The secret to having your boss love you this winter

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From the moment the weather turns cooler, employees begin dropping like flies. The main culprit? Colds and flus. And while everybody loves a day off - it’s completely wasted if you’re spending that day unable to eat while nursing a hot water bottle and making your way through an entire box of tissues. The good news (especially for your boss) is that we’ve discovered the secret to staying healthy through the winter months - fresh-picked . But don’t just take our word for it - we’ve tracked down Health Schools Australia principal Stephen Eddey, a qualified nutritionist and naturopath, to reveal everything there is to know about this natural remedy.

Why is Olive Leaf Extract essential for the winter months?

Olive leaves have been traditionally used to enhance the functioning of the immune system and aid the management of viral infections, especially when fever is present. Taking olive leaf extract may be an important measure for supporting your immune system and helping reduce your likelihood of being affected by colds and the flu this winter.  

Can you get the same benefits from Olive Leaf Extract as eating normal olives?

In a limited way, you can get the same benefits from eating normal olives. The heart health benefits of consuming olive oil in the classic ‘Mediterranean Diet’ are well documented. However, an Olive Leaf Extract made directly from fresh-picked leaves – and the freshness is very important – contains up to forty times the amount of healing compounds that are in olives and olive oil. So, it’s like a Mediterranean Diet concentrate.

How does Olive Leaf Extract compare with other traditional cold and flu season supplements (such as vitamin C)?

Olive Leaf Extract has a higher antioxidant power than many of the traditional cold and flu season supplements. Research has identified the olive leaf as the most powerful, free radical-scavenging antioxidant of 55 medicinal herbs. There was another significant study in 2005 whereby fresh-picked Olive Leaf Extract antioxidant was tested and found to be 400 per cent more powerful than vitamin C.

What are the top 10 benefits of Olive Leaf Extract?

1. Cardiovascular support: Research shows that Olive Leaf Extract assists in the maintenance of normal heart function and helps to maintain a normal healthy cardiovascular system.
2. Immune support: Olive leaves have been traditionally used to enhance functioning of the immune system and aid the management of viral infections, especially when fever is present.
3. Antioxidant power: With 400 per cent more antioxidant power than the equivalent amount of vitamin C, Olive Leaf Extract is a powerful free-radical scavenger.
4. Anti-inflammatory: The anti-inflammatory properties of olive leaf extract can be very effective during severe bouts of arthritis, both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
5. Anti-hypertensive: Olive Leaf Extract is recognised for its ability to maintain blood pressure within a healthy range. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a known risk factor of metabolic syndrome, a broad lifestyle-related condition.
6. Reducing cholesterol levels: Numerous clinical trials have shown that olive leaf extracts are capable of reducing blood cholesterol levels, thus lowering the risk of heart disease.
7. Anti-ageing: Olive Leaf Extract is an ideal ‘protector’ of our overall skin health because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses that support skin elasticity and skin thickness.
8. Arthritis: Olive leaf has shown early promise as a potential preventative and treatment approach for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.
9. 100 per cent natural: Fresh picked olive leaf extracts contain no alcohol, sugar, starch, yeast or gluten, as well as no artificial flavours, colourings or preservatives.
10. Relief from gout: Olive leaves are a traditional gout remedy in Mediterranean regions. The enzyme known to contribute to the development of gout has shown to be inhibited by a number of the components of olive leaves.

Are there any surprising benefits of Olive Leaf Extract that people don’t traditionally know about?

Animal experiments have shown that Olive Leaf Extract protects cell DNA from damage caused by x-ray radiation when administered before or after treatment. Due to its powerful antioxidant activity, ionised particles are quenched, thus protecting healthy cells. This would apply to UV radiation from the sun and oxidative stress caused by pollution, passive smoking, or a doctor or dentist’s x-rays.

What are your top 10 tips for staying healthy this winter?

1. Make sure you have fresh-picked Olive Leaf Extract handy: It is important to take Olive Leaf as soon as you feel the onset of a cold or flu.
2. Take a multi-vitamin every day: This keeps your baseline nutrients high as most nutrients are required for a healthy immune system.
3. Eat well: Eat plenty of green vegetables, protein foods such as fish, meats and chicken, and avoid junk food and refined carbohydrates.
4. Exercise daily: Just because the temperature plummets, your exercise levels shouldn’t.
5. See your doctor for a regular blood test: He or she can determine key blood levels of nutrients such as vitamin D and also cancer markers and immune markers. If these are detected early, they can be corrected.
6. Get out in the sun when you can: While excessive sunlight is dangerous, during winter if it is a sunny day, make the most of it. For example, go for a walk at lunchtime in the middle of the day to maximise your sun exposure.
7. Laugh a lot: Winter can be depressing. Make sure that you uplift your soul with a good comedy and cup of vegetable soup.
8. Socialise without using social media: Keep in contact with your friends personally as well as your family.
9. Switch off and relax from time to time: Winter can be stressful so get away for a weekend in the mountains or if you can’t do that, go for a long bushwalk. It is the perfect time of year to do something active.
10. Try something new: This can be anything from mixing up your gym routine to trying a new exercise or even trying a new vegetable. If it looks interesting in the supermarket, take it home and try.

Are there any specific foods we should be looking to eat to stay healthy in winter?

Orange vegetables are extremely healthy during winter - these include pumpkin, sweet potato and carrots. They are high in beta-carotene, which is fantastic for your mucous membranes and your immune system. Also, onions and garlic are terrific because they help ward off the common cold as well as keeping your protein levels high, because you’re immune cells are made of protein after all. Also, try to consume nuts and seeds which are high in zinc.