Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Time for changes...


Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
- John Muir

Who could say this better that John Muir! I am hoping that all of my cares will drop off like Autumn leaves!

This is the season that we should be thinking of stocking up for winter - and preparing for the cold days ahead. I don't think that I am as prepared as I should be - there are several things that I need to get for my food storage before winter. I want to make sure that I have plenty of cold medicine - NyQuil, Theraflu, Tylenol, Sambucol, vitamin C, cough drops, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, alcohol, all of the things that you need for a bad flu. I have had two viruses in the last month and I don't want to be caught off guard without these things in my food storage!

A wonderful friend sent me this information about the Swine Flu and I thought it was worth sharing;

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6.* Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

I hope everyone will stay healthy and happy - don't forget to wash your hands!!!

Blessings to all, Barb

1 comment:

Karen Beth said...

I hope all our cares will drop off like autumn leaves also. Thank you for the good blog. I am putting these things on my shopping list right now. You can never be to prepared. President Kimball once said,"When the time and need arises, the time for preparation has pasted." I love that quote. Love you.

Happy Spring!

  Outside my window . . .  Two weeks ago this is what it looked like.  We had a  huge winter storm, and got 12 inches of new snow!  It was c...