people stave off the flu, but a number of Americans also try an alternative approach, using nutritional supplements in their efforts to stay healthy.

"Certain herbs, mushroom extracts and other natural compounds contain powerful antiviral properties," says Naum Burman, the founder and researcher for BioLab Rx (www.biolabrx.com), a dietary supplement company.

"Combine them together and you can get a natural boost to your immune system."

Such over-the-counter products as BioLab Rx's Immune Super Plus do that by increasing the body's natural defense cells, which are crucial to the body's defense against bacterial and viral infection.

"The body's own immune system is probably our best defense," Burman says. "But illness, stress, medical therapies, diet and lack of sleep can all compromise our immune system. That's why it can help to give the immune system a boost."

He notes that it's always important to check the ingredients, instructions and warnings for any over-the-counter supplement. Immune Super Plus, for example, is only for adults 18 and older and shouldn't be taken by pregnant or nursing women.

The flu season routinely takes a toll on Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control:

• The timing of flu is unpredictable and can vary in different parts of the country and from season to season. Most seasonal flu activity typically occurs between October and May. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the United States between December and February.

• It's estimated that each year an average of 5 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications.

• Estimating the number of flu-related deaths can be difficult because death certificates don't always specify flu as the cause. But there's little doubt that flu seasons can be severe. The CDC, for example, reported that over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of flu-associated deaths in the United States ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people. Some people, such as older people, young children, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk for serious flu complications.

In addition to vaccines, the CDC suggests several preventive measures, such as washing your hands frequently, keeping a distance from those who are ill and staying home yourself if possible when you are sick.

Burman says that supplements also provide an extra measure of prevention, and plenty of people apparently agree. The Nutrition Business Journal has reported that Americans spend well over $1 billion a year on supplements to help boost immunity and ward off cold and flu.

Burman, originally from Europe, essentially was born into his interest in maintaining health through nature. He grew up in a family where herbs and natural cures were common and knowledge of herbs and their use was the norm.

As an adult, Burman continued his research, traveling through Asian, European and Middle Eastern countries so he could gather herbal knowledge from cultures around the world.

Armed with that knowledge, he founded BioLab Rx, which also produces natural products for hair loss, joint pain, migraine headaches and other conditions or ailments.

"I thought this would be a good way to combine the wisdom of the ages with today's newest technology," he says.

About Naum Burman

by Michael Josephson

When Teresa, a widow with four young children, saw a notice that members of her church would gather to deliver presents and food to a needy family, she took $10 out of her savings jar and bought the ingredients to make three dozen cookies. She got to the church parking lot just in time to join a convoy going to the home that was to receive the congregation's help.

The route was familiar, and she was stunned when the cars pulled up in front of her house. When the pastor saw her, he said, "We never expected you to join us, Teresa. We know it's been a great struggle since your husband died, and we all wanted to support you."

Although she was uncomfortable being thought of as the object of charity, Teresa didn't want to embarrass anyone so she cheerfully said, "Well, at least I can share these cookies with our friends."

This parable teaches us that no one is too poor to help others and that true charity is rooted in love and compassion. Poverty of spirit is worse than economic distress. Teresa's story reminds us that very few of us give as much as we could and should.

My friend Larry Rosen, former president of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, introduced me to the concept of "sacrificial giving" – giving in abundance to a point where one must sacrifice something one desires.

You can start out easy. Take whatever amount you were thinking of giving to charity, then double it. If that's too much, increase it by 50 percent instead. The idea is to stretch yourself. It will mean a lot to those you help, but it will mean as much to your heart.

by John O'Leary, rising-above.com

"You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you."
- John Bunyan

I was out to eat with my family a few months ago.

My three boys Henry, Patrick and Jack fought the entire time.

My angelic little girl Grace whined the entire time.

And Beth and I worked desperately to keep the noise from scaring away other diners, drinks from being spilled and food from being thrown.

It was a struggle! And one we lost.

As we finished dinner, I apologized to the sweet waitress and told her the faster she brought me the bill, the faster we'd get out of our hair.

Not surprisingly, she returned quickly with our bill.

And that's when the surprising thing happened.

She handed it to me, smiled and told me that someone in the restaurant had covered our bill. She said the person remembers the days when their dinners were chaotic, and wanted to treat us tonight for making their night.

I stood up and glanced around the restaurant, looking for the person, the family, the kind soul. No one stood out.

I asked the waitress to please let us know who it was so we could thank them. She refused telling me again the person wanted no credit.

We stood up as a family and practically floated out of the place.

Not so much because someone saved me from an $80 dinner bill. But because someone thought enough to think about us, to be generous to us, to empathize with us.

It literally made my night – and my kids.

As I tucked them in that night, then told them stories and finally prayed with them, my two oldest chose to pray for the person who bought us dinner.

Kindness has a ripple effect.

The ripple from generosity positively impact someone else's life, that is true. But the real gift is that the life most deeply touched is the one who gave.

Choose to live on fire with generosity today because you have not fully lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.

MONDAY MORNING CHALLENGE:

1. Recall an act of kindness someone did for you, that was either anonymous or could never be repaid. Share in the comments below. (For each act of kindness shared by midnight, I'll donate $5 to Rising Above friend, Cole, who is bravely fighting cancer.)

by Wes Hopper

"Moses had his illumination while tending sheep, not when he was being educated in the ways of the Egyptians. This is very significant! It was when he minded his own business and went out in the desert alone, and cleared his thoughts of upsetting things, that he got his illumination." - Emmet Fox

The one thing that the different scriptures of the world's religions share is some amazing stories that show how well the authors understood human behavior. That's certainly true with today's story from the Hebrew traditions.

The lesson here is clear - in the midst of a busy life, with people and problems wanting our attention, it's very difficult to get meaningful work done, especially meaningful work on our selves. Moses didn't plan it that way, but when he got out of the palace and up in the hills, he found the time to work on himself.

That's why, for us today, retreats are so popular. We have scarcely a moment to ourselves in the big city, and some quiet time to just think seems like a genuine gift. Out of that can come some amazing insights into one's own self that might otherwise go undetected.

In the story, Moses came back a different man with a new assignment in life. I remember years ago coming back from a week in the woods knowing that I had to quit my job! Without knowing what to do next, either! But I did quit, and many wonderful things followed.

Not all retreats lead to massive life changes, but they do lead to change. A change of emphasis, a change of goals, a new sense of purpose, a sense of clarity. These are all very good things! We can also learn to better control our thoughts to keep our mind from overwhelming us.

In metaphysical teachings, sheep represent thoughts, because sheep tend to wander off on their own and individually they're not too bright. But we can control them by knowing and using our purpose, a form of mental sheepdog, to keep them in line!