With winter fast approaching, flu season is here. People can easily
catch the flu bug and they try to fight it with western medicine,
traditional Chinese medicine or some homemade secret recipes. Yet
some of these strategies are ineffective or even harmful. The best
way to counter the flu is to protect us from contracting it. So
here are eight good habits to protect people from contracting flu
from the very beginning.
Four ineffective ways to fight the flu
* Sweating leads to good health
Some think sweating is a way to get rid of the flu. People who
have contracted flu cover up in quilts or drink hot fresh ginger
water to sweat the virus out of their bodies. Yet sweating doesn?ˉt
necessarily lead to better health. Sweating too much can lead to a
risk of dehydration, which can result in an imbalance in
electrolytes thus intensifying the flu.
* Eating more or eating less leads to recovery
Some people believe that people with the flu should eat more fat
to get extra nutrition. This thinking is wrong. When people catch a
cold, their stomach activity slows down and high-fat and
high-protein food increases pressure on the digestion system.
Others believe that people who have the flu should eat less as they
don?ˉt have as big an appetite. Yet eating less can lead to less
energy, which can lead to a longer recovery time.
* Sports therapy
Many young people believe doing sports such as basketball or
running is a good way to fight the flu. Yet such intense exercise
can make their health worse. More physical activity increases
energy consumption and decreases their ability to get rid of the
flu bug.
* Saline transfusion offers relief from fever
Some believe that a saline transfusion helps people when they
have a high fever; they think that the body?ˉs internal heat and
the virus will flow out of the body through urine thus lowering
body temperature. Yet saline is not the panacea. Drinking more
water is more effective.
Eight habits to keep the flu away
1. During the day, keep the bedroom window open to let fresh air
in.
2. Wash your face with cold water in the morning and wash your
feet with hot water in the evening. This practice can help boost
blood circulation and improve the body?ˉs resistance.
3. Do some exercises in the morning, such as jogging or
shadowboxing for 10 minutes.
4. Rinse your mouth with salt water or tea every morning and
every evening. This can help kill flu bacteria, clear phlegm and
keep the mouth fresh.
5. Wear more clothes when it's cold and take them off some when
it's warm.
6. Get a bottle of vinegar or Chinese white wine at hand and
smell it now and then. Their pungent smell can help people get
refreshed and improve their body's resistance.
7. Drink two kinds of beverages before going to bed can help
people stay away from the flu: soup made of radish and vinegar; and
tea made of fresh ginger.
8. Close the doors and windows and put a pot of boiling vinegar
in the room. Vinegar steam is a good way to kill flu bacteria in
the air.
(China Daily November 28, 2007)
