I'd had a few late nights last week but nothing that warranted going to bed that early - which makes me think I'm fighting off the second round of flu currently working it's way round the city.
So I thought I'd share my virus fighting tips for anyone else who is suffering:
Vitamin C - a potent anti-viral, I up my supplement to 3-4 grams a day if I'm run down. Make sure you don't just rely on supplements and have plenty of fruit and veg which contain live enzymes and other nutrients missing from a vitamin C tablet. I'm also a big fan of drinking fresh lime and lemon juice (diluted). Vitamin C can be absorbed on content so drinking juices will get a source of the vitamin in direct contact with the immune tissue in your throat.
Sleep - I wouldn't normally be able to stay asleep for 12 hours and you'd have to ask my mum to find out the last time I went to bed at 7pm! When you're asleep your body goes into rest and repair mode and can divert your energy into fighting off any bugs or viruses. Even when you're not asleep it's important to rest both physically and mentally, until you're feeling better.
Wrap up - when you have a temperature that's a sure sign of infection - your immune system is more active at a higher temperature so your body helps the effort by raising the body temperature. Obviously it can be dangerous to have a temperature over 38 degrees but otherwise it's important to stay warm.
Avoid the sugar - sugar competes with vitamin C for uptake into the cells so eating sugary throat sweets won't be doing you any good. Soothe a sore throat by blending up some frozen berries with water for a soothing smoothie. Add natural yoghurt for some extra probiotics if you're not dairy intolerant.
Water - I often don't feel like drinking when I'm ill but fluids are essential to wash out the debris of dead cells generated by your immune attack. If you can't face water try diluted juices or herbal teas.
------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment