"We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." - former President Franklin D. Roosevelt
It's amazing the media hype this swine flu has received. It's made headlines in every major newspaper and magazine. The Center for Disease Control seemingly has a new press release every hour. Television and radio talking heads have told us to brace for the worst. President Obama has asked for 1.5 billion dollars to fight it. Schools have been closed, trips postponed, pigs slaughtered and nations blamed. It's crazy.
At this point, however, I'm not buying the hype. It seems to me Swine Flu H1N1 is not any different from every other strain of flu we experience every year. In fact, there are signs that the worst of the swine flu outbreak is already behind us.
There are viruses, germs and bacteria all around us. So why are we not sick all the time? And every winter, when millions of people get the flu, how come every one who contracts the flu virus doesn't die?
It all comes down to the strength of your immune system.
If you have a healthy and strong immune system, then a routine exposure to the swine flu or any flu will be handled by your immune system, without you even noticing. Now there may be times when you might feel bad for a few days. Perhaps you get a full blown case and really do get sick. But you should have nothing to fear if your immune system is in good order.
So what can you do to boost your immune system and fend off any swine or flu related attack?
- Get enough vitamin D for strong immune function
- Regular (but not necessarily exhaustive) exercise
- Manage stress and get enough sleep
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water
- Wash your hands with regular soap
- Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
If you have a hard time consuming that much nutrition on a daily basis, then consider supplementation made from food. My family and I take a whole-food multi called The Pops. It's an easy way for us to get our fruits and veggies every day, plus a whole lot more.
The swine flu is nothing new. Whether you get sick or not is entirely up to you. Good nutrition can help in the fight against any type of flu. It's time to use it.
9 comments:
Doesn't the "normal" flu kill 35,000 people a year?
Kevin,
Yes, I have read numbers in that range. Yet all we are encouraged to do is get a flu shot, not run for the hills.
And how many people die every year on our nation's highways? An average of around 40,000.
Yet the swine flu death toll is 22 deaths right now, with 568 cases of infection.
Now I'm all for being proactive, but let's also include a good dose of levelheaded common sense, instead of this widespread panic.
I love that comic you posted!!
Kevin in Manila. I have been saying that same thing for weeks!! The swine flu has only killed like, 6% of the people who it's infected. Plus the fact that I had those symptoms they report the first five days of the new year, maybe I had it first? lol Dammit it's all my fault! =)
Thanks Paul. Is this 'flu so very different from the "normal" 'flu? It's over-the-top scaremongering out of all proportion to the facts. And it does all come down to making sensible lifestyle choices. Also, for goodness sake, don't let anyone near you with the poison they call a vaccine. Love the cartoon!
Haha, the comic is so hilarious, Paul. In this case, it seems that the Pig Leader's dream has becoming a reality, where the swine flu is outbreak like the speed of light in the whole globe!
But fearmongering allows new expenditures. It "justifies" new taxes and on and on.
You know, when my son started school they wanted me to send hand sanitizer with him. (I don't)
I think all of these antibacterial products are what weakens people's immune systems.
YOU NEED to fight off some viruses/germs on your own instead of always trying to stay away from them and not be exposed.
It's because people ask for antibiotics and some doctors give them FOR NO REASON that we get things like antibiotic resistant strep.
Just wash your hands. Don't go overboard. Most people will be fine.
I think that the media is partially to blame for freaking people out so badly. It is one thing to make people aware so that they know how to treat themselves and others when sick so as to not infect people and spread illness, quite another to whip up 'plague' hysteria that will stress people out so badly that they will compromise their immune systems and get ill.
jen
jen
Boda weight loss blog
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