Hello there! I think I have a slight influenza at the moment, and I thought I'd share with you what I do get well again and also just how I generally take care of my immune system to make sure I don't get sick all the time. I used to get sick all the time before, but after actually taking care of my immune system and figuring out what I'm lacking, I have been getting less sick.
Do take notice that this is what works for me. I can't guarantee you it will work on you, but most of the stuff I do is basic stuff that I think most people do.
1. Drink loads of liquid.
I usually try to drink a lot of water on a normal basis, so when I get sick I don't have to make drastic changes to my intake. Tea and water is mainly what I drink, and I'll also have a couple of cups with vegetable broth or something that is easily swallowed since my throat hurts. Usually I don't have much of an appetite when I'm sick so by drinking vegetable, chicken or other types of broth I still get a little bit of nutrition. Plus it's liquid, so it will help re-hydrate my body.
2. Vitamins
I usually eat/drink Vitamin-C supplements when I start feeling slightly groggy so I can fight the influenza or flu or cold before it really attaches itself to me. In my kitchen I have a box with Vitamin-C capsules and also some fizzing tables that I dissolve in water. It's important for your immune system to get enough vitamins to function and fight all the diseases that threaten. Also Vitamin-D are great for boosting the immune system. Here in Norway most people have a lack of Vitamin-D, especially during winter times when we hardly see the sun. So that I also take.
3. Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)
This is my holy grail. GSE is very versatile, I use it for cleaning my pierced ears, to disinfect wounds or infections and to fight influenza and other annoying bacterias. The list can go on and on, but those are some of the things that I remembered off the bat. When I feel my throat start to hurt, or if I'm feeling groggy, I take about 15-20 drops of GSE in a glass, add some water (not too much, not too little, usually like maybe a deciliter?) and stir it. The I drink it, and repeat later on the day. I think it works wonders for me. Combined with Vitamins and other supplements, I stay quite healthy these days.
4. Other supplements
In additon to Vitamins and GSE, I also take Olive Leaf Extract. This helps boost my immune system a lot. I do notice a difference from when I take the supplements and when I don't. I also take magnesium and calcium, the magnesium is mainly for my period cramps, and the calcium is because I don't get enough calcium taken up in my body all the time. Now this will differ from person to person, so what I have little of in my body, you might have enough of, so always consult a professional before you start taking too much supplements. It's always best to be sure so you don't take too much. But some of these things are quite harmless to take, for example Vitamin-C; it's water soluble, which means our body doesn't store it, so we have to include it in our diet anyway, so if one takes too much of it, it won't stay in the body. Too much Vitamin-C can cause diarrhea though. But nothing too serious, unless you have any special circumstances. If so, make sure you check what you can take, and what you can't.
5. Garlic
I love garlic! It's so delicious, and it boosts my immune system. I try to add as much garlic to my diet as possible, not only because it's good for fending of influenza and such, but it is a great addition to almost anything. A tip I learned recently is to eat at least one glove of garlic a day. I sometimes just take a whole glove and eat it as it is (chopped up in pieces though). Try it, you might discover a long lost love of garlic at the same time.
6. Sleep
This should probably be way longer up on the list, but I am just going by memory here now. Sleep is so so so important if you wanna stay healthy. If you get enough sleep, your body will be happy and healthy, and your immune system will thank you. When we sleep the body gets time to repair itself, so give it as much time as it needs, specially when you're sick. I try to go to bed kinda early whenever I'm sick so my body can restore itself.
7. Eat healthy
This is always important, not only for your immune system, but for your overall health. If you feed your body crap, it will feel like crap. Of course, once again, everybody is different. Some people might not feel like this, but in the later years the after effects of what you eat might come to haunt you. Whenever I'm sick I always get kinda lazy when it comes to food, but when I do make some proper food, it makes me feel much better than that pack of instant noodles did. When one is sick, eating healthy might not be too easy, but if you eat healthy on an average basis, it will be easier to keep it up while you're sick. Some instant noodles now and then when we're sick doesn't hurt, but don't let all your nutrions come from it. Eat vegetables, broth, meat, fruits or other healthy stuff. Although I would recumbent staying away from too much sugary foods like fruits, even though they contain loads of healthy stuff, they also contain fruit sugar, which in too big amounts might not be good for your body. Eat more vegetables instead, they are also packed with all the healthy stuff, but without the fruit sugar. Of course, some fruit is good, so don't get me wrong.
8. Relax
Get a good book or audio book and just sit back with your cup of tea to relax. Relaxing your body and mind will give the immune system more possibilities to work, and you will also feel better after some relaxing time. When I get sick, I almost always end up sitting by my computer or on my phone because I don't really have energy for anything else. But by using so much technology, my mind doesn't get a moment of peace, especially because of the lights coming from them. Close your computer, put your phone away and entertain yourself the old fashioned way for a couple of hours. You'll feel so much better afterwards.
These are some of the things I do to take care of my immune system and stay healthy. I hope you found it interesting, and do leave a comment if there is anything you'd want me to write/talk about.
Bye Bye^^
