30 Ways to Avoid Flu

Oh no..my daughter got flu! Although flu is a common disease in tropical climate, we should be more aware now. Flu is no longer a "light" disease, now we have the deadly Avian flu and the famous Swine flu. Me as an Asian who live in tropical climate used to underestimate flu, but we should take more attention right now, especially when you got flu symptoms.
Unlike symptoms of a common cold, flu symptoms usually come on suddenly. Whether seasonal flu or swine flu, it usually starts with the abrupt onset of fever, headache, fatigue, and body aches. Here's a list of flu symptoms you might feel:

•  fever (usually high)
•  severe aches and pains in the joints and muscles and around the eyes
•  generalized weakness
•  ill appearance with warm, flushed skin and red, watery eyes
•  headache
•  dry cough
•  sore throat and watery discharge from your nose

Seasonal influenza is not normally associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, like diarrhea and vomiting, at least not in adults. However, these symptoms appear to be more common with swine flu. I remember one of my favorite Korean actor (Mr. Kim Hyun Joong) who got the Swine flu complained about the bad diarrhea, but he was lucky because he got the Swine flu when he still in Japan, so he was taken very well and he has completely recovered now.

For you who'd like to avoid flu or at least try your best to avoid it, there are 30 ways you may try :

1. Eat one orange per day. Orange contains of vitamin C, the main supplement to defeat flu.
2. Get some adequate rest. Our body will recharge its energy when we have an adequate amount of rest, so we could defeat any disease.
3. Reduce stress. Stress could weaken the body immune system.
4. Eat garlic everyday (If you could stand the smell), garlic could make your body immune system stronger and defeat the bacteria. As Asian I always use garlic in my dishes, but if you can not stand it, try the garlic supplements.
5. Drink plenty of water as detoxification.
6. Use ginger in your dishes and as drinks. Ginger is good to warm the body and add some immunity too.
7. Consume food that rich in vitamin E like nuts, beans, and whole grains.
8. Consume food that has plenty of Zinc like sardines, wheat.
9. Echinaceae herba also help to prevent flu and cold. Try to consume it.
10. Wash your hand regularly with soap. And do not be touchy.
11. Keep the throat in a moist condition.
12. Do light exercise like 30 minutes walking around the block or 20 minutes jogging.
13. Avoid places with many people (reduce traveling if necessary), especially in the middle of damp and cold weather, where people with colds and flu can transmit the disease.
14. Consume chicken soup with garlic and onions. The soup will help increase the flow of nasal mucus which makes the bacteria removed from our body system. My mom really loves it, she makes a chicken soup three to four times a week. She also add nutmeg and pepper in the soup.
15. Keep your body warm. Wearing jacket, sweater could help to maintain the body temperature when you're going out especially in cold weather.

16. Keep the air in the house still damp with a humidifier.
17. Drink carrot juice or vegetables juice everyday. You may try the carrots mixed with tomatoes juice.
18. Consume yogurt minimal one cup per day to maintain the good bacteria in our digestive system.
19. Add some chilli to your dishes. Chili or hot ingredients such as paprika powder or pepper could help to clean the membran mucous.
20. Drink pineapple juice. Pineapple juice contains bromelain enzym that good to your health.
21. Try this : Add a slice of ginger into a cup of hot water, add some honey and two pieces of clover. Drink that to avoid flu.
22. Eat some onions (red onions) because it contains quercetin,  a compound that defeat virus and bacteria.
23. If you got flu, try this : Add a few drops of cajuput oil (oil from eucalyptus leaves) into a bowl of hot water, cover your head with towel and inhaled the fumes.
24. Avoid smoking. Smoking could bring tension on the respiratory system.
25. Consume some chestnuts. Chestnuts could increase the immune system.
26. Stimulate the thymus. Thymus is a gland the size of a fist that is located behind the sternum and in the middle of your chest. Thymus has an important role in the functioning of the lymphatic and immune systems. To stimulate the thymus you may use the acupressure, with your point and middle finger press gently in the middle of your chest about 50 times. Do it twice a day every morning and evening.
27. Try the Royal jelly product. In some Asian countries, Royal Jelly is an ancient tonic that has great capability to increase immune system.
28. Try some herbal tonics like Ligustrum, Cherokee Rose, and Honeysuckle. Ligustrum could increase the immune system, Cherokee Rose contains high vitamin C, and Honeysuckle is a natural anti-microbial that used to defeat the virus, bacterial, fungus infection.
29. Try some meditations like yoga or tai chi.
30. Maintain the positiveness. If we keep our mind and spirit in positive way, the body will stay healthy.