Prevent Swine Flu - Good Advice for all

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 with warm water and soap. Strive for 1 minute of scrubbing.

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

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use sea salt if possible).
H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling revents
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 ethod.

4. Similar to #3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with
warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at using a Neti Pot, 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. (Most Drug Stores carry commercial Saline Nasal Sprays which should do the same thing without cramming a Q-tip up your nose!)


5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C*


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.

Come back tomorrow for more suggestions.

To Your Health,
Lisa

Top 20 Antioxidant-Rich Foods

Trying to add more disease-fighting antioxidants into your diet? The following 20 foods contain the highest antioxidant concentration.


Pomegranates
Small red beans (dried)
Wild blueberries
Red kidney beans
Pinto beans
Blueberries (cultivated)
Cranberries
Artichokes (cooked)
Blackberries
Prunes
Raspberries
Strawberries
Red Delicious apples
Granny Smith apples
Pecans
Sweet cherries
Black plums
Gala apples
Black beans (dried)
Plums
Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that help prevent heart disease, cancer, and the effects of aging. Little is actually known about how antioxidants work or what makes them function best. Scientists believe that some antioxidants are more potent than others, and their potency can be affected by cooking or digestion. For example, the antioxidants in blueberries lose their potency when cooked, while the antioxidants in tomatoes become more potent when cooked.

So use this list to find antioxidant-rich foods, but for the best nutritional outcome, eat them in a wide variety. (Note that all the foods listed above are acceptable on the South Beach Diet; fruits would be introduced starting in Phase 2.)

This article from South Beach Diet website.

To Your Health,
Lisa