Viruses

[Colors]

Dear abnormally-glowy-healthy people,

How do y'all NOT get sick?

Eat oranges, pips and rinds and all? Drink broth of the essence of Chuck Norris sweat?

Please reveal me your secrets so that I may no longer suffer the chronic colds.

Sincerely not going to crawl out of bed for the third time in two and a half weeks,
Colors

[OneWithSoul]

All the time, we all do. I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac so I worry about these things.

Right now I have the stomach virus, but I'm almost recovered- I stayed home from school today. A few days ago, I had a really bad cold/sinus infection. For about two months preceding it, I had an ongoing middle/inner ear infection which was annoying but has gone away. I haven't gone to the doctors and I don't usually when I'm sick..even when most people would, as I prefer the natural way of letting your body fight it off- we underestimate the power of our immune system far too much, and I find it funny when people run off to the doctors for little sicknesses and problems..I haven't been to the docs in a good 7 years and I am perfectly healthy (except for right now, but it's a little stomach bug :))

For my last cold- I got a cold humidifier that I slept with, I drank chamomile decaf herbal tea before bed, I ate clementines and oranges, drank nothing but water, took frequent hot showers to clear out my sinuses, and got lots of rest! Nothing to see a doc about, even though colds can get pretty severe- trust me, I just got over a realllly bad one.

[Tiltyred]

Get enough sleep every night.
Do something that makes you happy once a day, even if it's only for a minute. (endorphins=good for health/immune system)
Take your vitamins.

Sorry you're sick!

Oh, p.s. wash your hands often and keep your hands away from your face

[Amargith]

Get enough sleep, make sure you're not cold, use achinacea the moment you feel a bit weaker so you can catch it in time and also stop using it when you're ok again. Eat a lot of fruit or take a vitamin supplement. Work out when you're feeling healthy, it boosts your system.

Once sick, I tend to go for homeopathy (healthier and often more effective than antibiotics, again, if you start it in time) and lots of sleep, as I tend to get sick coz I'm exhausted.

Best wishes, sweety

[Imperial]

I drink quite a lot of water, get enough sleep, and work steadily.

... Used to take cod fish oil dietary supplements last year, which had an effect on my eyes - made them abit more 'watery', and apparently made my hair a little shinier. It's cool, really did work!

I (used to) eat quite a lot, too, and keep a watch on what I'm taking in. Not too obsessive when it comes to greens or the vitamin/mineral stuff.

[Eagle]

I don't really get sick. When I do, if I'm feeling up to it I get up and get moving. I also get lots of rest.

[phoenity]

Nutrition, sleep, mental and physical health - there are a lot of factors that determine the strength of your immunity.

I used to get sick quite frequently when I was younger. Then I started doing physical activity on a regular basis and I haven't had a cold in over three years.

[ajblaise]

I used to become sick or get a cold at around the same rate as most people seem to, but I haven't had either for at least two years. I don't know what I've been doing differently, though. I've become more awesome I guess.

I remember my mom claiming to have not gotten sick for 30 years, which I found hard to believe. She credited it to the power of positive thinking.

[nozflubber]

I never get sick, EVER... and I drink, smoke, eat fast food and TV dinners, don't hydrate enough, have irregular sleep patterns....... my secret? Same as George Carlin's : NON-sterilization



Oh, p.s. wash your hands often and keep your hands away from your face


Do the OPPOSITE of this.... DON'T wash your hands that often, because removing all viruses and bacteria from your environment does not give your immune system opportunities to update what it's looking for - non-domestic biomatter. You get SICK because your system was unable to defend itself against a large concentration of the pathogen responsible for the illness in question, NOT because you don't engage in enough hygeine behaviors. If you do need to clean off your hands, try to not use soap if possible. If you just changed an oil filter or something you'll wanna use soap to get rid of non-water sollulble toxins, otherwise soap just kills more pathogens that would make its way into your system...


pick your nose, chew on your fingernails, bite your cutilcles as well.... more opportunities for updates!

This is of course assuming you are a healthy adult and don't work in a hospital or someplace with elderly... then you want to sterilize on their behalf.

[nightning]

As people said, lots of rest... make sure you have a good balanced diet and plenty of water.

Lastly, try to be less hurried and reduce stress. Stress has been linked scientifically to decrease in immune functions. :)

[OneWithSoul]

I guess being sick is partially a psychological thing. I know I've become even more sick, or just sick, when I worry about it. Think positively and you're body will heal. Take walks, sleep well, drink lots of water. Don't use hand sanitizer because it takes away from what your immune system can be doing and kills certain helpful viruses and bacteria. Yes, you should still wash your hands as this is different than hand sanitizer.

[laintpe]

there's actually a term for the positive thinking a few have mentioned (well, it falls under)- psychoneuroimmunology

ironically, i'm anxious and a little pessimistic, yet rarely get sick.... however, I have had whatever it is I do have now for the last 2.5 weeks. I sort of wanted a break, but this isn't strong enough to allow for any sort of substantial break- the most annoying kind of virus, imo.

[ajblaise]

there's actually a term for the positive thinking a few have mentioned (well, it falls under)- psychoneuroimmunology

hmm interesting. I'm wiki-ing the crap out of this right now.

[OneWithSoul]

Very interesting. I am a hypochondriac and have anxiety issues because of it sometimes and it seems that whenever I turn on the happy and optimistic button my body mysteriously is rid of all of the wierd aches/pains and unexplaned problems that the normal person wouldn't worry about, but I would.

[Tiltyred]

With all due respect, I'd like to challenge the idea that you can just positive think yourself out of being sick, or that if you think positively, you won't get sick. If you believe that, then what does it say about sick people? That their thinking is not "healthy." Which is bullshit. There are people who are sick and it has nothing whatsoever to do with their thinking. So I just want to say be very careful with that kind of thinking that you don't wind up blaming sick people for being sick.

[Eagle]

lol. Funny and interesting. I'm wiki-ing the crap out of it too. I love research on random topics.

[JocktheMotie]

I've always had a superb immune system, and I end up being the carrier of bad germs more than the victim. I'll have a slight throat ache and some sinus pressure for a day, then the GF or roommate gets floored for 3-4 days and can't talk/move.

Whenever I feel funky, I down advil like a madman, drink a lot of tea, and eat more spicy foods than usual. Spicy foods are the key, I think I read something once about capsacin being a great immunity booster thing.

[Sytpg]

I've only been sick in bed like two times in my whole life. And no more than a couple of days.

[Imperial]

Dear abnormally-glowy-healthy people,

People notice that? Cool. :cool:

[YourLocalJesus]

Used to be ill a lot... Found that eating a shitload of vitamins, fruit and spicy food helps.

I'm currently eating: multivitamins (contains a bit of everything more or less), Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Calcium-Magnesium and Omega-3 complex. I am also addicted to oranges, so I sacrifice and eat about three or four of them on my kitchen altar each day.

[Quinlan]

I've always had a superb immune system, and I end up being the carrier of bad germs more than the victim. I'll have a slight throat ache and some sinus pressure for a day, then the GF or roommate gets floored for 3-4 days and can't talk/move.


I do that too, makes me feel like superman.