Hey there! As I watch my co-workers one by one fall victim to the dreaded stomach flu, I cant help but think "there has got to be a way to combat this!." I utilized my physiological knowledge, and a healthy dose of googling (respected sources of course) to bring you a comprehensive lists of tactics to fight the most dreaded stomach bug! I don't know about you all but I am the absolute worst when I get sick, so I don't want to see any of my friends or my partner deal with me in that state. So without further ado, here are my suggestions!
1. Proper hand-washing
I cannot stress enough how crucial this is. When someone has the stomach bug they literally shed billions of germs (ew I know) so getting them on you is inevitable. You MUST wash your hands properly (full lathering, and maybe sing happy birthday for good measure) and frequently to combat the bug. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers likely DO NOT work for this bug, so hand-washing is a must
2. Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces
This goes without saying, but take the cleaner of your choice, wipe it on the contaminated surface, and let it sit for several minutes before wiping it off. Do this frequently and don't forget about the less-obvious items such as door-handles, keyboards, and phones.
3.Probiotics
I can't rave enough about probiotics. They literally saved me when I was fighting a terrible infection a few years ago. Good-quality probiotics can be a bit pricey but they are SO worth it. They re-populate the intestines with good bacteria, so there is less room for bad bacteria. They also boost your intestinal health overall. Take them. You won't regret it. P.S. Culturelle are my favorite.
*As a side note, fermented foods such as pickles and kimchee also contain probiotics!*
4. 100% Grape Juice and Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (not necessarily together)
In all of my Google research, these two things kept coming up. I am a fan of using ACV for a lot of ailments, but the basic gist is that keeping the body in an alkaline state can fight the bug. The stomach bug likes acid, and hates an alkaline environment so this makes sense. So here's the deal, both of these work to make the body more alkaline.
- For the ACV (try to get raw like Bragg's) and take about 2 tblsp. diluted in water at least once a day.
- For the 100% grape juice (no sugar added!) try to drink about 3 glasses a day. I know this sounds crazy and there is a quite a bit of sugar, but I would rather workout a little longer and not get the stomach bug! There are TONS of people swearing by this (including pediatric nurses and daycare workers). I can't believe I didn't know about this before with my extreme stomach bug phobia! Make sure you only try this method BEFORE you show any symptoms (while purple vomit may look cool, I assure it probably is not.)
5. Garlic
Garlic is a natural anti-viral so it makes sense that it can help combat the bug! Taking garlic supplements or adding fresh garlic to meals is a great way to supplement with this natural stomach bug killer!
6. Support the immune system!
Allow your immune system the help it needs to combat the nasty bug. Vitamin C, E, and Zinc are always helpful as well as other antioxidants. Luckily (and probably not coincidentally) that grape juice we talked about earlier packs a punch with many of these!
So there you have it, my advice on how to (naturally) combat the spread of the dreaded stomach bug! If someone in your house (or you) have already begun to show symptoms, many people swear by activated charcoal tablets to ease the vomiting, fresh peppermint or ginger tea (sipped slowly), and plenty of rest.
I hope these tips help keep you and your family healthy this winter! Please comment with any other tricks your family uses or how these have helped you! I would love to hear your success stories.
*Disclaimer: I am not being paid to endorse any of the products I name specifically. They are just ones that I have used in the past and like : )
Comments
Post a Comment