Get: Fermented Cod Liver Oil

The seasons, they are a-changin': the wind is blowing, the leaves are falling, the nights are longer, and next week brings the first day of autumn and the unofficial beginning of flu season. Everyone hates the flu. Today's post is about how my family has been practically invincible to the flu for five years straight.

The answer is Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO). My friend Joceline introduced me to this immunity boosting power food. The cost is shocking, but she's a frugal woman; I knew that if she buys it, it must be worth its weight in gold—and it has proven itself to be just that!

When you buy in bulk, you can get the cost down from $44 per bottle to $34 per bottle. Go in with a friend (or two or three), and give it a go. One bottle lasts about a month for my family of five. It comes with a syringe to squirt the oil into your mouth. I don't let anyone put their mouth on the syringe so we don't have to bother with washing it: open wide, squirt, swallow, done.

Of course, the challenge with children is getting them to take it. I renamed it Ninja Food, told my kids it would make them swift as ninjas, and offered them a chocolate chip chaser. They soon became accustomed to Ninja Food and no longer needed the chocolate reward. Their FCLO flavor of choice is Arctic Mint. The cost is so high that I give my family Ninja Food only in flu season, but it has myriad health benefits and would be wise to take year-round.

Here's wishing you a flu-free flu season!

(As I was writing, my computer notified me that I'd received an email from Kaiser with the subject line: "5 Ways To Stay Healthy This Flu Season." Funny timing!)

"Many historical cultures had one sacred food which they relied on to ensure a strong mind, body, and spirit: fermented fish/fish liver oil. The mighty Roman Soldier was given a daily ration of fermented fish oil. The stoic Scandinavian Viking had a drum of fermenting cod livers outside the door of his home. And some of us are lucky to remember that Grandma always had a bottle of cod liver oil in the back cupboard."

-Fermented Cod Liver Oil description from Green Pasture's website