How to avoid getting sick in the first place

I love preventative health and I am all about it this year! I thought this was really good advise, sort of common sense wisdom and wanted to share it.

Here's to staying healthy!

At a recent PATH seminar in Fargo, Dr. Goyal gave some very important, yet easy to follow, recommendations on ways to avoid getting sick.

Dr.Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital , Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid 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, etc).

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 (tea, coffee, etc) 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.

Vitamin D! The newest most popular kid on the block.

Everywhere I turn, I hear the praises for Vitamin D being sung.

Even this guy!

Soren Khalsa, a refreshingly unusual looking Beverly Hills doctor writes extensively about how wonderful it is.

From the LA Times:

Soram Khalsa is on a mission to get Americans to up their levels of Vitamin D. Why? To protect them against a myriad of illnesses, including cancers, heart disease and diabetes. He even had a patient from his who's-who-studded medical practice in Beverly Hills hand deliver a copy of his book, The Vitamin D Revolution, to Michelle Obama. "In the front, I wrote, 'Vitamin D can help the country's health-care crisis. Please contact me if you are interested' and included my phone number. I haven't heard from her yet, but..."

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/04/dr-soram-khalsa-increasin_n_309093.html

He suggest taking it to boost the immune system during the flu season. He even ventures to say that it can "prevent" swine flu.

Vitamin D? Don't we get that from sunlight? I am so behind the times, glimpses of "sunlight in a jar" flit through my brain. Naa. Probably not.

But it was suggested for Shea. He seemed so weak and peaked after his last bout. I was nervous for him and asked at the Naturapath's office. She was singing the praises of Vitamin D too, "Boost that Vitamin D! Whenever I feel a little tickle in my throat or achy, I just power up on the D."

Ok. Now that is some advice I can follow but what about my picky, won't take vits, gotta hide everything or he will turn up his nose and refuse it boy.

Solution:

Bio-D-Mulsion Forte'. One drop is 2,000 IU. At it has really made a big difference right away.

His color is better and he seems stronger. I hide it in his morning hot chocolate.

Now if I could just find a mult- that I could hide so well.

What other immune-system strengthening measures are you taking this year? For yourself? For your kids?