With the flu now reaching epidemic levels, it seemed to me a great time to share some tried and true mountian remedies. These will not only help you get over the virus, but they will also help you boost your immune system to hopefully prevent you from even getting it.
1. Get lots of rest.
This one is the best for a reason. It seems so simple, yet we tend to overlook it all of the time. You get so caught up in your day-to-day activities that you wind up neglecting yourself. Your body can’t make the antibodies that it needs to shed the virus if you don’t allow it to recharge. Getting eight to ten hours of good sleep will helpyou keep your body running in ship shape.
2. Keep yourself hydrated.
While regular exercise will also help you in boosting your immune system, if you don’t drink enough water you will still put yourself at risk. If, on the other hand, you already are down with the critter then staying properly hydrated is critical. You will run a fever as your body attempts to fight off the invasion. If you don’t sip at water and juice regularly, your fever and symptoms will be worse. On a normal day, you want to drink 4-6 8-ounce glasses of water each day. While you’re ill, you want to add another 36 ounces on top of that in the form of juices, coffee or hot teas. The warmth and the steam will loosen up the chills and the congestion.
3. Eat your sauerkraut.
This is an old bit of advice that found its way into our mountain culture by way of the German immigrants of long ago. They were right, of course. Eating a serving of kraut once a day will help you boost your immune system. The fermentation in the cabbage triggers your body to produce a higher antibody response. Besides, have you ever heard of a sick German — other than Hitler? So, the next time you go to the store grab yourself a can of sauerkraut.
4. Get in some raw honey.
A lot of scientific research has shown that raw bee honey is loaded with vitamins and minerals of every sort. Therefore, it would behoove you (pun intended) to ingest a mere spoonful of this raw resource each day both while healthy and while sick. As a word of caution, putting it in something hot will nullify its nutritional content. So, if you want to mix in your tea then do it with lukewarm tea.
5. Take a shot of apple cider vinegar.
Again, this should be done with the raw variety in mind. It too is packed with minerals and nutrients that will boost your body’s defenses against the dreaded virus. As with the honey, only a spoonful a day is necessary for benefit. It won’t taste great, and you can’t mix it with anything, but its benefits will be well worth it.
Now you have five perfectly good ways to get yourself back on track, or keep yourself there. If you do happen to get laid up in bed with this bug, you could entertain yourself with a story about a battle with a virus of a similar sort. Who knows? Maybe it will inspire you!
Ramblings Of A Hillbilly 