These every day practices to reduce the chances of getting the flu have been circulating for a while via email (I have received them from 3 different people), and are also available on multiple websites, so I thought I would share them with anyone who has not yet gotten them.
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1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official
communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist the temptation to touch any
part of face unless necessary (as for eating or washing).
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.
Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventive
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
*If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. *Drink as much of hot liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as often 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 or proliferate
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Karen
