We are now in the middle of another flu season. There are steps that you can take to help prevent catching the flu. One of them is by not getting a flu shot. The CDC now admits that the current flu shots are only 23% effective. However, that has not stopped all of our wonderful nation-wide pharmacy chains from pushing flu shots on their customers. Or another silly thing you can do is what most of the rest of the world does during a flu epidemic — or NOT!
Can you imagine in this age that most people still believe that putting on a cotton or paper mask will protect them from the flu virus. Of course the virus size is so small that it can easily penetrate the holes between the cotton or paper fibers. The only thing a mask might accomplish is to temporarily capture the droplet of moisture that is sprayed when someone coughs or sneezes (without covering their face). However, once the droplet is absorbed into the mask fibers, the virus will penetrate and enter your nose and throat when you next inhale.
The CDC is now telling people “Health care providers should advise patients at high risk to call promptly if they get symptoms of influenza.” Maybe the guy above with the paper mask had a better idea?
At Seagate, we take a slightly different approach to the flu:
Prevention (a review since you all should know this by now):
Avoid crowds, if possible.
Keep your hands away from your mouth and face once you are out in public.
Wash your hands regularly throughout the day.
Don’t send your kids to school if they have symptoms of a cold or flu.
Protection
Try and maintain a healthy immune system throughout the year by eating balanced meals, eating a lot of the good things (fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken) and eliminating the bad (alcohol, smoking, processed foods, sugars and carbs) taking your vitamins, and taking some immune-support supplements: (olive leaf, beta glucan, garlic, lemon):
In addition, you should continue with the Olive Leaf capsules, the garlic, and the lemon as a part of your regular daily intake. Get plenty of rest, drink a lot of fluids, and try and avoid contact with other people and not spread your germs. A couple of bowls of grandma’s chicken soup (the one from boiling a chicken, not from a packet) can help.
Seagate is not permitted to claim that any of the above products are anti-bacterial or anti-viral. However, we do claim that these produce can help you maintain a healthy immune system that will help you avoid getting sick in the first place … and if you are already beginning to feel sick, some of these products can help alleviate the symptoms.
On occasion, we have the pleasure to witness the siting of this very rare endangered species, my dive-buddy and faithful companion Michelle. She has accompanied me diving on and off for almost 40 years. In the above photo, she is practicing photography on a Caribbean reef. If you keep yourself in good shape, there is no reason to give up this kind of activity. She sometimes will even admit to me that she enjoys this.