10 Top Tips for Fighting Illness

This post is by J.D., who is adding this byline at the request of RSS subscribers.

I had grand plans for Monday. After several weeks of soul-searching, I was ready to re-dedicate myself to my fitness plan, and to this site. I was going to renew my gym membership. I was going to walk to the post office. I was going to have a healthy dinner.

I managed the latter, but the other two fell by the wayside. At about one o’clock, I began to feel lethargic. The lethargy quickly turned to something else, and by the early evening I could tell I was getting sick. Ever since, I’ve been laid up in bed sporting a fever and an achey body. I have a bad cold or the flu or food poisoning.

While convalescing, I’ve spent most of my time watching old television shows on Hulu. (I’ve watched nearly the entire first season of Adam-12.) I also stumbled upon WebMD’s secrets of super-healthy people. Since I’ve never been a super-healthy person (in fact, I’ve been the opposite for most of my life), and since I’m an especially ill person right now, I read the article with interest. Here are the ten techniques it suggests:

1. Regular exercise. When you increase your circulation, you give your body a better chance to fight disease. Your white blood cells have more opportunities to meet and defeat foreign germs.
2. Oral hygiene. Gargling with an antiseptic mouthwash after brushing your teeth can help fight off infection. I’ve heard this before, but only from dentists. Maybe there’s something actually to it.
3. Fruits and vegetables. The article cites a substance called quercetin, which “may give an immunity boost to individual under stress”. You can find this flavonoid in capers, red apples, red onions, red grapes, citrus fruits, tomatoes, and broccoli.
4. Less stress. Ah, yes. The most probably cause for my own current problems. When you’re under stress, your body produces certain hormones that can reduce your immune system. The article quotes one doctor who says, “The immune system plummets when cortisol levels are chronically high.” Time for me to start meditating and taking daily naps.
5. Vitamins. Though it’s a myth that vitamin C prevents colds, proper intake this and other nutrients can help boost immunity.
6. A positive attitude. Your attitude really can affect your health, both mental an physical.
7. Relaxation. As mentioned above, regular relaxation and meditation can help to reduce stress. But they might have direct health benefits, as well. “Researchers at the University of Wisconsin and Harvard University found that volunteers who participated in eight weeks of mediation training produced significantly more flu-fighting antibodies than those who didn’t meditate.”
8. Social capital. Those with strong social networks are more likely to live longer and less likely to suffer from heart disease. And they’re more likely to enjoy life, which is a bonus!
9. Clean hands. According to the Centers for Disease Control, hand-washing is the number-one method to prevent the common cold. Most of us don’t do it often enough.
10. Sleep. I’ve documented my ongoing quest for better sleep. I’m well-aware that when my sleep quantity and quality suffer, so do my mental and physical health. (Which means maybe I shouldn’t have stayed up until 3am watching Adam-12 last night!)

What I find interesting about this list is that most of the techniques aren’t just good for fighting illness, but they’re also good for general physical fitness. Unsurprising, I suppose. Also unsurprising that I don’t do well at most of them. In a way, I could use this list as a guideline for refocusing my energies on fitness.

The good news about my prolonged absence from Get Fit Slowly is that I haven’t reverted to my old habits. Sure, I do a dumb thing now and then, and I’m not exercising as much as I should, but mostly I’ve been trying to practice balance, to tread water while I decide what my goals are. This seems to have worked.

And now, as soon as I kick this cold (or flu or food poisoning), I’m ready to get back to exercise!