Operation Fitness
By Michael Torchia

10 Natural Tips to Prevent the Swine Flu

There are no known cures for the Swine flu, so flu prevention should be our goal.  A proactive approach to warding off this potentially deadly virus is apt to make your whole life healthier.  The most common way for preventing the flu is to get the flu shot.  But it's not natural".  Here are some strategies you can easily implement in your life that naturally prevent you from getting the Swine Flu.

#1 Wash Your Hands
Most flu viruses are spread by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes onto their hands, and then touches the elevator button, telephone, computer keyboard or escalator handles.  The viruses can live for hours and in hot weather for weeks.  Only to be picked up by the next person who touches the same contaminated area.  You must wash your hands constantly throughout the day with anti-bacterial soap for 60 seconds.  If no sink is available, use rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands.

#2 Cover Your Sneezes and Cough into Tissues
Because viruses cling to your bare hands, coughing and sneezing into your hands results in passing along your germs to others. When you feel a sneeze or cough coming, use a tissue, then throw it away immediately. 

#3 Don't Touch Your Face
Flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, ears or mouth. This is the major way children catch viruses and a key way they pass viruses on to their parents and friends.

#4 Drink Plenty of Water
Water flushes your system, flushing out the poisons and it rehydrates your body.  Children and adults need 6 to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.  In addition, drinking plenty of water daily keeps your kidneys, liver and adrenal glands healthy.

#5 Get Fresh Air
A daily dose of fresh air is essential, especially in cold weather when central heating dries you out and makes your body more vulnerable to flu viruses. Also, during cold weather more people stay indoors, which means more germs are circulating in crowded rooms.

#6 Exercise Regularly
Aerobic (cardio) and anerobic (weight training) exercise stimulates the heart to pump larger quantities of blood which helps transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood and this helps increase the body's natural virus-killing cells.  Warning; never do aerobic exercise when you have a virus, it can cause the infection to rapidly spread into your lungs and heart.

#7 Eat Plenty of Vegetables and Fruits
Eat dark green, red, and yellow vegetables and fruits.  The natural chemicals in plants give the vitamins in food a supercharged boost.  A balanced diet that emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and small amounts of lean protein works best for most people.

#8 Don't Smoke 
Statistics show that smoking on a daily basis will lower your bodies resistance.  Therefore you will be more vulnerable to viruses.  Please note; even being around smoke can significantly weaken the immune system. 

#9 Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Large amounts of alcohol suppresses the immune system in a variety of ways and will make you more prone to initial infections.  In addition, alcohol dehydrates the body and it actually takes more fluids from your system than it puts in.

#10 Get Plenty of Sleep
Lack of sleep will lower your immune system and make you more vulnerable to viruses.  The amount of sleep needed for a healthy immune system varies from person to person.  In general, adults seem to do best on seven to eight hours of sleep a night.  Older children and teens need more rest, between nine and 10 hours every night.

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