Viruses & Immune-Boosting Measures
The nCoV-2019 that began it’s a journey in Wuhan has been affecting most people’s life in Singapore. Here some ideas and measurements about what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones:
Good Personal Hygiene
Carry a travel-size shower gel or liquid soap with you. Personally, I prefer using natural soaps as they don’t dry out my sensitive skin. The soaps in public places are often too harsh for my sensitive skin, and, therefore, I have been bringing my own with me since living in China in 2003 (there were no soaps in public toilets back then). My favorite soaps are from the Middle East as they are rich in olive oil. In Singapore, you can get “good” soaps at Mosque Square (Bugis), “Scoop” (Tanglin Mall) or your local health shop.
Wash your hands as soon as you get home. Try to touch as little as possible.
Moisturize your hands regularly to keep the skin on your hands healthy. Frequent hand washing with harsh soap can potentially irritate sensitive skin. Dry and itchy skin is more prone to cracking which would make it easier for germs to enter your body. Personally, I don’t like the sticky feeling hand lotions or cremes give me in Singapore. Instead, I use a few drops of coconut or olive oil after washing my hands when they are still slightly moist. Applying oil on damp skin will help the skin absorb the oil instead of leaving an oily layer.
Since living in China, I have been avoiding to touch door handles or lift buttons. Instead, I am using my elbows or finger knuckles. Try to not touch your face with your hands. Use your arm or shoulder instead.
Disinfect your hands when touching something in public like an ATM machine or when traveling on public transportation. Disinfect your EasyLink card, keyboard, and mobile phone regularly.
Boost Your Immune System
Make sure to get enough rest. Your body needs sleep to get the rest it needs to prevent infections – or to fight them.
Do activities that lower stress, such as low-intensity exercises, yoga, mediation, reading, writing or doing something creative.
Eat healthy, i.e. loads of fresh fruits and veggies, avoid sugar, and cook at home as much as possible. Avoid milk products as they may increase mucus in the respiratory tract. If you don’t know how to cook, now is a good time to invest in a good cooking book or ask your relatives to show you how to prepare your favourite dishes.
Include herbs in your diet, whether as herbal tea, in a salad, or when cooking.
Get some sun. It helps to boost the immune system.
Stay hydrated. This means drinking mainly water or some herbal teas (infusions), not soft drinks, coffee or juice.
If you spend most of your day in air-conditioning and suffer from a dry nose, you could gently lubricate your nostrils with a little bit of coconut oil. This will help to keep the mucus membrane moist and intact. Coconut oil has been suggested as a preventive measure for the nCov-2019 due to its anti-viral properties by a medical research team in the Philippines. (Dayrit & team, 2020)
It is important to stay calm. Fear itself has a very low frequency and does impact the immune system negatively. So try to make the best out of the situation, spend more time with your loved ones at home, learn how to cook some healthy dishes, and generally take good care of yourself! Healthy habits and a balanced lifestyle will help you stay healthy in the long run, whether there is a virus going around of not.
If you would like to reduce your stress levels and learn some technics to improve the quality of your sleep, feel free to reach out to me!
About Jennifer:
Jennifer Eisenecker is an ex-banker, German-certified naturopath, and business owner. Knowing how limited time and mind space often are, her recommendations are practical, easy to follow, and as simple as possible.
Jennifer’s multi-disciplinary approach involves going back to basics, looking at health from a trauma-aware perspective, and achieving health by calming down the nervous system to optimize your body’s innate ability to rebalance itself. She loves herbs and natural remedies.
Sources:
https://aromapraxis.de/2020/02/25/viren-antivirale-massnahmen-stark-bleiben-wider-die-panikmache/