Boosting Your Immunity Starts with 5 Smart Steps

It's no wonder that we're all sniffle-free in summer. Infection is very common in crowded, inside areas and colder air is more likely to spread colds and viruses... hello fall flu season! No matter what level of germaphope you are, even if you use paper towels to turn off restroom faucets, it's nearly impossible to completely avoid contact with germs. Knowing this, we can brush up on immunity basics and some foods to add to your stay-healthy shopping list.

Immune-Boosting Prerequisites

Inevitably, over the next few months certain wonder foods are going to hit the headlines and be touted as the next big flu-buster. While there are foods, some I'll tell you about shortly, that can improve immunity we don't want to lose sight of the basics.

The following are my "do not pass go" tips. Work on these first as they are the cornerstone habits for health and immunity.

1. Wash Your Hands
I can sense eyes glazing over as I read this. Most of us (I hope) wash our hands after using the bathroom and many people do so when they come home from work. I'm not willing to place serious bets that we all wash our hands before every meal. Our hands are in close contact with our mouth and nose during meals. Whether at work or a restaurant take the time to wash up before meals. When possible use soap and water versus hand sanitizing sprays.

2. Sleep
Lack of sleep can affect athletic performance, mood and certainly immunity. No amount of Vitamin C will substitute for 7-8 hours of sleep for adults (10 or more for children). Lying in bed has been shown to be almost as good so if you're not falling asleep, stay put.

3. Hydrate
Fluid flushes toxins from the body and dehydration stresses it. When it's colder, we tend to feel less thirsty but still need to drink. Room temperature water with orange slices, tea and greens juices are good options. Despite my hypothesis that alcohol could act as an internal disinfectant, it is dehydrating and thus not your best bet for immunity.

4. Exercise
Exercise builds your body's defense against viruses, aim for 150 minutes a week or 30 minutes 5 days a week.

5. Eat Fruits and Vegetables
Half a grapefruit isn't going to cut it. Most of us tend to eat less produce in winter. At the bare minimum, consume 2 fruits and 2 vegetables daily (local or organic whenever possible). Definitely opt for food versus supplements (as said in my post on multivitamin foods). Our fall favorites include Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, squash, pears, apples and cranberries.

6. Cut Back on Sugar
As few as a couple of tablespoons of sugar daily can decrease immune function by 40 percent by slowing the activity of white blood cells.

Immune-Boosting Foods

The specific immune boosters get more air time and can definitely help once you've completed your prerequisites. This is definitely a case of the more the merrier.

1. White Tea
Everyone knows about black tea and more recently green tea but when you're interested in immunity white tea is your beverage. White tea is much less processed than green tea and this results in a higher antioxidant content; white tea is a better bacteria- and virus-fighter than other teas. It's also lower in caffeine and less bitter than green tea. Do not add milk to your tea though; casein, a protein in milk, binds to some of the phytochemicals and makes the tea less effective. Try for 2-4 cups a day. I love the Republic of Tea brand tea bags.

2. Red Bell Peppers
Chances are when you think of foods high in Vitamin C you think citrus fruits. Red peppers actually have more than double the Vitamin C of a large orange. Vitamin C is important because it increases levels of interferon. Interferon is an antibody that coats cell surfaces (think of it like cell armor) preventing the entry of viruses. Vitamin C is also found in broccoli, parsley, kiwi and melon.

3. Pumpkin Seeds 
When you buy your pumpkin, do not toss the seeds. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with zinc. Zinc is needed to make the immune system's t cells and zinc increases our number of white blood cells. Zinc is actually not common in many fruits and vegetables so you can eat a healthy diet and easily not get enough zinc. Zinc is abundant in many animal foods so vegetarians, in particular, need to seek out sources of zinc. Oysters (unlike other shellfish farmed oysters also fine), crab and legumes are other non-meat zinc sources. If you are pumpkin-less you can purchase pumpkin seeds, I really like a brand called Gerbs.

4. Yogurt and Kefir
Yogurt and Kefir contain probiotics. Probiotics are good bacteria that live in our intestines and support our immune systems. Our digestive tract is actually our largest immune organ and what goes on in there is a good indication of what is going on with your immunity in general. Probiotics occur in other naturally fermented foods such as sauerkraut, natural pickles and miso. Look for yogurts with lactobacillus or bifidobacteria on the ingredient panel, there's also a great kid's product called Pro Bugs.

So after reading this go watch your hand (computers are very germy), plan your next workout and stop at the market on your way home for some immune-boosting foods!

GIF Reactions to Real-Life Situations

I’m sure you guys can identify with a lot of these. This first one is especially timely…

The night before the first day of school:

When someone wakes you up:

When the smart kid fails the test:

When you need to use the bathroom and people are in your way:

When you hear people next to you say, “Don’t tell anyone…”

The awkward moment when you don’t know how to continue the conversation:

When you finally wash your bedsheets:

When a plan you make backfires:

When the beat drops to your favorite song:

When something bad happens to someone you hate:

When you realize the word “short” is longer than the word “long”

When you push someone down and they fall…

but then they start crying:

When you hold someone’s pet for the first time:

When you’re running late and can’t find what you’re looking for:

When you feel a cold coming on:

When people at the movies won’t shut up:

When your friend does something you clearly said was a bad idea:

When you wear a new outfit and feel great in it:

When there is new food in the fridge:

Six Social Media Trends for 2012

Each year at this time, I look forward and predict trends in social media for the coming year. But first, I look back at my predictions from last year. How'd I do? Not bad.

Social media continues to move forward toward business integration, a trend that I identified last year. In a joint study from Booz Allen and social platform developer Buddy Media, 57 percent of businesses surveyed plan to increase social media spending, while 38 percent of CEO's label social as a high priority.

I was also partially accurate in predicting that Google would "strike back" in 2011. They did, with Google Plus, a formidable initiative that acts as Google's "social layer" to the Web. Part social network and part social search, Google Plus has industry observers scratching their heads, wondering if Facebook will be given a run for their money or if the service evolves into something complimentary in a highly social Web.

I had one big swing-and-miss on Facebook's intrusion in the location-based services war. While Facebook still supports location tracking in a number of ways, it has not put Foursquare out of business. Foursquare still enjoys a niche audience of highly active participants who enjoy telling the world where they are and post pictures to prove it. It is however worth noting that Facebook recently acquired location based network Gowalla, so continue to watch this space.

So what can we expect in 2012 in a world that seems to grow ever connected by the hour? Here are six predictions to ponder, in no particular order:

Convergence Emergence. For a glimpse into how social will further integrate with "real life," we can look at what Coca Cola experimented with all the way back in 2010. Coke created an amusement park where participants could "swipe" their RFID-equipped wristbands at kiosks, which posted to their Facebook account what they were doing and where. Also, as part of a marketing campaign, Domino's Pizza posted feedback — unfiltered feedback — on a large billboard in Times Square, bringing together real opinions from real people pulled from a digital source and displayed in the real world. These types of "trans-media" experiences are likely to define "social" in the year to come.

The Cult of Influence. In much the same way that Google has defined a system that rewards those who produce findable content, there is a race on to develop a system that will reward those who wield the most social influence. One particular player has emerged, Klout, determined to establish their platform as the authority of digital influence. Klout's attempt to convert digital influence into business value underscores a much bigger movement which we'll continue to see play out in the next year. To some degree everyone now has some digital influence (not just celebrities, academics, policy makers or those who sway public opinion). But for the next year, the cult of influence becomes less about consumer plays like Klout and more about the tools and techniques professionals use to "score" digital influence and actually harness, scale and measure the results of it.

Gamification Nation. No we're not taking about video games. Rather, game-like qualities are emerging within a number of social apps in your browser or mobile device. From levels, to leaderboards, to badges or points, rewards for participation abound. It's likely that the trend will have to evolve given how competition for our time and attention this gaming creates. Primarily, gamification has been used in consumer settings, but look for it in other areas from HR, to government, healthcare and even business management. Perhaps negotiating your next raise will be tied to your position on the company's digital leaderboard.

Social Sharing. Ideas, opinions, media, status updates are all part of what makes social media a powerful and often disruptive force. The media industry was one of the first to understand this, adding sharing options to content, which led to more page views and better status in search results. What comes next in social sharing is more closely aligned with e-commerce or web transactions. For example, Sears allows a user to share a product or review with their networks directly from the site. Sharing that vacation you just booked, or recommending a product, or service from any site to a social network is where sharing goes next. We probably don't know what we are willing to share until we see the option to do it.

Social Television. For many of us, watching television is already a social act, whether it's talking to the person next to you, or texting, tweeting, and calling friends about what you're watching. But television is about to become a social experience in a bigger and broader sense. The X Factor nowallows voting via Twitter and highlights other social promotions, which encourages viewers to tap social networks while they watch. Another way media consumption is becoming social comes from a network called Get Glue which acts as something of a Foursquare for media. Participants can "check-in" to their favorite shows (or other forms of media) and collect stickers to tell the world what programs they love. Watch for more of this this year as ratings rise for socially integrated shows.

The Micro Economy. Lastly as we roll into 2012, watch for a more social approach to solving business problems through a sort of micro-economy. Kickstarter gives anyone with a project, the opportunity to get that initiative funded by those who choose to (and patrons receive something in return). A crowdsourcing platform for would be inventors called Quirky lets the best product ideas rise to the top and then helps them get produced and sold while the "inventor" takes a cut. Air BnB turns homes into hotels and travelers into guests, providing both parties with an opportunity to make and save money. These examples may point to a new future reality where economic value is directly negotiated and exchanged between individuals over institutions.

These are a few emerging trends which come to mind. As with anything, looking to the past often gives us clues for what may come in the future. Please weigh in with your thoughts: where do you see "social" going in 2012?

Poetry Slam

A Poetry Slam is a competitive event where poets perform their own poetry on stage. Performances are judged on how much the poem moves the audience.

During open slams, poets perform one piece of original work that will be scored 1-10 by five different judges, dropping the lowest and highest score. Before the first competing poet, there is a ‘sacrificial poet’, who performs to warm up the judges scoring. After the first round, low scores are eliminated and the top few poets slam again. Eventually, two poets are left in the finals.

Slam poets pour their hearts and souls on stage while communicating their deepest thoughts. Some slams are powerful enough to change perspectives and they never fail to include a line or two that gives you goosebumps.

There are many styles of slam poets ranging from “ranting hipsters, freestyle rappers, bohemian drifters, proto-comedians, mystical shamans to gothy punks” as described by Slam master, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz. You never hear the same poem twice or the same side of an issue.

So, what does it take to be a slam poet? One thing and one thing only: honest expression. Express your emotions, express your thoughts, and express the glimpses of your life your willing to share.

Helpful Slam Tips

• You don’t need to rhyme words as much. In a slam poetry the pauses and pronunciations of your words create the rhythm and that rhythm creates poetry.
• Be fully honest with yourself. Get down to the core of your emotions, even the little things you might not want to except. Poetry is a strong catalyst for self-awareness.
• Some slams are more like raps while others are more like speeches; it’s all how you feel and what your mind, heart, and body is artfully expressing.

A poet leaks part of his soul into a book, words brimming with life,
Vibrant and alive,
Trying to speak but sealed between pages never to depart
But still waiting to arrive

Waiting to be told , because every time we write these words
we hear how they want to be spoken,

And when we speak them,

They create a symphony of expression
Our souls compose and ours lyrics are our lessons

See when you slam,
Your mind becomes a storyteller,
Your body a dancer,
And your heart a jazz musician,
All trying to communicate the messages of your soul

Sharing that symphony with someone is something to behold.

Some Amazing Slam Poems

“For Those Who Can Still Ride An Airplane For The First Time”- Anis Mojgani

“The Anti-Love Love Poem” – Joanna Hoffman

“Ohm” – Saul Williams

“A Salm Ov Regret and Psalvayshun” – Marty Schoenleber III

“Go Ahead Open It” – Michael O’Connell

“Cotton in the Air” – Derrick Brown

Let’s go HEthens and get a Slam thread going below — I’ll kick it off! I’m excited to see what kind of unique slams you guys can come up with!