Every fall, the internet fills up with immune "boosters." I'm a nurse, so here's my whole list — and fair warning, most of it is free, none of it is exotic, and the most powerful item on it is the one people skip. This is the list I give my own family.
The list, in order of what actually matters
Sleep. The closest thing to a real immune booster that exists, and it costs nothing. Most adults need seven to nine hours; during flu season, treat it like medicine. The flu shot. The one proven prevention there is — get it every fall, every year; pharmacies and clinics have it now. It is the best protection against flu, and nothing else on this list substitutes for it. Fluids. Steady, boring, all day — a glass in the morning, a bottle in sight, more when you're fighting something off. Dehydration makes everything on this list work worse, including sleep. Soap, food, daylight. Wash your hands. Eat real meals instead of grazing on whatever's near the register. Get outside for a walk — daylight and vitamin D, the ordinary way.
Where we fit
And then, honestly, where Swan fits: near the end, in a support role. Run down and behind on fluids? A nurse can help you catch up — at home, on your couch, after screening and a Good Faith Exam. That's it. Support, honestly labeled, next to the things that do the heavy lifting. No shortcuts — just support. If you do the free things first and still book us, you'll be using us the way I'd use us myself: as the last item on the list, not the first. The drips themselves are on our IV Menu if you're curious.
— Mercedes Denham, RN Book at swanhydration.com or call/text 412-312-4707.
