The season of traveling is approaching and with it, comes the exposure to germs and the possibility of getting the flu. But there are a few simple hacks preppers have that they use to prevent the sickness.
Most preppers understand that getting sick can be a big deal with the risk of a global pandemic being a tangible threat. Here are a few hacks that will keep you healthy, and most of them won’t cost you much if anything to implement.
- Eat Better – most preppers understand the importance of good nutrition. Eating right and maintaining a healthy body weight while staying in shape will obviously help boost your immune system keeping it tip-top shape to fight off viruses like the flu. Try to choose nutrient-dense vegetables and healthy fats with every meal. Keep your processed food intake to a minimum and limit sugar. Inadequate diets that are low in protein, too low in calories (less than 1,200), or contain too many processed or fast foods will lack all the nutrients necessary to maintain a healthy immune system.
- Get Enough Sleep – 70% of American adults report that they obtain insufficient sleep at least one night a month, and 11% report insufficient sleep every night. It’s well understood that sleep deprivation opens the door to a wide range of illnesses by weakening the body’s immune system, now and in the future. As a culture, we are becoming busier and chronically sleep-deprived and that can affect our body’s ability to fight off the flu or other viruses. So get on a schedule and make sure you are getting enough sleep!
- Change Your Bedding and hand Towels Often – having clean sheets may also help you get more sleep, so this one’s doubly important! Washing your sheets and towels will prevent the spread of germs. Use hot water to launder them, and if you have white sheets or towels, bleaching may be appropriate. Washing your linens will keep you healthier because it kills off a good amount of the germs lingering.
- Sanitize Surfaces – Clean and sanitize the surfaces of your home at least once a week, and do so more often if someone in your home has been sick. The flu virus can live on hard surfaces for 24 hours! To make sure you’ve gotten the surface properly disinfected, use an antibacterial cleaner on key spots such as tabletops, countertops, remote controls, computer keyboards, doorknobs, sinks, light switches, faucet handles, sinks, countertop, tub and toilet (including the entire seat and the toilet handle). To disinfect a surface, wipe it so that the surface remains visibly wet for four minutes and then let it dry.”
- Wash Hands Frequently – To prevent from getting the flu, wash your hands frequently, especially while traveling and around crowds of people. To kill the germs that cause the flu, wash your hands all over with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Everyone should get in the habit of washing their hands after using the bathroom or being in contact with the sick person. You should also wash your hands before eating, and before touching the eyes, nose or mouth as that’s usually how germs enter your body and get you sick!
Hopefully, with these inexpensive hacks, you can prevent yourself and family members from coming down with the flu this year. Even though these things won’t necessarily eliminate the risk of getting sick, you will have a leg up when it comes to fighting the virus!
Take hand sanitizer with you when dining out to use after handling the menu.
Do not touch the magazine’s in the doctor’s office during flu season.
Along with #5, when going to the grocery store, use the provided anti-septic towelette’s to to sanitize the horizontal surfaces of your grocery cart, especially the handle. Try to avoid touching your face while in the store. After checkout, on the way out of the store, grab another towelette and disinfect your hands.
Also, 1000mg of Vitamin C daily.
These are all good advice, and there are quick “shock treatments” you can also do if you’ve been exposed to someone who has it, and even after you feel the symptoms coming on yourself. Eating minced raw garlic 2-3 times a day for a day or two has worked several times for me to nip it in the bud after my throat was already flaming up. Another time when I had already reached the point of being bed ridden, a smoothie recipe my daughter makes, heavy on the lemon, with some other fruits, and very very heavy on the ginger root (very spicy) had me recovered in about a day, whereas other people were down for weeks. I know other moms have their own favorites concoctions..
Tips that I have found helpful.
1. Wear glasses whenever practical. A lot of germs enter the body through the eyes.
2. Always sit in the last row at public events, upstream from all the coughing and breathing. Against a wall in restaurants.
We always use bleach-infused hand wipes after any shopping (and wipe the cart handle as well) and gas pumps. Also helps that we have no kids in school at home.
Take 1000 mg of Vit. C, with 1000 mg of L-Lysine
taken together, they are both twice as effective.
Colds—when outside in the cold weather, breathe in through your mouth, and then out through your nose or mouth.
Cold germs live in your nose—bacteria that eat cold germs also live in your nose and control the cold germs…….cold air kills the bacteria, then you get a cold.
We made an elderberry infusion that seems to work well for sniffles, flu and that blaw feeling etc etc.
1 Cup dried Elderberrys
1 Quart of 100 proof Vodka
Place in a glass jar in a dark place, shake the jar occasionally.
After 4 to 6 months strain the mixture.
Use 1 tablespoon twice a day for most “bugs”
Obviously the dosage can easily be adjusted, won’t hurt to take a small amount frequently.
We made an elderberry infusion that seems to work well for sniffles, flu and that blaw feeling etc etc.
1 Cup dried Elderberry
1 Quart of 100 proof Vodka
Place in a glass jar in a dark place, shake the jar occasionally.
After 4 to 6 months strain the mixture.
Use 1 tablespoon twice a day for most “bugs”
Obviously the dosage can easily be adjusted, won’t hurt to take a small amount frequently.
I hardly ever get sick, and now I have the flu. Perfect timing for this article. Ughh. I will kick it’s ass in just a few days by mixing 50 /50 cinnamon and honey, and eat a few spoonful’s 3 times a day. This is a powerful anti viral medicine, and can even cure some infections. Also, lots of orange tea with lemon. If your brave enough,some old timers would drink a bit of whiskey, put pajamas on and pile on a ton of blankets and sweat it out.
Missing in the advice is to gargle frequently. Could use salt water, peroxide or mouthwash. The virus tends to attach itself to the throat and grow , wash it away and you will be ok.
Drink lots of rum. You might still get the flu, but you wont even know it.