Between regular seasonal flu/influenza, the ebola virus, the
entero virus and others, it’s even more important now to get your immune system
up and running at maximum speed.
Here are a few things you can do:
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EXERCISE: Your body needs to be working as efficiently as
possible. Make an effort to exercise at
least 15 minutes a day, twice a day. Get your heart rate up.
WASH YOUR HANDS: Don’t be obsessive about it, but be sure to
wash your hands with soap (NOT antibacterial) and water several times a day. As
you wash, sing the happy birthday song … THAT’s how long you need to wash. Be sure
to use a clean towel to dry your hands. Don’t use the hand sanitizer because
that’s just creating super-bacteria.
CLEAN YOUR HOUSE AND WORKSPACE: WORK: As soon as you get
into work, put on gloves and get out the chlorox wipes (or use vinegar). Wipe
down your phone (ALL parts of it), your desk, writing utensils, computer
keyboard , and everything else you touch.
Do it all again if someone uses your desk at lunch, or borrows
something. Don’t be paranoid but do be smart. HOUSE: Keep your house clean.
Wipe down all doorknobs, toilet flusher handles, sink and faucets, and every
surface you can. Change the furnace or a/c filters often. Use Hepa filters if
you can. Open windows for fresh air.
VISITORS: Ban ALL visitors to your home during this critical
time, except those absolutely necessary. When someone, even your children,
enter the house, have them wash up, keep outdoor clothing at the door, and
maybe even use a mask and gloves while they are there. Be very aware of people
with sniffles, headaches, sore throats, etc.
OUTINGS: You don’t really need to meet the girls for lunch
out, do you? Stock up on groceries now
so you won’t need to do it later. If you absolutely want to keep some of these
viruses from spreading, and IF you know there are people in your area that have
tested positive for it, stay home!
IN-HOME SECLUSION: Assume that a lot of people in your area
get sick. People will stop going out, not even to work. No one to repair
telephone or electric lines. No one to make sure the water/sewer treatment
works correctly. Water and toilets stop working. Electricity goes out so there
also goes your means of heating the house, keeping food in your freezer/fridge,
and cooking. Find alternatives for these situations, and make sure you have at
least one to three months’ supply of these items:
-toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, baby wipes for instant
baths-chlorox wipes, bleach, other cleaners
-F95 respiration masks, nitrile gloves, flu medicine, ibuprofen
-candles, matches, liters
-2 ml heavy-duty plastic and duct tape to seal up house or a sick room
-trash bags for human waste
-flashlights, batteries (for flashlights AND games, toys, DVD player, etc)
-vitamins, supplements, herbs, essential oils, probiotics
-water (to drink, add to soups, clean home and body, and do laundry)
-soups, stews, canned fruit, canned veggies (shelf-stable)
-instant and bottled tea and coffee, juice boxes, V8
-canned ham/turkey/chicken/tuna, Vienna sausages, spam, peanut butter
-seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia) and nuts (almonds, brazil, pecan, walnut, hazelnut)
-candies, crackers, snacks, yogurt-covered fruit, dried berries, dark chocolate and more.
-cards, games, books, and other ways to alleviate boredom
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YOGURT: Get your digestive tract in place with real yogurt
with natural ingredients and sweeteners and Kefir. Most illnesses start with
problems in your GI, so help it out with probiotics.
OATS/BARLEY: People who eat these regularly have fewer
infections. Eat at least one serving of one of these per day.
GARLIC: Garlic has been proven to boost immunity and all
around, take out the bad guys in our bodies. Take 1-2 raw cloves (or capsules)
each day, and add garlic, crushed, to as many of your meals as possible. I
prefer the capsules with my evening pills so I won’t be tasting it all day!
SELENIUM: This nutrient helps to clear infections from our
bodies. Eat as many as possible each day. Here are a few good sources: brazil
nuts, fish, poultry, sunflower seeds, shellfish, beef, lamb, goat, eggs,
mushrooms, whole grains, onions, garlic, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, yogurt,
milk, fortified cereals.
Make a yummy chicken noodle soup with whole grain noodles,
organic chicken, garlic, onion, broccoli and mushrooms. Sounds tasty, doesn’t
it! Or an omelet with farm fresh eggs,
mushrooms, asparagus and broccoli.
BLACK TEA: Several cups daily will get lots of antioxidants
into your body.
ZINC: This enhances your T-cells and helps enhance other actions
of your immune system. Sources: oysters, wheat germ, liver, seeds like pumpkin,
winter squash (like pumpkin, butternut, acorn, spaghetti), summer squash (like
zucchini), watermelon, beef, dark chocolate/cocoa powder, lamb, peanuts,
garlic, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, mushrooms, ginger root,
broccoli/cauliflower/brussells sprouts, red bell pepper (I prefer red!) and use
lots of oregano.
BERRIES: Most berries are full of antioxidants, vitamins and
nutrients. We make sure that we get a daily dose! Suggestions: elderberries,
strawberries, blueberries, goji berries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.
HONEY: While not on most people’s list, we need to take a
closer look at honey. It is one of the few foods that will NEVER spoil (unless
it’s not pure honey) and is good at killing bacteria. Great for rubbing into cuts to speed healing,
so it stands to reason that having it working in your digestive system would be
a good idea too! Best way to take it is in a cup of hot tea (black or green or
herbal), with lemon or lime juice, and honey.
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I like going to Vitamin Cottage / Natural Grocers to stock up on bulk dried vegetables, herbs, tea-fixings, and fruit. Get lots of freeze-dried berries (I get them from www.justtomatoes.com).
Don't wait to stock up / prep until these viruses actually hit your town or nearby. Do it NOW so you will be ready to shut your doors and ride it out.
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