Tips for preventing H1N1 infection

Green Smoothie Girl, aka my awesome MCOMM teacher Sister Openshaw, posted a few tips on her blog on how to prevent H1N1 infection. I thought they were helpful, straightforward, and easy. Here they are:

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

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. [Robyn’s note: we have a neti pot
that you can get at health food stores, and my kids use it for occasional head
congestion without my telling them to, because it is so effective: use warm salt
water.)

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 (herbal tea, 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.

These are taken from Dr. Vinay Goyal, who has 20 years of clinical
experience in hospitals.

I hope this helps keep you all healthy this Fall!

Ruff, ruff!

From this article on the health benefits of pets:

“The human-animal bond bypasses the intellect and goes straight to the
heart and emotions and nurtures us in ways that nothing else can.”

-Karin Winegar

i'm sick; now give me all your sympathy

Tuesday I was running errands after work and "it" hit me like a ton of bricks. By the time I got home all I could do was lay on the floor. (Don't think it's weird, that's just how I express my extreme exhaustion.) The exhaustion along with little things like sore throat and headache created a nice little trio to torment me. I thought I could cure it with an early bedtime. Stas told me to just stay home the next day. But I am stubborn.

So Wednesday morning I drug (dragged?) myself out of bed and make it to work. It only took about an hour to realize how truly miserable I was and admit defeat. I headed home.

I went ahead and made a doctor's appointment for that afternoon. I just wanted to be sure that I didn't have strep or the swine flu. Excuse me, H1N1 virus. Well without a fever, both were ruled out and I was sent home without any drugs to help and $15 poorer. Oh well.

I am the type of person that hates pills, medicine, and avoids them at all costs. Well I was begging for anything for the next three days. Thankfully, my husband talked me out of taking anything, and I feel better about that. But really, I haven't felt that awful since April 2006 when I had to go to the ER for non-stop vomiting and other symptoms. Anyway, I felt bad.

The best--or only good thing--about being sick and in bed all day long was the great companionship! Buster was by my side the whole time. I tried really hard to capture all of his cuteness, but with a camera phone and no energy, this is what you're stuck with:




Well after the best night's sleep that I've had in a long time (longer than I've been sick), I feel so much better. Still weak, but better. And I made it to the computer for the first time in four days.

My sweet Dad sent me the following link to try and cheer me up. I hope you enjoy it. If you think it's weird then you just don't love your dog as much as I love mine. Just kidding. But really. Or just go watch Marley and Me. Then maybe you'll have a better idea of where I'm coming from.