Greet winter with a Smile not a Sneeze!

[Shadowgirlau]

This article was written by Nerys Purchon
Her blog can be found at http://gypsysoul-au.blogspot.com/ and is lovely to read if your interested, in the meantime here is an excerpt and is a timely reminder for the comming winter season of things we can do and be aware of to see us through this time of year in particular.

How alarming are the reports of this strain of flu'. We need to become extra aware of hand hygiene and our general health.

During the winter we spend much more time indoors with warm rooms and windows closed and probably don't take as much exercise as we would in the friendlier weather—these conditions combine to lower our immune systems and make a perfect breeding ground for cold and flu’ viruses.

How do we ‘catch’ colds and flu’? We were always taught that ‘coughs and sneezes spread diseases’ but it’s now known that we pick up germs from objects such as the telephone, the keyboard, a shopping trolley handle—all items touched by people who aren't good hand washers! Chances are that some of these people could be carriers of bacteria and/or viruses. In addition to colds and flu’ there are other more serious diseases such as hepatitis A, meningitis, and infectious diarrhoea. You casually rub your eye or scratch the corner of your nose and mouth and—bingo—you have now become host to whatever these people left behind! The germs can live for hours—in some cases weeks—only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same object.

What can you do to avoid becoming a victim? The most important single way to avoid picking up viruses and bacteria is to wash your hands. The germs are invisible to the naked eye but they are there in millions—that’s right—millions! Hand washing with warm water and soap can greatly reduce the chances of spreading or getting germs. The hand washing loosens up the dirt and microbes on our hands; the soap picks them up and binds to them so that the water can wash them away.

Remember also that if you cough or sneeze into your hands, you will now contaminate every surface that you touch until you have washed your hands. Learn to cough or sneeze into a tissue and immediately dispose of the tissue down the toilet.

Make it a habit to wash your hands with sudsy soap:

• When you have been shopping.
• When you get home from work
• Before preparing food
• Before you eat
• After going to the toilet
• After handling animals

While you wash your hands you should sing 'Happy birthday to you' which will ensure that you've given enough time for the soap suds to pick up the bacteria. Now rinse, and rinse again.

Other defences
You can also take care of yourself by taking Astragalus Astragalus membranaceus (available in health food stores) to strengthen your immune system. The root of this herb has been shown to increase nearly every phase of immune-system activity. Astragalus has no reported side effects or contraindications and can be safely taken long-term.

Drinking lots of water to flush your system of toxins (up to 2 litres a day), taking a walk in the fresh air as often as possible, staying positive and getting plenty of rest.

Fighting the Enemy
If the worst has happened and you have developed a scratchy throat and a stuffy nose, you may still have time to shake of a cold or flu’ by taking the following:

Echinacea Echinacea angustifolia
Echinacea works by stimulating the production of white blood cells, and speeds their travel to the area of infection, where they help fight the invaders.

Garlic Allium sativum has been used for hundreds of years to treat illnesses. It is a natural antibiotic because it can destroy bacteria and viruses and works to prevent colds and flu.

Chicken Soup—let us not forget Chicken Soup! Chicken soup contains drug-like agents similar to those in modern cold medicines. Spices that are often added to chicken soup, such as garlic and pepper (all ancient treatments for respiratory diseases), work the same way as modern cough medicines, thinning mucus and making breathing easier. Another theory is that chicken soup acts as an anti-inflammatory. The soup keeps a check on inflammatory white blood cells.

Laughter and holding your arms out wide (like you are going to hug someone) has been shown to boost the immune system.

Stay safe and well.